ELEMENTerial bus stop

Basic information

Project Title

Full project title

ELEMENTerial: Bus stop out of wooden house factory residues

Project Description

This small architectural form suggest a possible method or a potential product that would valorise the waste material in timber industry. When cutting out wooden wall elements from plate materials such as CLT (cross-laminated-timber), there are often leftovers like window and door openings. This residual material allows the wood to be seen as mid-scaled building blocks – neither log nor a whole wall, but a new LEGO piece for sustainable zero waste architecture.

Project Region

Tallinn, Estonia

EU Programme or fund

Yes

Which funds

Other

Other Funds

Enterprise Estonia , 2020-2021

Description of the project

Summary

This prototype is an investigation into timber house manufacturing leftovers, together with Estonian CLT manufacturer Arcwood and with the support of Enterprise Estonia (EAS) at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA). The EKA Algorithmic Timber Architecture research group proposed new possibilities for cross-laminated timber production remainders.

The aim of the project was to suggest a possible method or a potential product that would valorise the waste material. When cutting out wall elements from plate materials there are often leftovers such as window and door openings. This residual material allows the wood to be seen as mid-scaled building blocks – neither log nor a whole wall.

Standard elements were developed that can be cut from average production remainders and offer designs based on these elements in the form of small architectural forms. One specific output is, for example, a bus stop, but it can be developed into a structural facade system.

Key objectives for sustainability

Estonia is the biggest timber house exporters in Europe. Our research looked into what is left behind into their factories, which turns out to be 10% of all the materials used.
This research project applies circular economy logic to architecture: valorising factories residues.
This prototype uses traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, called Yakisugi. The outer surface and roof of the bus stop is charred, to increase wood durability.

Key objectives for aesthetics and quality

ELEMENTerial bus stop challenges the notion of modular construction, providing human scale spatial qualities. This project redefines the building block of future, which can perform as roof, wall, and seating in space, creating openings and spatial patterns for better reading the architecture.

Key objectives for inclusion

ELEMENTerial bus stop promotes the development and advancement of modular timber architecture, towards zero waste and circular economy goals. Bus stop has funcitoned as gathering and meeting place in front of the university building.

Results in relation to category

This prototype proved to be a step towards material economy in construction at scale of apartment building.

How Citizens benefit

Estonia is the biggest timber house manufacturer and exporter in Europe. Residues and material leftovers are about 10% of all the material usage. This project proposed a way how we can reduce the timber burning towards small scale gathering places.