Project
(Un)Build

wood model of a small sectiom of a timber contruction of a house. The members are held together with rubberbands.

Strapped Framing offers a sustainable alternative, reimagining traditional wood framing to enable design-for-disassembly and material reuse.

As we recognize that our extractive practices are driving humanity toward an environmental crisis, there has been renewed interest in reusing materials. From the European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan to emerging deconstruction ordinances in U.S. cities like Portland, Seattle, and Denver, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics’ commitment to “radical reuse,” sustainability has become both the ethical compass and ideological underpinning guiding the practice of architecture for our generation.

Project Un(Build) proposes a reinvention of timber construction to enable Design-for-Disassembly and wood reuse. In 2018, the U.S. construction and demolition (C&D) sector generated 41 million tons of wood waste, with only 9% recycled. Inspired by bamboo lashing techniques, Project Un(Build) uses strapping as a non-penetrative assembly method, facilitating easy disassembly while maintaining material integrity. The system envisions a wide range of applications across varying scales—wood-framed houses, office partitions, temporary shelters, outdoor pavilions, exhibition walls, and even furniture. It can also be adapted to join various types of dimensional lumber and engineered wood products.

Project Un(Build) presents not only a transformation in material approaches but also an invitation to view design as a form of innovation—and designers as innovators actively engaged in finding solutions to the climate crisis.

 

Acknowledgement
This exhibition originates from Clara He’s master’s thesis, How to (Un)build a House?, advised by Toshiko Mori. The thesis was honored with the James Templeton Kelley Prize and the Peter Rice Prize. Heartfelt thanks to Toshiko Mori for her support during and beyond Clara’s thesis, and to the GSD for conferring both prestigious awards.

The project was further developed in collaboration with Henry Chung, who led the technical refinement and load testing. In September 2024, Project Un(Build) was selected as one of 16 proposals worldwide to participate in the Venice Biennale College Architettura 2024–2025. This phase of development was enriched by advice from Carlo Ratti’s curatorial team, particularly Fábio Duarte and Martina Mazzarello. It also greatly benefited from the insights and guidance of numerous others, including Jonathan Grinham and Hanif Kara.

Finally, sincere thanks to Dean Sarah Whiting for her invitation to exhibit, and to the GSD exhibition team for their assistance with the installation.