Shelters from Scraps: designing for the circular economy

This project studies how to rapidly provide shelter using recycled timber and factory offcuts, turning Waste into a Resource. Through an interdisciplinary design studio, students at two universities explore how building systems can adapt to diverse needs via modular elements designed for disassembly and reuse. The course explains how technology is changing wood design, simulation and construction. After studying material properties, parametric design, structural analysis and fabrication using a flipped classroom format, students work in small, mostly remote, interdisciplinary teams to design a small structure. The paper describes their approaches for designing with recycled and surplus wood over three years. To provide flexible and reusable elements, reciprocal frames were introduced in the most recent two iterations of the class. Increased understanding of machining processes from one year led to narrowing the design focus in the following year so that everything could be cut perpendicular to the panel. This straightforward design constraint reduced the tessellation options, accelerated consolidation of multiple design proposals and streamlined detailing, pre-fabrication, and assembly of the final pavilion.