Sand and architecture don't necessarily go together, but don't tell that to Formlessfinder and its Design Miami Sand Pavilion. The New York studio was tasked with creating a pavilion for Design Miami 2013, and it chose to combine a giant pile of sand with an aluminum roof to create a cool (literally) place to hang out and relax. While the roof of the pavilion looks to be solely supported by sand, there is actually a retaining wall built for safety purposes.
In addition to keep things safe, the retaining wall allows folks to play in the sand and reshape the pavilion in an interactive way. The 500 tons of sand used for the Design Miami Sand Pavilion will cool it in a natural way that is highly energy-efficient.
Designer Sand Castle Structures
The Design Miami Sand Pavilion is Meant to Keep Guests Cool
Trend Themes
1. Interactive Structures - Interactive structures made for people to play in and reshape would be a disruptive innovation opportunity.
2. Energy-efficient Architecture - Using natural resources such as sand to help cool structures could lead to energy-efficient architecture solutions.
3. Sustainable Design - Using sand and other natural resources as building materials could become a trend in sustainable design.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architecture firms could explore new ways of using sand as a building material for both functional and aesthetic purposes.
2. Event Planning - Event planners could incorporate interactive sand structures into their designs for unique and engaging experiences.
3. Green Building - Green building companies could focus on using sustainable materials such as sand to create eco-friendly structures.