Touching the earth lightly; lightweight architecture for a climate emergency pavilion

Abstract

Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to our planet's ecological balance. Despite growing awareness, global emissions continue to rise. In Sweden, politicians are for the first time actively increasing CO2-emissions. Given the urgency of the crises, there is a need for public spaces that both inform people about the dangers of climate change and inspire for change. This thesis explores how an exhibition pavilion can be designed using a Touch the Earth Lightly approach, focusing on minimal environmental impact and harmony with surroundings. The pavilion physically and symbolically represents this concept, serving as a reminder of our responsibility to the planet. Focus is also on creating impactful spaces and atmosphere in a small scale building and how to use the strengths of a site to make it better, adding something that makes the site better than it was before. The methods used in this thesis have been research for design and research by design, through an iterative design process. The result is a design of an exhibition pavilion dedicated to the climate emergency located in Röda Sten in Gothenburg. The program of the pavilion aims to give people a place to experience both art and science, but also to give them a platform to share opinions and stories.