TwoXTwo was a successful academic design-built project installation at Iowa State University, College of Design Atrium. The team of 77 students utilized custom fabrication workflows and digital design tools to create a continuous surface of 2×2 lumber. The design encouraged a playful relationship with public space, exploring new concepts of program, formal proportions, and privacy by integrating inclines, overhangs, ledges, and pockets.

The final assembly of TwoXTwo appears as a kinetic and continuous surface that incorporates various spatial qualities. The project was recognized as one of the Best Student Design-Build Projects Worldwide in 2016 by Arch Daily, showcasing its significance and success. It was an in-depth exercise towards an understanding of public space through the rethinking of formal proportions and conventions of program and privacy, demonstrating the potential of collaboration and experimentation in academic settings. The project highlighted the students’ skills in not only designing but also fabricating and constructing, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience in the field of art, design, and architecture.