Pavilion
It is the Ukraine’s very first structure made of compressed earth blocks (CEB). Materiality is the central symbol of the pavilion: built from local soil, it evokes a direct link to the city’s history and its tragedies.
Soil
Topic
Location
Lviv, Ukraine
April 2025 - June 2025
Duration
Anna Pomazanna and
Mykhailo Shevchenko
Team
How it started
The construction of the pavilion was a part of the Gruntl project. It is important for us to start a discussion about the use of soil-based materials in Ukraine and the built structure is an excellent way to showcase the potential of this material.
Design
The pavilion has a combined structure of a wooden frame that supports the roof and a brick non-load-bearing arched structures. The structure has large roof overhangs and a high base to protect the walls from moisture, which is typical for earthen structures. Most of the materials used are local and reused. The origin of all materials has been researched and mapped. The structural components are designed according to the principle of design for disassembly.
Building
Reuse was an additional challenge because it required additional work to collect and prepare materials, determine their quality and process them. Prefabricated blocks from the soviet era were used for the foundation. Century-old bricks from a demolished building were used for the base. The wooden structures and roof covering were partly made from materials from the dismantled roof of a house damaged by russian shelling. Soil from the excavation pit for social housing construction in Lviv was used for the bricks.
The construction also highlighted the problem of a shortage of skilled labor—masons from the Modreno company were invited to do the bricklaying.
Results
The pavilion is an important part of the project as a demonstration of the material's capabilities and an object through which we were able to test our hypotheses and principles. It will serve as a research and testing facility, like a living laboratory.
It was also an extremely important experience for us to collaborate with various stakeholders, including the Lviv City Council, builders from Modreno, and students who helped us with the construction.
Collaborators
We are proud of our partners, thanks to whom our projects become reality.
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Research
Education
Sustainable Materials and Structures
Sustainable Materials and Structures is an elective course at Kharkiv School of Architecture. The main topic of the course is a full cycle of the building materials production - from the extraction and processing of raw materials to the final product with all intermediate stages.
Education
Material research: Earth is an elective course at Kharkiv School of Architecture. The main topic of the course is the soil-based materials and their potential for widespread use in construction, as well as the topic of contaminated soils and their potential use as building materials.