A Prototype Pavilion in Textile Reinforced Concrete ‒ ENAC Education ‐ EPFL

The Summer Workshop will explore the structural, architectonic, environmental, and social dimensions of TRC and its application, particularly in the context of school programs in the Global South, where it serves as a socially and environmentally sustainable “lightweight” material.

Building upon the TRC Prototype Pavilion initiated in 2019 at EPFL Fribourg and previous research by Brazilian architect Lelé on Argamassa Armada (ferrocement), our upcoming summer workshop aims to craft full-scale (1:1) Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) elements for a new secondary school in Africa. The research team has fostered a collaborative partnership with various NGOs and architects in the region. Additionally, we aim to facilitate knowledge exchange between different experimental projects in Latin America and establish a second case study in Africa, leveraging research findings from Nicaragua to inform and adapt solutions to the new African context.

We will also explore the application of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC³) for TRC, a sustainable binder developed at EPFL, for implementation in Africa. This experimentation, made possible through collaboration with the LMC lab at EPFL, represents a significant step forward in sustainable construction practices.

Our working method follows an iterative process of development through testing at EPFL Fribourg. Architecture, environmental engineering, and civil engineering students will develop structural elements in textile-reinforced concrete, fabricate formwork in folded metal, prepare textile reinforcement, mix and cast LC³ concrete, and analyze the materials, structural components, assembly, and behavior of TRC-LC³ elements.

Project Team 2025

Patricia Guaita, Architect and Lecturer, ALICE IA ENAC EPFL

Raffael Baur, Architect and external Lecturer, ENAC EPFL

David Fernández-Ordóñez, Civil Engineer, fib and ENAC SGC EPFL

Enrique Corres, Civil Engineer, Construction Assistant, ENAC SGC

Beatrice Malchiodi, Post Doc, LMC EPFL

Contact

For further information, please contact [email protected]