The First Reused Component-Sourced Circular Pavilion from Basel
A programme of Weel of Architecture in Basel
Architecture must tread new paths in order to meet the ecological challenges of our time. The reuse of building components is an important aspect of this need. Under the auspices of Architekturwoche Basel (AWB), the design and programme of the Basel Circular Pavilion intend to formulate a radical and aesthetic thesis for circular construction that implements (re)used components. A catalogue of used, reused building components from demolition
projects in Switzerland is being compiled. It includes various building materials, types and scales.
It is through thinking together across disciplines and beyond current systems that we can start the much-needed revision in existing mindsets and processes related to our built environments.
Facing the consequences of environmental exploitation and destruction makes a paradigm shift in resource consumption imperative. New ways of building must shift towards a ‘re-materialized’ construction. The existing environment needs to be reconsidered as a source of ideas and resources: to reuse, re-invent use and give life again. It must be seen as architectural potential.
If building elements that last for decades are reused rather than destroyed, not only are resources not wasted but it also drastically reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the construction phase of building. This so-called circular pavilion brings with it a multitude of very different, challenging questions — from the technical and aesthetic side to the energy-related and legal aspects all the way to building culture
SLICING TIME
The pavilion “SLICING TIME” is a spatial strategy working with life spans layers. The design is not considered from the beginning as a linear, but circular process. A phase in a continuous cycle of creation and recreation, use and reuse
To what extent could this practice be suitable as a strategy of urban renewal?
• Can the identity of a place be transplanted into the future, to some extent, by reusing parts of its fallen buildings, even in the case of far-reaching transformations?
• What spatial possibilities are unlocked by the use of components once designed for other building types?• What specific constructive expressions do houses develop that combine materials and components throughout different stages of their life cycle in a way that makes sense and are capable of repair?• How can the issue of circular building from reused construction materials be transformed into a strong architectural form?
• What can a radical, formal thesis as well as a memorable space for a new architecture of reuse look like?• How to design a future with the existing?
