Material Card 3: Y Blocks

For the landing/departing dock at Onetangi, Waiheke, I had the idea of using mangroves or incorporating the shape of the mangroves in the dock somehow. However, I was unsure how to add the shapes without them simply being ornamentation on the walls or how to integrate them with the dock. I stumbled upon Y blocks (pictured right) on transmaterial.net and was incredibly fascinated by them. The Y blocks are made of clay and can be applied to interior and exterior walls. The shape of the blocks are quite unique in the sense that it allows for unusual patterning, tessellations, or shapes that was previous difficult with masonry construction. The blocks can be stacked vertically to make a wall or applied horizontally for paving. The Y shape is very appropriate for emulating mangroves and could easily be constructed to fit any unusual shape. However, larger installations of the Y blocks may prove difficult or unstable and the masonry may not integrate well with the landscape of the beach. 

(Source: http://transmaterial.net/index.php/2012/07/20/y-blocks/)


W Y Chan