After Architecture has designed Crinkle Cuts, a novel, lightweight, non-planar timber construction system.

Crinkle Cuts reimagines how logs become lumber, cutting geometrically enhanced boards which offer new possibilities for porous, lightweight mass timber panels.

Rejecting the planar assumptions of lumber, a new robotic bandsaw sawmill technology developed by the project team is deployed to cut logs with undulating surfaces in two directions, producing 'Crinkle Cut' boards that are wavy in plan and section.

The wavy boards are assembled into lightweight and porous structural panels.

A prototype assembly demonstrates the material system using beetle-kill ash, minimising material waste by efficiently nesting board geometries into input logs.

This project has been longlisted in the material innovation category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: After Architecture
Project: Crinkle Cuts