Debut of the “Bauhaus Earth Box” at Berlinische Galerie
Last week, Bauhaus Earth research from our Marienpark Lab a and interactive workshop at Berlinische Galerie. The event was part of Closer to Nature: Building with Fungi, Trees, Mud, an exhibition showcasing three architectural projects in Berlin that make use of bio- and geo-based materials. The exhibition focuses not only on the scientific and architectural properties of nature-based materials, but also on their aesthetic and sensual qualities.
Bauhaus Earth was pleased to discuss our own approach to regenerative building practices in dialogue with Ursula Müller, the curator of the exhibition. At the beginning of the event, Belinda Rukschcio, CEO, and Florian Foerster, Lab Director, presented the vision of Bauhaus Earth. They gave an overview of our ongoing research and the methods used in our Lab. Afterwards, the Lab team offered a deep dive into our work using the Bauhaus Earth Box, a mobile material library and exhibition piece developed for the event.
A new experiment in communicating regenerative design
The Bauhaus Earth Box is a mobile and foldable arrangement of small wooden boxes. It serves as a miniature tactile library, bringing the materials developed in our Marienpark Lab to a wide audience. The box allows people to touch, feel, and smell the materials, creating a temporary physical relationship with them. By communicating the aesthetic and physical qualities of novel regenerative building materials, the box goes beyond theoretical and screen-based presentations. We believe that using these qualities to present our work is a valuable tool. It brings the audience one step closer to our vision and shares our excitement about a more sustainable and regenerative approach to building and design.
The box is a versatile, adaptable, and expandable exhibition piece. It serves as a stage that can be reorganized and filled anew for presentations and events. This gives us the flexibility to demonstrate diverse geo- and bio-based materials, even as the materials and techniques we work with continue to expand. The debut of the piece at the Berlinische Galerie showcased a range of our projects – from the work of the fellows to our scientific research and strategies.
Ultimately, the Bauhaus Earth Box and the Closer to Nature exhibition highlight the same premise: that our relationship to design, and especially to novel or experimental design ideas, is shaped by our aesthetic sensibilities. Jonathan Lewkowicz and the Bauhaus Earth Lab team presented the box and the story of its design and production at the event on 25 September. It was received with great interest by the audience. We would like to thank the Berlinische Galerie and Ursula Müller for the invitation and all visitors for their engagement. The exhibition Closer to Nature will be on display until 14 October, 2024.
Making of the Bauhaus Earth Box
The Bauhaus Earth Lab team designed and constructed the box from six types of regional timber: hornbeam, elm, alder, black locust, recycled pine, and beech. It combines traditional joinery details with contemporary fabrication methods. Regional resources, vernacular techniques, and advanced technologies come together to support functional and aesthetically exciting elements for a more regenerative design practice.
The images below show details of the box.
