salvaged construction waste shapes pavilion in berlin, calling for a circular design process

Material Circle Pavilion at the Berlin University of the Arts

Reimagining design processes within the context of a circular economy, a team of architectural students at the Berlin University of the Arts has unveiled Material Circle — a pavilion made entirely from salvaged construction waste. Led by Prof. Giovanni Betti, the project showcases an approach to architecture where both function and the availability of materials serve as the starting point for design explorations. The students sought to address the construction industry’s significant contribution to global CO2 emissions and the pressing need for sustainable building methods, taking on a catalogue of materials that were made available partially through a donation from demolition company Hagedorn, and partially sourced from construction and demolition sites around Berlin.

a circular process for more sustainable architecture

At the core of the Material Circle pavilion lies a circular approach to architecture alongside sustainable design principles. The circular economy principles guide the form, dimensions, and structure of the pavilion, demonstrating how creative design can align with available materials. This departure from the traditional modernist approach, where form follows function, fosters an iterative negotiation between form, function, and material availability.

To tackle the challenge of managing a diverse and somewhat chaotic collection of salvaged elements, the Berlin University of the Arts students employed cutting-edge technology and a process of collection, digitization, and 3D scanning to catalogue their sourced materials. This approach enabled the team to efficiently and creatively repurpose waste, while also facilitating the identification of opportunities for future construction projects.

project info:

name: Material Circle
designer: Prof. Giovanni Betti, Anna Bajanova, Christian Schmidts; Students: Tim Cox, Elias Eichhorn, Paula Hauschildt, Eva Heilmann, Angelina Hille, Martin Hofmann, Linda Huke, Leah Leicht, Lucas Apostolo, Gloria Neveu, Albert Nierlin, Elisa Romero-Romero, Parzival Schneider, Jonas Ullrich, Baptiste Vargas Hordosch

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