Ephemeral Permanence

Aalborg, Denmark, 2022

Collaborators: Tina Vestermann Olsen (Aalborg University), Jens Munk, Poul Lund & Peter Skotte (AAU FAB LAB)

The most sustainable construction materials are those we already have. Reusing what already exists is at the heart of circular construction and a fundamental element of more sustainable architecture. The two-week design & build workshop „Ephemeral Permanence 1:1“, part of the 5th International Conference on Structures and Architecture 2022 in Aalborg, Denmark, explored the reuse of construction components as novel material and social practice. Strictly adhering to the principles of availability-based design, the participants sought a design that reflected the architectural and technical potential of reuse, exploring the resulting spaces and surprising material perceptions. Additionally, to use reclaimed materials, the pavilion was designed and constructed in such a way that the parts could be taken apart and reused elsewhere.

Provided with a given set of components harvested from various demolition sites, such as light steel columns, bricks, aerated concrete blocks, timber beams, panels, or roof tiles, the participants first analyzed their technical and architectural properties. They then designed a temporary pavilion serving as a social place on the waterfront close to the city centre and also near the nearby marina. The design reflects the projected site transformation in the coming years comprising the expansion of commercial areas in the neighborhood and rising sea levels but also the growing market for reclaimed materials. The pavilion was designed in 2 and built in 7 days by all 11 participants from various disciplinary backgrounds and different countries, together with the tutors and with great support from the AAU FAB LAB team.

Beyond its role as a viewing platform and meeting place during its 6-week existence, the temporary pavilion served as a 1:1 demonstrator of circularity that foregrounds material and resource reflexivity. If a building cannot be used anymore and faces demolition, we must at least reclaim its components. On the technical side, the major components should be recognized and reintroduced into the market. On the design side, this new, broader notion of materiality pushes toward an availability-based design that also shapes the way we decide on forms, connections, component arrangements, and spaces.

The team, therefore, developed a regular robust skeleton and modular material packages. The steel columns and wooden elements of the skeleton were clamped together non-destructively with steel clamps only, while the filling materials were connected with simple wooden frames and elastic cords. The quest for circular thinking thus applies to various levels: permanent components to shape ephemeral spaces and functions, understood as ephemeral resources that we need to cultivate towards a viable permanent development of the urban environment.

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