Discarded lobster shells, oyster shells, and used wine bottle corks would typically be considered waste by most people. However, they are all being put to good use as building materials for a sustainable pavilion designed by BakerBrown Studio, planned for the Glyndebourne Opera in East Sussex, England.
The Glyndebourne Opera building is part of an English country house dating back to the 16th century, that opened to the public as an opera house in 1934. Its owners are quite keen on sustainability, and have previously installed a wind turbine reaching a height of 67 m (219 ft) that provides more power than the site requires.
The planned pavilion is named the Glyndebourne Croquet Pavilion – its design and construction also involve Elliot Wood, Braden Timber Structures, and Local Works Studio. It will consist of a simple single-story structure on a choice plot overlooking the nearby South Downs National Park, and its interior will include a kitchen area, bathroom, and seating.
The idea is, throughout this year's opera season, food waste consisting of oyster and lobster shells will be collected and stored to eventually be processed into exterior wall tiles (this is not the first time we've seen lobster shells used for construction). Cork will be collected from the many wine bottles opened during the season, and bound with mycelium from mushrooms to create the bricks used in the interior walls.
Local sustainably sourced diseased Ash timber will be used to make glued laminated timber – the same engineered wood product used to construct the world's tallest all-timber tower – for the structure. Local chalk and waste glass will also be made use of, plus the insulation will be partly made of mycelium. But the repurposing doesn't stop there.
"Underfired bricks from a local brickyard will be used for the interior floor finish," states BakerBrown in a press release. "But perhaps the most unusual element will be the building's insulation. A mycelium mix provided by Biohm will use the site's grass clippings to grow insulation panels that will perform as well as the best petrochemical products on the market, whilst having its own end of life strategy; it will become compost and not a non-degradable health hazard that is taken to landfill."
The project is slated to begin construction in September, and is due for completion in March 2022. Additionally, it's being constructed to be easy to disassemble, so the materials can be harvested again in the future, if required.
Source: BakerBrown Studio
