About the program
How will we build differently in a circular economy? What new systems have to be invented to make efficient use of scarce resources? Re-SPLAM [Reclaimed Spatial Laminated Timber] is a pavilion that demonstrates how smaller wood elements salvaged from homes across Chicago can be repurposed and engineered into a larger structural system. Tapping into an often overlooked reserve of existing building materials, this circular approach not only prevents timber from being landfilled and preserves its sequestered carbon, but also eliminates the need for new raw materials. Prominently sited in Millennium Park’s South Boeing Gallery, the pavilion is a prototype for a system that, if applied at a large scale, could greatly reduce our burden on a scarce global resource while meeting the needs of future generations.
