Nail It

Circular construction with waste wood and augmented reality

How can wood waste and digital tools be used to develop new applications for sustainable and circular construction practices?

The building sector is responsible for 37% of energy-related emissions worldwide. In Germany, it accounts for 90% of the consumption of mineral resources and is responsible for 50% of the waste generated. Packaging waste such as disposable and sorted-out reusable pallets make up part of this waste. This waste must be recycled within the framework of a circular construction industry. In addition, the sorting of components and building materials can simplify further use and recycling.

The "NAIL IT" pavilion is a construction made of recycled wood from Euro and disposable pallets. In total, the structure consists of 827 individual wooden parts that were geometrically recorded in a database. Through the use of computer-based design tools, these parts have been automatically assembled into 36 constructive ribs in a three-dimensional way. To produce these individual ribs, no floor plans or analogue drawings were used, but augmented reality. In this way, the structure has been assembled paperless at the interface between physical and digital perception. Wooden nails shot with compressed air were used to connect the wooden parts, guaranteeing a single-variety solution for coupling the elements.