hemp brick installation by park associati explores bio-based materials in architecture

TATU hemp pavilion by Park Associati

Park Associati has designed the TATU pavilion, a temporary installation made entirely from hempcrete blocks to showcase the potential of bio-based materials in the field of architecture. TATU was first unveiled during the second edition of the Build – From High Tech to Low Tech fair, held in September at Casa da Arquitectura in Porto, as a two-day workshop experience. The structure, easily assembled and disassembled within a few hours, explores the application of parametric design principles in low-tech construction, emphasizing the role these materials could play in the future of architecture. After disassembly, the hemp blocks that constituted the installation were transported to a construction site for a private villa being built outside Porto.

all images by Park Associati

TATU’s construction process and symbolism

The TATU pavilion, inspired by the Pantescan garden’s vernacular style, took the form of a semicircular wall made of hempcrete bricks, encompassing a single plant element – a concept that symbolically represents the biosphere. The project was a collaboration between the Park Plus team and the Design Technology group within the studio, with the latter responsible for the geometric layout of the intervention. An in-house CNC-milled template was employed by workshop participants for self-construction, enabling precise control of a process that, due to its inherently low-tech nature, could have otherwise compromised the final result of the work; this precise control allowed for the nearly flawless execution of the progressive rotation of the blocks, achieving the desired armadillo skin effect envisioned by the designers, hence the installation’s name, ‘TATU’ (which means armadillo in Portuguese).

compiled in a staggered layout, the hemp bricks encircle a single plant element that symbolically represents the biosphere

This installation serves as a tangible example of how bio-based materials can be harnessed to promote a more eco-conscious and responsible approach to architectural design. Bio-based materials are sourced from renewable organic and natural resources, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. In the construction industry, these materials offer a sustainable alternative to traditional options, helping to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings.