Masterstudio: The Architect changemaker Semester 1

Nathan Schulte

The primary focus of this Pavilion is on exploring the structural properties of round straw bales, a significant agricultural byproduct widely available in the vicinity of the old Tannery. Straw bales are mainly used by farmers as animal bedding and to fertilize the ground. Although local farmers in the area most commonly produce round straw bales, they are not yet being used as a building material compared to the larger square bales. Round bales can have a diameter between 0,8m - 1,6m and are tied together using either twine or netting. Traveling only a few kilometers from the fields to the construction site, the bales can directly be used as a building material without any additional processing. Embracing this short process chain, the bales are stacked on top of each other, creating large pillars of straw. The bales are interconnected through wooden rods to increase the stiffness of the pillars. Furthermore, the bottom bales are dipped into a lime bath, creating a more water-resistant plinth. A platform and two ladders, made from the existing wooden floors of the tannery, are carried by the straw pillars. A smaller bale diameter on the top creates a support for the platform to rest on, while the two ladders hang in between the individual bales. At the end of its life cycle, the pavilion can easily be disassembled. The straw bales can go back to the farmer who can use them as animal bedding and to fertilize his fields.

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Masterstudio: The Architect changemaker Semester 1

Nathan Schulte