BUGA Fibre Pavilion “A Glimpse of Future Construction”

Buga Pavilion Fiber 2019 ICD ITKE Roland Halbe

Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart created BUGA FIBRE PAVILION. Which builds on many years of biomimetic research in architecture. BUGA Fibre Pavilion is located on the summer Island of the Bundesgartenschau 2019 in Heilbronn, Germany.

Buga Pavilion Fiber 2019 ICD ITKE membranes — Interior Shot, Photo Courtesy: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Inspired by beetle wings, the pavilion has individually designed and unique glass and carbon fibers arrangements. Which is not possible to implement through a typical linear workflow and pre-established design technologies. The team had to use a co-design approach. Where architecture design, structure engineering, and robotic fabrication are integrated and developed simultaneously. In order to be able to work on each component individually while staying producible.

Robotic Fabrication

Robotics produce the components of the pavilion, through a specially manufactured approach developed by the University of Stuttgart. Predefined shapes created by the interaction of filaments, excludes the necessity of any molding. Allowing bespoke forms without additional waste or material off-cuts.

Robotic Winding Unit pavilion membranes — Robotic Winding Unit, Photo Courtesy: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Plastic Derivative Material

Covering area of 400 square meters and a free span of 23 meters. The structure is exceptionally lightweight when comparing it a conventional steel structure. ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer) membranes resulted in the lightweight structure.

Despite the use of a plastic derivative, the tests made for a single fibrous component shows that it can take up to 25 tons of compression force. That is actually more than the weight of 15 cars.

Transparent pavilion skin allows the user to comprehend the underlying design principles. Showcasing the digital making, that became a tangible reality rather than a futuristic proposition.

Buga Pavilion Fiber 2019 ICD ITKE — Pre-stressed Membrane, illuminated Pavilion, Photo Courtesy: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

This Pavilion is not the first of its kind created by Stuttgart University. ICD and ITKE started the research pavilion project in 2010 and continues to come up with innovative designs every year.

ETFE: is a plastic ecological derivative that is frequently used as a building material in the form of ETFE membranes

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