Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building at DDW24

When you look at the necessity of fully regenerative building, it’s already past the eleventh hour, say Lucas De Man and Pascal Leboucq, the creative leads of the Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building. Cynically, this also has its advantages, according to De Man. “The necessity is now clear. However, in terms of solutions being implemented, we are still at the early stages as a society.”

A model of a regenerative pavilion presented by the Embassy at Dutch Design Week 2024 (DDW24) aims to bring all involved parties on board in realising possibilities in the near future. Presenting ambition and philosophy while sparking imagination—that is where Pascal Leboucq and Lucas De Man have reached with Project *Building as a Landscape*, a multi-year programme on regenerative cities and infrastructure. In preparation for constructing a pavilion that will connect various thinking systems on regenerative building, a model will first be presented at DDW24.

Compact and Dynamic

“We deliberately chose to first create a model and give it a platform. It’s small and compact, allowing us to travel dynamically to, for example, an infrastructure trade fair or visit contractors even after Dutch Design Week.” Although the necessity of fully regenerative building is clearer than ever, the development, according to the creative leads, is still relatively in its infancy. “This means a lot of dialogue and conversations will need to be had. Our model will hopefully help in combining different thinking systems into one coherent narrative.” According to Leboucq, the model is created using a type of shot-earth principle, where earth is shot at high pressure to become a usable building material. “This innovation can be used for sound barriers, embankments, and even houses. The pavilion we intend to build will be entirely 3D printed from earth.”

Biblical

This technique has not only technical but also symbolic advantages, says De Man. “The message we want to convey is that useful building materials can be found at a very local level. When building, you essentially remove earth to make space for construction. We want to utilise that negative space to collect water, and with the same earth you excavate, you can then build the structure. This approach is almost Biblical: you essentially create your own project. We want to make this idea tangible and palpable with the model. The construction process typically uses vast amounts of raw materials, but we don’t have to stick to the traditional method of importing everything from afar. No, we say, materials are often already available on-site, even in large cities.” De Man explains that the model will showcase six different building systems. “Most of them are still under development, some more advanced than others. The idea is to make the potential of all these building systems clear.”

The Weather Makers

The Weather Makers, a company from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, is one of the partners at DDW24. The Weather Makers are specialists, researchers, and designers focused on ecosystem restoration and development. Leboucq: “They conduct extensive research on the impact of construction on nature and the water cycle. In Egypt, they have a project in a desert region where they demonstrated how to fundamentally improve water ecology. This can be done on a large scale in a desert, but also on a small scale: in a city, near a building, or even a part of it. One square metre alone won’t make the difference, but if we utilise every square metre we build in this way, you can truly have ecological impact. That’s a vision we need to promote on a larger scale.”

Five Past Midnight

These kinds of initiatives offer hope at a time when, according to De Man, it’s already five past midnight. De Man tries to see this emergency as an advantage. “The necessity is no longer something we need to explain, which might speed things up. Biobased materials have been around for a long time, as has the concept of ecologically built houses or landscapes. We’re not doing anything new. The only difference is that we’re doing it *now*.” De Man believes that focusing on what’s achievable in the near future is crucial. “If I say: houses will become landscapes, people respond: fine, great, call me when it happens. It’s not interesting to entertain people with speculative ideas about the distant future. We say: we need to show landscapes and buildings that are achievable in the coming years.” Simply showcasing innovative materials isn’t enough, according to De Man. “You have to combine materials with techniques, nature-inclusive insights, and a vision where many more parties work together.”

Money

“The biggest insight is the need for different conversations and different constellations,” continues De Man. “You need to sit with different teams. It can’t be done by just one smart person; you need knowledge exchange that’s connected to one larger system.” Once that’s mapped out, another major benefit follows: cost savings. “If you can translate ecosystem services into an economic value model, then you’ve got it.” The argument that regenerative building is too expensive no longer holds, according to the creative lead. “Take the Water Act that will come into force in 2027 (the European Water Framework Directive, editor). It requires water quality to meet a certain standard. The Netherlands currently has the worst water quality in Europe. The number of lawsuits this law will generate will bring construction to a halt. The fines associated with it will be enormous. If you still don’t know how to fully embrace sustainability, you simply won’t survive as a company.”

The Architect

The role of architects will also be discussed during DDW24, say the two creative leads of the Embassy. “This is another interesting link,” says De Man. “What is the new role of the architect? Too often, an architect has become a sort of civil servant for project developers. In our view, the new architect plays a much more connective role. The social aspect of regenerative building is very important. You can create fantastic ecological buildings and spaces where people, plants, and animals coexist harmoniously. But if no one maintains it after everything is delivered, it will still fail. The architect can think about this at an early stage and act as a connector. It’s not just about how you build and with what materials, but also how you ensure it remains a healthy, ecologically balanced environment.”