July 15, 2024
What started as an idea during a workshop of Biobased Building Together last year is now a reality. The biobased meeting pavilion, grown in the Achterhoek region, has been completed. Friday 21 June saw the festive opening of the meeting pavilion at Agro-innovation centre De Marke in Hengelo. More than 60 parties collaborated on this innovative project, which includes fibre hemp, natural hay, straw and miscanthus. The result? Many lessons learned and an inspiring example of what is possible with biobased building! Erik Koldewey, programme manager of The Innovation Cooperative: "This is not an end result but a starting point. The pavilion is a tangible beginning to grow into a successful biobased building chain in the region, from farmer to builder."
The idea for a bio-based meeting pavilion, grown in the Achterhoek region, originated in 2022. From the need for cooperation between various parties and the need for a meeting place at Agro-innovation centre De Marke. The Innovation Cooperative brought builders and farmers together and was the instigator of this initiative. "According to good Achterhoek 'naoberschap', parties got to work together and learned from each other: not to remain stuck in tradition, but rather to innovate and discover the future," says Erik. "The result is this beautiful pavilion, which can now serve as an inspiration and networking place for bio-based cultivation and construction. The pavilion has a tangible and accessible demonstration function and shows the possibilities of materials made with biobased crops to agriculture, construction and other chain parties. A chain we now want to expand even further."
The pavilion is placed on the grounds of Wageningen University & Research's Agro-innovation centre De Marke and serves as a meeting location for 8-10 people. It was designed on the basis of crops that can be grown well by farmers in the Achterhoek region. It has also experimented with different (new) crop-product combinations, e.g. walls of different crops of straw construction (grain and hemp), floor panels of lime hemp and a ceiling blown in with miscanthus. Examples of the materials are directly applicable to construction. This method of construction is completely climate-positive: about 0.9 hectares of crops were processed for this modest building alone, thus storing 9 tonnes of CO2. This is comparable to heating one household with natural gas for four years. This offers many opportunities when scaling up!
By using biobased cultivated raw materials, such as elephant grass, hemp or straw, instead of, for example, cement and concrete, the building was built entirely with materials from the Achterhoek region. "Biobased crops can have a nice place in agriculture in the future. They contribute to nature, storing CO₂ and soil improvement. Because growing these crops is promising for agriculture in the Achterhoek region, various parties have worked together to show the possibilities in the pavilion. This offers new perspectives for agriculture, Erik said.
Jan Willem van de Groep of Building Balance praises the Achterhoek for its innovative strength. "In the Achterhoek, many biobased developments start. Look at housing corporation Wonion & Samen Biobased Bouwen who have been leading the way for years." Or the five Achterhoek housing associations that want to insulate 160 homes biobased this year. Or the Nursery in Doetinchem, where Building Balance supported the tender application. "Especially now that we have fewer hands, we have to look for the best solutions. Prefab and industrial building are crucial. That too is taking shape in the Achterhoek. The Achterhoek is a frontrunner when it comes to pioneering and trying things out, and that fits well in a place like this. The pavilion is a great example of this and really next level in the field of bio-based building."
A successful biobased building chain requires new collaborations, or chain innovation. Partners do not automatically meet: farmers and processors do not know each other, nor do builders and suppliers. This is why The Innovation Cooperative brought these parties together and boosted cooperation. For the design and development, ARX Architects, Davids architectural design and consultancy firm and Van Campen Bouwgroep are involved. Samen Biobased Bouwen and Building Balance were involved in determining interesting crops for the region (the raw materials for the building) and involving farmers in the project. At Agro-innovation centre De Marke, research is being conducted into the various crops for biobased building and a demo field can be seen.
