Sustainability Report

CIMBRA was conceived from the outset as a temporary state of materials that already have a life before and after the exhibition. The pavilion is built entirely from standard ULMA formwork and shoring components, lent by ULMA for the duration of the congress. This is the same system used to cast concrete on construction sites. Its name refers to the cimbra, the temporary falsework that supports a structure while it is being built and is removed once the work stands on its own. The pavilion does not create new building material. It borrows an existing construction system for the duration of the congress. Because the structure is a modular, standardised grid of props, beams and panels, it is not tied to a single program or site. The same kit of parts can be reconfigured into other exhibition layouts, a temporary stage or shelter, or a different stand for future events, simply by changing the spacing and height of the modules. After the congress, the components are returned to ULMA and go back into service on construction sites, which is the most direct form of adaptive reuse available to them.

All of them. The pavilion is assembled entirely dry, using the formwork system's own mechanical connections (pins, clamps and couplers), with no adhesives, welding or cast-in-place elements. This allows full disassembly without damage or waste.

• Formwork props, beams and frames (ULMA): these are standard stock elements, lent for the duration of the congress. Once dismantled, they are returned to ULMA and re-enter the formwork cycle on construction sites.
• Phenolic plywood boards: these are the standard formwork facing boards, designed for repeated use in concrete casting. They are only fixed mechanically, so they are recovered whole and can return to construction sites or be reused in later assemblies.
• Exhibition graphics on aluminium: the 203 project panels stay with the CSCAE, which will use them in travelling exhibitions and other shows. The content keeps circulating beyond the congress, and the aluminium is fully recyclable at the end of its life.
• Lighting and electrical components: these are surface-mounted, so they can be recovered intact for future installations.