An EPFL lab designs new wooden pews for the Lausanne Cathedral

[Simulation] In 2022, the pews will replace the chairs dating from 1912. Canton de Vaud - The Canton of Vaud has selected a technology developed by EPFL's IBOIS Laboratory for the construction of new pews for Lausanne's Cathedral of Notre Dame. The pews, built with locally-sourced wood, have an innovative design that does not require either glue or screws. On Thursday, the Canton of Vaud announced that the chairs in the Lausanne Cathedral will soon be replaced by wooden pews crafted using a technique developed by EPFL's IBOIS Laboratory for Timber Constructions. Both the lab and EPFL have signed a technology transfer agreement with the Canton. The pews, made from oak panels, will be assembled using a joinery technique known as snap-fit. IBOIS, which is headed by associate professor Yves Weinand, first introduced this technique at the international ACADIA conference in Los Angeles in 2014.