A three-day workshop focusing on developing the Paperhouse-concept in Lecce, Italy

It is not unknown we are in the middle of an accelerating climate crisis. These days we are asking our self at WE Architecture, whether the building industry can protect our common resources instead of wearing them down. To have an impact, we need to solve these challenges on both a global and in a smaller community scale and begin to create awareness of our common ground and resources. We need to have the courage to ask the question if we are building in a way that is for the common good at the present – and not least for the future?

As architects, it is our responsibility to be pioneers for a more sustainable building industry. It requires innovative thinking and design, creativity, in-depth research for new and alternative methods and techniques, focus on recycling potentials, and base our constructions on a cradle-to-cradle principal.

These questions and concerns are driving our new, innovative and more research-based project. In October, WE Architecture received 200.000 DKK from the Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond) to develop a construction system based on papier mâché in close collaboration with Paper Factor – an Italian company who innovatively has developed a new papier mâché method. They treat recycled paper with state-of-the-art technology making it non-inflammable and water-resistant. The substance can be shaped into an infinite variety of shapes drawing similarities to stone, terracotta, or marble due to the natural variation in colour and texture.

WE Architecture delved deeply into the raw materials qualities, potentials, and challenges during the days in Lecce. The papier mâché clearly contains several unique qualities making it extremely interesting to introduce to the building industry. It is surprisingly lightweight and can contain up to 40% of other re- or upcycled material such as broken glass, olive stones, broken tiles, plastics – you name it. A recent formula mixes the paper pulp with polyarene, making it incredible strong and even allowing it to become transparent. With these qualities it can challenge and develop the idiom and tactility of buildings as we commonly know them. This papier mâché contains exceptional potentials in terms of flexibility, sustainability and recycling, as well as tactility and translucence.

The ambition is to build a house entirely of recycled wood and paper which is 100% biodegradable, while taking advantage of the many qualities that the papier mâché material provides. We seek to inspire the continuous and forward-looking push in search for the better, more sustainable building techniques that both will renew and strengthen the aesthetics of architecture. Using papier mâché instead of concrete, this project will hopefully inspire the public and the building industry, and show new potentials within sustainable materiality.

Read more about the project here.