The ReGrow Timber Canopy

Regrowing natural materials can offer an infinite resource when maintained properly. However, these materials are highly inhomogeneous, and their mechanical properties are unpredictable. Consequently, they must undergo further processing before being applied as a valid building material for contemporary architecture. These processes, however, often degrade the sustainability and recyclability of the materials. This paper presents the ReGrow Timber Canopy, a project, realized in 2023 for the Bundesgartenschau in Mannheim, that aims at showcasing how natural materials, through fabrication integrated form-giving strategies, can be utilized in building construction without compromising their inherent circularity. The canopy consists of three identical timber roof segments each supported by a flax-fibre column. Through the mechanical lamination of elastically bent and layered timber laths, the roof segments were constructed completely free from synthetic adhesives. The columns are produced through core-less filament winding, an additive robotic manufacturing method that has allowed the production of load-bearing elements out of rapidly regrowing natural fibres.