Overtreders W’s Portable Architecture Can Be Completely Recycled

Overtreders W is an Amsterdam-based spatial design agency that focuses on temporary structures. One of their latest works, the RAUM pavilion in Utrecht, Netherlands, is a mobile pavilion that was conceived to be entirely sustainable. It is a fully-functioning restaurant and meeting area for people to drop by after, or in between their daily commitments.

The pavilion is made from renewable sources, which means it can be moved, disassembled and recycled at the end of its use. Made from three adjoining structures, it can accommodate various group sizes that range from two to 80 people. The three separate parts are bound by the polycarbonate panels, which is what makes it so easy to assemble and disassemble the pavilion.

The Trombe wall that they installed, is a building technology that passively heats the structure, and the photovoltaic panels used on the roof, aid in keeping energy uses low, making it also an energy-efficient pavilion. The panels give the illusion of a glass exterior, and the interior decor, predominantly composed of yellow gusset plates and wooden trusses and beams, mimic the rustic allure of typical wooden houses.

Sustainable pavilions like these have been on the rise, with many large scale ones to be presented at the 2020 Expo in Dubai. They are a new way to devise more ‘green’ spaces for people to gather. Circl is another example of a sustainable pavilion, built in the heart of Amsterdam’s business district by ABN AMRO. It is used to host people and meetings, but more importantly, to create a working environment that reflects the sustainable capacities of the city. The urgency of today’s sustainable transition means that projects like these matter as an essential step in demonstrating that sustainable structures can provide both functionality and appeal for cities.