LivMatS Pavilion is the first building with a supporting structure made of flax fiber
LivMatS Pavilion is the first building with a supporting structure made of flax fiber
The employees of the University of Stuttgart, after 10 years of research, have managed to take an important step in the development of sustainable architecture. Using robotics and digital design techniques, they created a load-bearing structure weighing about 1.5 tons, using flax fiber as a building material. Not only engineers and architects worked on the project, but also biologists.
Why did you need an interdisciplinary team to create the livMatS pavilion? How did you manage to create a strong construction from flax fiber? And what prospects does this project open for architects? We present below:
Modern technologies of construction and digital design allow using natural sustainable materials in a new way. In addition, they make it possible to create designs that repeat elements or systems of wildlife on a much larger scale. This is important from the point of view of the rational use of materials since in nature the fibrous structures of most load-bearing structures are highly differentiated: the orientation, direction and density of the fibers are precisely adapted to locally occurring loads - the material is not wasted and is not used where it is not required. The livMatS pavilion is an example of such a building. Its structure was created in the image of some types of cacti. The area of the pavilion is 46 square meters. The supporting structure consists of 15 elements 4.5-5.5 m long. Each of them was created using a robotic installation that wound flax fiber on a special metal frame, which was then removed. The strength of the structure is ensured by a mathematically precise calculation of the location of each fiber. It was also important for the developers that such modern construction technologies not only allow the use of environmentally friendly materials instead of the usual ones but also make it possible to use exactly as much flax fiber as needed, thereby reducing the amount of waste.
Linen fiber is the main but not the only building material used in the project. From above, the pavilion is covered with a waterproof polycarbonate film that protects natural eco-friendly materials from the effects of precipitation and ultraviolet radiation. The livMatS pavilion is not just an experimental structure. The project was created in accordance with strict German building codes, as it was important for the developers to demonstrate the real possibility of using natural fibers in architecture. The pavilion is installed in the botanical garden of the University of Freiburg and will be used for lectures.
Building Name: livMatS Pavilion
Authors: ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart
Year Built: 2021
Location: Freiburg, Germany
