Why Not Paper Architecture 为何不是纸建筑
Look back into BK history, changing, breaking through and innovating are in its DNA. From an expansion of faculty in 1963, to a student housing proposal in 2008, and today it changes to a parking lot. Moreover, the fire in 2008 did not destroy BK, but brought new innovation and vitality, with more experimental space like modelling studios and exhibition space. Currently, the digital era makes changes become increasingly faster. Buildings designed ten years ago maybe no longer satisfied with today’s needs. BK as an innovative and experimental faculty, with increasing educational needs, will need more flexible space in the future.
So, what could be the future of BK?
回顾代尔夫特理工大学建筑学院（简称BK）的历史，变革、突破和创新一直是其基因。从1963年学院扩展，到2008年提出的学生宿舍方案，再到今天的扩张讨论。2008年的火灾并没有摧毁BK，反而带来了新的创新和活力，增设了更多的实验空间，如模型工作室和展览空间。如今，数字时代让变革的步伐愈发加快。十年前设计的建筑，可能已无法满足今天的需求。作为一个创新和实验的学院，BK面临着日益增长的教育需求，未来将需要更多灵活的空间。
那么，BK的未来会是什么样子呢？
Experimental Architecture 实验性建筑
The project suggests a solution for the needs of BK’s creative designers and engineers: an innovative testing ground here for designing, experimenting and creating. Considering recycled paper’s sustainable, easy to process and extremely light features, it is a perfect experimental building material. This new paper architecture in BK pushes the boundaries of new sustainable materials and new structures and also highlights BK’s experimental spirit for innovation. Through studying paper’s processing methods and properties, prototypes of paper architecture in different lifespans are designed to satisfy the students’ requirements for permanent apartments, semi-permanent experimental space and temporary innovation pavilions. 该项目为BK的创意设计师和工程师需求提供了解决方案：在这里建立一个创新的测试平台，用于设计、实验和创作。 考虑到回收纸张具有可持续性、易于加工和极轻的特点，它成为了一个理想的实验性建筑材料。这种新的纸建筑在BK推动了可持续新材料和新结构的边界，同时也凸显了BK在创新上的实验精神。通过研究纸张的加工方法和特性，设计了不同生命周期的纸建筑原型，以满足学生们对于永久性公寓、半永久性实验空间和临时创新展馆的需求。
Life Cycle of Paper Architecture 纸建筑的生命周期
Through fireproof and waterproof processing, recycled paper can be translated into structures, walls, insulations and facades, which replace the regular high carbon emission materials of ordinary buildings. Owe to the recyclability and sustainability of paper fibers, this new paper architecture could almost completely be recycled and redesigned into new architectural products when architectural paper materials reach the lifespan or just out of date. So, actually, paper architecture stores carbon in the whole building life cycle to help deal with the urban heat island effect. 通过防火和防水处理，回收纸可以转化为结构、墙体、保温层和外立面，替代常规高碳排放的建筑材料。由于纸纤维的可回收性和可持续性，这种新的纸建筑在建筑材料达到使用寿命或过时后，几乎可以完全回收并重新设计为新的建筑产品。因此，实际上，纸建筑在整个建筑生命周期内储存碳，有助于应对城市热岛效应。
Lightweight and Malleable 轻盈与可塑
Besides the recyclable features, this prototype has two more noticeable advantages. Firstly, due to the extremely light weight of paper, the partition walls made of paper honeycomb and wood panel can be over 20 times lighter than the concrete wall, which reduces transportation consumption and is more convenient for installation. This provides strong flexibility to the student apartments on this site, and students can freely design and change the space plan. Secondly, due to paper’s easy processing and high strength characteristics, it can be manufactured into structural components of free shape and size, providing innovative structural potentials. For example, through the paper winding operation, paper core with circular or convex polygonal cross sections can have 2m maximum diameter and 6m maximum length, the span of paper truss can reach 40m, which has been proven to be temporary building structures in Shigeru Ban’s projects. This easy processing characteristic of paper provides the potential for huge lightweight flexible space and aesthetic pavilion space, where students can make digital fabrication and exhibit their design products. 除了可回收特性，这个原型还有两个显著的优势。首先，由于纸的极轻重量，由纸蜂窝和木板制成的隔墙可以比混凝土墙轻超过20倍，这不仅减少了运输消耗，也更方便安装。这为该地点的学生公寓提供了强大的灵活性，学生可以自由设计和改变空间布局。其次，由于纸张易于加工且具有高强度特性，它可以制造成自由形状和尺寸的结构组件，提供创新的结构潜力。例如，通过纸张缠绕操作，纸芯可以具有圆形或凸多边形的横截面，最大直径可达2米，最长可达6米，纸桁架的跨度可达到40米，这在坂茂的项目中已经得到验证，作为临时建筑结构。这种纸张易加工的特性为轻量灵活的空间和美学展馆空间提供了巨大的潜力，学生可以在这些空间内进行数字化制作并展示他们的设计作品。
Paper Architecture as a Catalyst 纸建筑作为创意催化剂
Here we can see the perfect fusion of new paper architecture and this experimental and innovative faculty. As a catalyst, this sustainable, flexible and aesthetic paper architecture definitely will provide a space full of creativity and imagination, inspiring these designers here to think about the future of architecture and environment. 在这里，我们可以看到新型纸建筑与这个实验性创新学院的完美融合。作为一种催化剂，这种可持续、灵活且富有美学的纸建筑必将提供一个充满创意和想象力的空间，激发这里的设计师们思考建筑与环境的未来。
Three Types of Paper Architecture 三类纸建筑应用的研究
The design consists of three functional parts: multi-level student apartments, semi-permanent experimental spaces, and temporary innovation pavilions. These correspond to the research of different types of paper architecture: paper honeycomb panels, which serve as wall materials with insulation properties; paper tubes, which function as truss structures with large-span capabilities; and plastic paper tubes, which serve as creative exhibition spaces for artistic displays.The three different types of paper architecture applications also correspond to different usage lifespans. 设计由三部分功能组成，多层的学生公寓，半永久性的实验空间和临时性的创新展馆。分别对应了不同类型纸建筑的研究：纸纤维蜂窝板作为具有保温特性的墙体维护材料，纸管作为具有大跨度结构特性的桁架空间，可塑性纸筒作为艺术展览空间的创意展示。三类不同的纸建筑应用，也对应了不同的使用周期。
Permanent Student Apartments - Internal Walls 永久性学生公寓-内墙
For the permanent student apartment section, I set up a 4x4 meter grid along the direction of the BK faculty and designed the permanent apartments as an independent wing, echoing the layout of BK. The floors and walls of this building are made from multiple layers of paper honeycomb panels, each layer being 65mm thick and bonded to CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels. The entire structure is treated with a mineral coating to achieve fire and water resistance. As a result, the weight of the partition walls is about one-fifth lighter than conventional concrete walls. 对于永久性学生公寓部分，我沿着BK学院的方向设置了一个4x4米的网格，并将永久性公寓设计为一个独立的翼楼，呼应BK学院的布局。该建筑的楼板与墙体由多层纸蜂窝板构成，每层蜂窝板的厚度为65毫米，粘合在交叉层压木板（CLT）上，整体通过矿物涂层处理，以实现防火和防水效果。这样设计的墙体隔板重量比传统的混凝土墙体轻约五分之一。
Permanent Student Apartments - Facade 永久性学生公寓-外墙
The exterior walls of the apartments are made from paper honeycomb panels and paper composites pressed into molds. The plasticity of the paper pulp allows the exterior walls to be freely shaped into various forms. These components can be prefabricated in the factory and then assembled on-site, with the possibility of replacement later to maintain an innovative facade appearance. 公寓外墙由纸蜂窝板墙体和模具压制而成的纸复合材料构成。纸浆的可塑性使得外墙可以自由地塑造出不同的形状，这些部分可以在工厂预制，然后现场组装，后期也可进行更换，以保持创新的立面外观。
Semi-Permanent Experimental Spaces 半永久性实验空间
As for the temporary part, the recyclable paper material provides the potential for flexible design. For example, five years later, the area outside the apartments might be transformed into an exhibition space made of paper tubes. Twenty years from now, students might say they need more internal space, and the tubes could be dismantled and repurposed as cardboard materials. The use of paper tubes as structural components has already been proven feasible by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who demonstrated the possibility of large-span structures by adding tension cables between the paper tube trusses. 至于临时部分，可回收的纸质材料赋予了灵活设计的潜力。例如，也许五年后，公寓外部将成为一个由纸管构成的展览空间。二十年后，学生们可能会说我们需要更多的内部空间，于是这些纸管被拆卸并重新用作纸板材料。纸管作为结构构件已被日本建筑师坂茂证明可行，纸管的空间桁架之间添加了拉索，以实现大跨度结构。
Temporary Innovation Pavilions 临时创新展馆
The temporary exhibition space has a lifespan of about one year, serving as an innovative exhibition area for the architecture school’s annual events, encouraging students to explore diverse design experiments. The design features paper tubes with diameters ranging from 25mm to 1.6m, arranged using a circle packing algorithm. Irregular voids are carved out within the tubes to create varying sizes of cylindrical spaces. Larger tubes function as resting areas, offering comfortable spaces for visitors. The bases of the tubes are securely anchored to 3D-printed concrete platforms, ensuring structural stability while maintaining flexible spatial arrangements. This design not only fulfills the temporary exhibition space requirements but also highlights the sustainability of materials and the boundless potential for creative expression. 临时展厅部分的使用寿命约为一年，作为每年建筑学院的创新展览空间，鼓励学生进行多样的设计尝试。设计中使用直径在25mm至1.6m之间的纸筒，通过circle packing算法进行排列，内部掏空出不规则的空间，形成大小不一的圆筒。较大的纸筒可作为休憩空间，提供舒适的停留体验。圆筒的基座通过3D打印的混凝土与纸筒连接，确保结构稳定的同时，提供灵活的空间布局。这种设计不仅满足了临时展览空间的需求，也展现了材料的可持续性和创意的无限可能。
Paper Tube Light 纸筒光影
The interplay of light and shadow between the paper tubes creates a unique atmosphere that changes throughout the day. Sunlight filters through the paper walls, refracting and scattering between the tubes, producing a dynamic visual effect. As people walk through, they experience a subtle separation from the outside world, while still maintaining a connection to nature. The air flows freely, creating a refreshing and comfortable environment. This space offers not only a visual delight but also a sense of relaxation and joy, providing a one-of-a-kind experience that engages with light, shadow, and air. 纸筒之间的光影随着时间变化，营造出独特的氛围。阳光透过纸质墙面洒进，光线在纸筒间折射、散射，创造出流动的视觉效果。人们在其中漫步，感受到与外界的微妙隔离，同时又保持与自然的联系，空气流通清新，舒适宜人。这个空间不仅提供视觉上的享受，也带来心理上的放松和愉悦，成为一个与光、影、空气对话的独特体验。
Drawing 图纸
