COIR: a transformative mobile public space made from coconuts

COIR: a transformative mobile public space made from coconuts
all images courtesy of cheryl wing-zi wong and devan harlan simunovich

leading 16 students from the international program in design and architecture at chulalongkorn university in bangkok, thailand, professors cheryl wing-zi wong and dev harlan have explored the versatility of the tropical coconut. the primary objective was to explore a potential closed-loop sustainable cycle for the fruit  with a zero waste goal. using all parts of its body, the team designed a coconut-centric mobile food cart and gathering space out of stainless steel and their own new material: coconut composite board. using the triangle as a base module, ‘COIR’ was designed as a kit of parts, including 16 stackable stools and 4 tables, that is able to be easily transported and reconfigured.

the elevation of the mobile cart is a patchwork of patterned coconut composite boards

in its compressed state, the stall can move produce and other goods through the city streets. meanwhile, its extended state expands into a long table and the stools and chairs, developed to stack snugly into its interior compartments, can be pulled out. two large shading devices are also housed in the cart and can be used as shade or cover from rain. in this organization it becomes a social space and community gathering spot.

visitors enjoying the temporary space

expanded, it stretches to a 3-meter long bar-height table, and stackable stools can be pulled out of the cart’s interior

alongside the mobile concept, the studio explored prototyping various aggregates of coconut husk and shell (raw ingredients that are often discarded) to form composite boards with a hot press used as cladding. there are currently few existing coconut building material products, as it is still an open area of research and development. the community of kadeejeen is one of the few areas with a wide diversity of religious and cultural influences. in response, the patterns that decorate the structure are meant to represent the range of groups in the area.

in its compressed state, the design is 2 meters long

the stools are lightweight, composed of aluminum with coconut board cladding

coconut composite board pattern detail

shading detail

material-making process

fresh panels

construction drawing

project info:

professors: cheryl wing-zi wong and devan harlan simunovich
teaching assistant: ekkrit suwanwong
students: santawat chienpradit, thinnapoph chongchiravisan, rawisara chulerk, channat karnkorkul, nichakul kulvanich, natchai lelatawornpanya, jakkaphan luengvattanavut, panitnaat phuphatana, trai praditpong, chayaphon ruenruedeepanya, thanapat sriprasert, alliya suthikorncompee, pimpika teravaninthorn, phanthep thiengthamcharoen, napat wongthanasophon
institutions: INDA (international program in design and architecture), faculty of architecture at chulalongkorn university in bangkok, thailand
collaborative parties: ruen samut community enterprise, songklod jarusombuti (faculty of forestry at kasetsart university), UDDC (urban design and development center) and the community of kadeejeen

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.