WHY WE NEED TEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE

Why we need Temporary Achitecture

By Ipek Topalkara

Almost every object, structure and in general any creature around us is located within a cycle of life and existence that begins, continues, and ends. This also applies to the buildings that we see around our setting. Some have a very permanent and long-lasting life cycle that in some cases reach up to thousands of years, some are a few hundred years old, some decades and some just a few years. However, as we keep on exhausting our planet with increasing demands of land, energy and construction materials there has been a search for a new alternative, a rather different perspective on permanent structures. Why bother going to all of these lengths to dig up the soil for a foundation, carry tons of concrete and steel to the construction site for it to only be used for a very short amount of time, regardless of how amazing it appears to be. This description might seem eerily familiar to an awfully specific type of construction that has cost countries their economic stability in hopes of a few weeklong use and short-lived prestige. Yes, the Olympics and any other short term event such as the World Cups.

Though these may seem to be worth the hassle, there are times when the whole process is not worth the outcome.

Some buildings, because of their exceptionally long and profitable life cycle and utility, rather deserve all the effort that goes into their construction. Imagine a university campus, a hospital or anything else that becomes a landmark or has a collective sentimental value. Though these may seem to be worth the hassle, there are times when the whole process is not worth the outcome. If a building is very urgently needed such as in the case of a fire, natural disaster, renovation, temporary expansion, the more fitting option is to opt for a temporary modular option which provides flexibility in construction and eliminates the necessity for an extensive foundation which requires long groundworks. Temporary and modular structures allow the building parts to be assembled in a factory thus minimizing the discomfort to the environment surrounding the site. The demonstrability of such temporary structures enables everything to be measured and decided within a factory. This enables the re-use of the components that have been included in the process by minimizing the damage that they have undergone. As the idea of sustainable design becomes increasingly important, the concept of architecture and construction is also very heavily criticized currently for the added stress on the environment. These all call for the question of “will we need this building in any way in two years?”. Such a mistake as to not ask this question was done in Greece for the 2004 Olympics. As a result of this, they ended up with countless, now abandoned, structures that are utilized only as refugee camps or have become ghost towns. Luckily enough United Kingdom had learned from this mistake so they made sure to go with temporary and demountable alternatives instead of permanent structures.

Demountable structures and their sustainability have another layer that enables ease of transport of the necessary materials and components to the site thus minimizing both the cost and carbon footprint attached to the building in question. Instead of having to wait for certain parts to arrive on the site, each module can be created quite easily with the parts, which are readily available and specifically manufactured in a factory setting.. The search for such solutions has also created a new area of expertise and problem solving in architecture. This brings forward a new horizon and enables us to question the design and

construction decisions. Do we really have to pollute the underground water resources just to construct a building with a very short life-cycle of necessity, do we really have to create such an amount of pollution and disturbance to the surroundings? Taking out all of these constraints makes the whole process more affordable both from an environmental and economic perspective. It is true that we do need a lot of buildings for an extended amount of time. Nevertheless, the whole question that goes behind the idea of demounting a building, and reassembling it in various shapes and forms really provides us the freedom to preserve our habitat. It is true that some buildings will be used for many decades to come, however, we can still think twice before a certain construction decision to minimize any irreversible damage to our planet and the built environment. We may not necessarily need all of the Olympic facilities for longer than the duration of the event. Even if the country in question might host the events again sometime in the future, there will be a search for a new image and structure. However, we will definitely need all the trees that had to be cut to clear up that piece of land. Thus, it is a very viable option to try and minimize the permanent decisions revolving around temporary conditions.

The search for such solutions has also created a new area of expertise and problem solving in architecture.

We can also have another perspective on this debate and ask, how can we combine sustainability with the built environment and how can they become aesthetically pleasing as well? For that, the temporary and prefabricated buildings can be worked on improve their state. This enables a new horizon for building typologies, design and a search for creative solutions. Temporary and modular structures do not necessarily have to look like bland boxes that will be discarded in a matter of weeks. If more attention were to be shifted towards that option, there will be a higher chance of new developments and ideas as it is better accepted as

This enables a new horizon for building typologies, design and a search for creative solutions.

a viable alternative for traditional construction given the circumstances. This will enable the people in the industry to think again before taking the decision to break the ground and go on with the creation of a building from scratch. There are two types of conditions where such temporary structures are usually desired. The first one is when the building or structure will only be used for a noticeably short amount of time and afterwards it needs to be taken apart as it no longer serves its original purpose. An example of that can range from pavilions made for world expos, Olympic complexes, festival installations and structures and many more. Though these may have a time of glory, glamour, and utility, it is inevitable that they will go out of fashion very soon after the event ends. For such vanity-based architecture, the modular and easily demountable options are highly valuable and viable. It is definitive that having very permanent constructions for such occasions are not sustainable at all. The other side of the story is for the cases of emergency and urgency. These are preferred even when the structure will be needed for a long time. Temporary structures are constructed instead of the permanent ones for their advantage of comparatively shorter construction time and minimized disturbance to the area. Hospitals in crisis areas, shelters following natural disasters, schools and many more are examples of such structures. The same use and purpose will still be there with this method, and it can become a useful alternative to buy time while the actual construction is being made. This balances out the side effects of having to wait for a complete construction to be made especially in the cases of relief against natural disasters. This broadens the sustainability aspect as the matter as it enables problems to be solved in a rapid manner. With increased importance and attention that will be shifted to the search and thought regarding temporary and modular structures it can be possible to demolish the image of an aluminum box that appears in people’s minds when they hear the term. This will help clear the way for a more sustainable built environment where we do not necessarily opt for permanent solutions for temporary conditions.

Images: 1. Dots (Illustration by: Tessa van Amelsvoort) 1 Sources: 1. N/A. Economy & Sustainability of Temporary Buildings. N/A. Herchenbach.co 2. Lizzie Crook. Sustainable Raum Pavilion by Overtreders W Designed To be Reused. March 26, 2019. Dezeen.com 3. David Gold. Why Sustainable Temporary Structures Are One of the Leading Legacies of London 2012. October 8, 2012. Insidethegames.biz