TU delft arch-students developed sustainable euro-pallet pavilion

TU delft arch-students developed sustainable euro-pallet pavilion
all images courtesy of murtada alkaabi

wooden pallets are considerably one of the most accessible products in the world. they are used and produced by the hundreds of thousands, after which they are either recycled, repurposed, or disposed of. murtada alkaabi, alkistis kartsiou, evgenia kanli, and jingxiang liu–architecture students at TU delft—saw the material as a perfect low-cost, sustainable option for producing semi-permanent structures. 

3D interior section

the ‘euro-pallet pavilion’ transforms the common euro-pallet into a means of creation for unique multi-purpose buildings. wooden triangular connections–precisely cut with CNC technology–are fabricated and connected as puzzle pieces for a fully supported form. their shape ensures efficient weight distribution and also fits perfectly in pre-existing pallet gaps. a second group of elements are adjoined to the triangles to prevent movement and horizontal displacement at connection points. the components are 12-15mm diameter wooden cylinders which can easily be hammered into place. the design can be built with only a hammer or mallet, not needing metal fasteners or adhesives of any sort. ‘euro-pallet pavilion’ can be sized as needed by adding or removing arches–each provides 3.60m² of space.

interior render

assembling and disassembling is non-harmful to the environment nor materials, so the structure can be continually built and rebuilt in different places. depending on the way arches are arranged, alternative formations can be made. other uses could be: art installations, art festival and event facilities, or temporary low-cost housing. fairly simple assembly, high-surplus building materials, and low-production cost make the ‘euro-pallet pavilion’ a plausible and creative resolution for nonpermanent architecture. 

sunset beach render

building process, 1:1 scale model 

final 1:1 scale model 

tools and elements

alternative arrangement: spider pavilion

assembling method

structural analysis with TNO diana

pavilion connections: detail

pavilion technical connections

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