cardboard architecture (circa 2001)
Ah, those crazy Brits…seriously, how did I miss this one?
The Westborough primary school in Westcliff-on-Sea (Essex) is the first building comprised mainly of cardboard in Europe. It won the Steven Lawrence Prize and the RIBA Journal Sustainabilty Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The project architects were Cottrell and Vermeulen Architecture, who were in charge of visual and spatial planning along with the choosing of materials for the project (cool video here). The overall form for the 49 foot by 20 foot school was derived from studies using origami, and was very much inspired by the community it was built for (it doubles as a center for community activities). This building had to have some definitive ideas on waterproofing and fire protection in place. This is where some much needed researching support was in order (of course, you can not forget about the master of cardboard/ paper tube architecture himself).
The project focused on two things: the use of recycled or recyclable materials and have the structure be sound enough to last for 20 to 25 years. In response to the first, an astounding 90% of the buildings chosen materials fit the bill, as
‘…walls and roofs [were] composed of timber-edged (composite) cardboard panels [and] cardboard tubes used for structural columns and palisade walls.’
As for the second request, we will all have to wait on that one to see.
Information from cardboard school website, architect’s website, Architecture.com and Treehugger.
*Bonus cardboard delight: from architect Colin James.*
Catch you on the flip, my ninjas.
Posted: January 6th, 2007
at 12:36pm by Dubs
Categories: architecture,green arch,tech
Comments: No comments
