"Virtual Meccano": the Creation of Virtual Joints to Explore Vernacular Timber-framed Construction Methods of the Late Medieval Period (C1400-1530)

The research agenda of this paper is to create a visual database, containing the key joints used by late medieval carpenters, in the construction of vernacular timber-framed, open-hall dwellings (c1400-1530). This will be achieved by employing virtual, three dimensional (3D) technologies, to create solid geometric objects that emulate their real-world counterparts, through the utilisation of 3d studio max. This will result in the creation of a virtual library, containing the pre-formed joints.