+Pavilion brings together ecosystem stakeholders to showcase the possibilities of sustainable construction

The installation features innovative and sustainable designs, building materials and solutions that encourages the built environment sector to transform and “build differently”.

+Pavilion Exhibition at Marina BarragePhoto credit: Chan Hao Ong

Together with its Swiss and local partners Affordable Abodes, Deloitte Singapore, EHL Campus (Singapore), Haring Timber Technology, Hilti, Nespresso, Studio SKLIM, UBS, and Vitra, the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore launched the installation +Pavilion today at Marina Barrage. +Pavilion showcases innovative and sustainable designs, building materials and solutions. It raises awareness and educates the public on what the future of sustainable construction could look like if stakeholders from both within and outside the built environment ecosystem work together to achieve sustainability goals.

Presented in conjunction with the Swiss Weeks 2022, the physical installation at the Marina Barrage will be open to the public from today till August 2022. Entry is free of charge.

Date: 26 May to August 2022
Time: 8am to 9pm
Venue: Marina Barrage
Admission: Free
Target visitors: The general public. Suitable also for families, students and individuals interested in topics of sustainability and/or the built environment.

Reducing the built environment’s carbon footprint

+Pavilion highlights the urgency to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment – an important action that is part of Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 – and the ways industry players can do so.

The built environment of every city and country in the world is collectively responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, of which 11% is embodied carbon and the remaining 28% is from building operations. Embodied carbon is the carbon released during the manufacturing, transportation, and construction phases of a building. This means that 11% of global carbon emissions are not recoupable once buildings are constructed.

Hence, sustainability and circular design techniques must be key priorities from the start of the building design and construction process, in order to effectively reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Designing sustainable buildings requires more efficient construction methods and the prioritization of the reusability and durability of buildings and building materials. +Pavilion presents several methods that can reduce the embodied carbon emission of buildings:

• + Pavilion is based on modular design and construction with pre-fabricated, pre-assembled modules, and ‘fit-for-purpose’ services.

• The main structure consists of Swiss Glued-laminated timber technology (Glulam). Switzerland has a well-established tradition in timber construction and conducts cutting-edge research on this topic. Engineered Mass Timber allows for a short and lightweight construction with highly pre-fabricated elements that make timber construction a great solution to create climate-neutral buildings in today’s requirements in urban development.

• The Glulam structure is counterweighted by a pre-fabricated reinforced concrete panel. The interface is done via innovative anchoring and glued-in rod connections. The floor expands from there into a platform that consists of a modular off-site bolt & nut system, which avoids the otherwise energy-intensive welding works. On top of the floor base, we use floor panels that we upcycled from another project where they previously served their first life cycle.

• Other materials consist of innovative biocomposite made from the Kenaf plant as parts of the roof and boards made of recycled coffee serving as exhibition signage. It is the first time in Singapore that Kenaf (also known as Hibiscus cannabinus L, a rapidly grown tropical multipurpose plant having great potential for transport design, shelter, and feedstock) biocomposites are being explored as roofing components such as reinforced central skylights and rain eaves.

• The interior of +Pavilion features furniture and playful elements for children and families that are made of cork, rattan and recycled plastic made from recycled household waste.

• +Pavilion also features green design – aspects of design that consciously strive to make the end product as sustainable and as ecologically friendly as possible. By incorporating green design into a building’s life cycle and operations, it can significantly improve the built environment’s resource usage efficiency and lower carbon emissions. Green buildings are recognized as one of the most effective means to address the climate crisis that the world is facing today.

While the installation in itself is a piece of the showcase, complementary exhibition signage provides deeper insights into the story of the pavilion and education on sustainability.

Touring +Pavilion

Themes spotlighted in +Pavilion are as follows:

  • Designing for efficient construction
  • Designing with new sustainable materials
  • Designing for greener operations
  • Designing for repurpose
  • Financing sustainable buildings




Visitors can expect an experiential walk-through of +Pavilion to understand how these themes resonate with sustainable construction. They will see, and even touch, the earth-friendly and sustainable materials used to construct +Pavilion. Visitors will be able to learn more about how building design, construction and operations can “build differently” and contribute to building better lives in Singapore, and beyond.

From August 2022, +Pavilion will move to its permanent home on the EHL Campus (Singapore) where it will be used for workshops and education around sustainability in the built environment.

Source: Embodied carbon call to action report | World Green Building Council


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