Brian Carter
Elaine Chow
Kenneth MacKay
Nicholas Rajkovich (coordinator)
Bradley Wales

ARC 302
Spring 2019

BS Arch

In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and spread ash into the atmosphere, causing the average temperature around the globe to drop by 3°C. As crops failed around the world, horses and oxen were slaughtered because they couldn’t be fed. This left few means of transportation except by foot.

Several historians argue that this event led to the invention of the laufmaschine. This two-wheeled, wooden vehicle was designed and built by German inventor Karl Drais in 1817. It was called the laufmaschine, which is German for “running machine” because it was propelled by running. 

The laufmaschine was the first widely available vehicle that was not animalpowered, was a response to climate change, and intrigued many people with the possibility of moving about on a personal, mechanized vehicle. With this in mind, the junior studio began their semester by, in teams of 4 to 6 students, developing their own laufmaschines and researching issues of personal transportation, climate resilience, and construction techniques. It also served as an initial investigation toward the design of a Bicycle Institute / Resilience Hub / Community Center for Cleveland.

The laufmaschines had to employ a frame logic, be stable and steerable, and have at least two wheels making contact with the ground. Designed for a single rider, the laufmaschines couldn’t be propelled by anything other than the operator’s own body; meaning no pedals, chains, other mechanisms, or help from teammates were allowed. 

The design and construction process culminated with a relay-style race along the Lake Link Bike Trail near the Superior Viaduct in Cleveland, Ohio.

Through design, students had to consider assembly and disassembly, ergonomics, structure, construction, and sustainability.

Due to the necessity to travel to Cleveland for the relay event, students had to design their laufmaschines with transportation and reassembly in mind. Secretariat allowed for the wheel assemblies to be easily unfastened, taken off, and then reattached after transport. Similarly, FlexFrame utilized bolt and nut connections to allow for easy disassembly and assembly, creating a portable laufmaschine.

Impulse flexes under the user’s body to decrease the weight placed on the legs. The structure, made through bent glue laminated oak strips, capitalizes on compression forces and increases stability when loaded with the weight of the user. The design allows the rider to engage in a full range of motion for each stride, maximizing the efficiency of every body movement.

Some groups also experimented with different structural framing techniques. Chariot is structured with a unique truss system comprised of bent steel rods welded to plasma cut, rectangular stirrups. Diagonal rods added as further bracing for the frame.

Ideas concerning sustainability were generally seen throughout the studio, but some groups allowed themes of environment and waste to drive their designs. FUSE Cycle was constructed by utilizing and recycling neglected parts from old, used bicycles. BIKEA focused on efficiency of construction. It was constructed out of a single sheet of plywood, using every piece of material and leaving no waste behind.