Shigeru Ban’s Belief in Eco-friendly Materials

We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us – Winston Churchill  

Shigeru Ban’s architecture is in some way a radical update of traditional architecture, as much as in the spaces that he forms as in the materials that he uses. For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the “invisible structure”. That is, Ban doesn’t overtly express his structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate it into the design. Ban is not interested in the ‘newest’ materials and techniques, but rather the expression of the concept behind his building. The materials he chooses to use are deliberately chosen for how they aid the building to do so. [Ref. 3]

Ban learned not only fundamental elements of architecture, but also gained an interest in ‘architectonic poetics’ or the creation of three-dimensional poetry. As in the traditional Japanese houses, there is a physical continuity between the interior and exterior that has been achieved by the use of sliding divisions (transparent or opaque).According to Emilio Ambasz: “Ban converted commonplace materials into dignified structural elements. In this way the traditional bamboo house returns in a new way with cardboard tubes “.It has been the efforts made by Shigeru Ban ,along with the structural studies carried out by Gengo Matsui, which have led to the structures of paper tubes being approved by the Ministry of construction of Japan. Ban states learnt that every thing is possible if the design is credible and one has a desire. He has used these kinds of structures on many occasions such as the Odawara Festival Hall (1990), The MDS Gallery (1994), or the paper house (1995), Singapore Biennale (2006). He has also investigated into the possibility offered by other economic elements such as prefabricated concrete pillars, special card framework (in the triangular roofing of Nemunoki  Art museum). In many of Ban works, he rediscovers materials used in traditional Japanese Construction, Such as paper, His enthusiasm to experiment with existing materials along with his strong ethical compromise with the conversation of the environment has led him to exploit the possibilities of building with cardboard tubes, a low-cost material which is easily recycled.

For example, In the Curtain house, the separation between the interior and the exterior has almost been eliminated and nothing more than a large white curtain which covers the two floors of the building offers visual protection and shelter from the elements. The house can be closed off by sliding glass covering so that it is habitable in winter. These elements come from the shoji and sudare screens of traditional Japanese architecture. Another example of the 9 Square grid House. This is a “universal “square space that can be subdivided into nine parts (rooms) thanks to sliding screens.

Ban considers being an ethical obligation to propose some architectural models in natural disasters. Ban mentioned doubts about the contributions architects make in society. The existence of armed conflicts and natural disasters that destroy people’s life and leave them homeless is on increase. The way architects can serve society, particularly the minorities, will be a decisive factor in forming a character of this age, writes Ban. The architect has managed to unite his professional career, his ethical commitments (his preoccupation for the refugees, his ecological concerns) with his constant investigation into spaces, structures and materials. His view of what it means to be an architect in these agitated times is complete and generous.

Shigeru Ban makes it look easy. Winner, less than two years ago, of the Japan Institute of Architecture’s “Best Young Architect of the Year” award, Ban has a knack for putting together structures whose design elements, while certainly not simple, are easy to grasp, even for the layman. One reason for this may lie in Ban’s tendency to “pursue architecture with an invisible structure,” a result the architect achieves, paradoxically, by concealing almost nothing in his buildings. But more than form, it is the stuff his new structures are made of that cause Ban’s work to speak so clearly to our understanding – for the 41 year-old architect is building buildings out of paper.

“I don’t think I’m a revolutionary architect,” explains Ban, “I am just using existing technology and materials in a different way.”

An initial reaction that included at least a hint of incredulity would be normal. Looking at photographs of some of Ban’s cardboard-tube houses, one may suspect that the photos have been doctored. Paper and cardboard for the models, steel and cement for the actual structures, right? Wrong. And stepping out onto the rear terrace of Gallery Ma to regard the cardboard-tube canopy erected overhead is all the empirical evidence one needs to know, pure and simple, that Ban’s paper buildings are refreshingly real. One of Tokyo’s premiere architectural showcases, Gallery Ma in Minato Ward is now presenting “Projects in Process,” a show of drawings, models, and documentation covering Ban’s work over the last several years and focusing on an ongoing collaboration with Frei Otto for the Japanese pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

A highlight of the show is coverage of the shelters Ban designed while he was a consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Composed of plastic tarpaulins stretched over a cardboard-tube frame, the quick-construction structures first appeared in
Rwanda several years ago when UNHCR realized that their original policy of sending a plastic sheet, instruction book and hatchet was leading refugees to cut down too many trees. When alternative materials were considered for the shelters’ frame, the prospect of aluminum, for example, being sold-off by unscrupulous elements in the distribution chain could not be discounted. Enter Ban’s cheap and lightweight cardboard tubes. Ma has a full-scale refugee shelter installed in their second level exhibition space which visitors can enter to watch a video documenting the project.

But the show of Singapore biennale has to be Ban’s recyclable pavilion, of which there are several large models and a fascinating collection of sketches, plans, and architect-engineer correspondence. The structure’s truss roof is composed of cardboard tubes covered by a membrane of treated paper, and rather resembles a low-rise biological version of one of domes. While Ban’s work becomes much more involved, there is still the very Japanese transparency that Ban strives for in his structures. Long members running the length of the structure joined together, edge to edge, in a continuous zigzag. This system of diagonal trusses was held in place between shorter lateral running across the structure. Through his exploration of the structural capabilities of organic materials, such as paper tubes, bamboo and wood, Ban has created a new vocabulary for contemporary architecture based in environmental and social concerns.This system of diagonal trusses was held in place between shorter lateral running across the structure. Through his exploration of the structural capabilities of organic materials, such as paper tubes, bamboo and wood, Ban has created a new vocabulary for contemporary architecture based in environmental and social concerns. Some of his best-known constructions are made from cardboard tubes and reinforced paper panels called Sonoboard. He has used steel fasteners and strips of plywood, but the overall effect of his structures is of extreme lightness. They look as if a few strong men could pick one up and move it to a new location like moving an armchair or a sofa. And yet they also seem to embody strength, a braced and balanced toughness like the wings of a biplane.

Be that as it may, who’s who of art and architecture insiders circulate under the artist’s 10 meter high cardboard frame and paper-skin canopy, there is a certain buzz in the air that compliments the childlike excitement in Ban’s eyes. The bonus of fully-bilingual and easy-to-understand attendant texts and an excellent catalogue make the show a wonderful introduction – even for those who have never visited an architectural exhibition in their lives – to the work of one of the most fascinating architects in Japan today. Ban is attracted to using paper because of its low-cost, its recyclable, low-tech and they’re replaceable. The last aspect of Ban’s influences is his humanitarianism and his attraction to ecological architecture. Ban’s work with paper and other materials is heavily based on its sustainability and because it produces very little waste. Humanitarianism is an informal ideology of practice, whereby people practice humane treatment and provide assistance to others. Humanitarianism is based on a view that all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such. Therefore, humanitarians work towards advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole.

Ban is most-famous now for his innovative work with paper and cardboard tubing as a material for building construction. Cardboard is a lay term used to describe a variety of heavy wood-based types of paper notable for their stiffness and durability. Cardboard furniture is furniture designed to be made from cardboard or heavy wood-based types of paper.  It is thin material produced by the amalgamation of plant fibers, which are subsequently held together without extra binder, largely by hydrogen bonds and to a large degree by fiber entanglement. The fibers used are usually natural and composed of cellulose. The most common source of these kinds of fibers is wood pulp from pulpwood trees, largely softwoods such as spruce.

Ban fits well into the category of “Ecological Architects” but he also can make solid claims for being modernist, a Japanese experimentalist as well as a rationalist. “I don’t like waste” is an apt quote from Ban, summing up his philosophy, known as “Paper Architecture.”

Conclusion
Although ban has become an icon for advocates of ‘green’ and ‘eco-friendly’ architecture, his intention behind his work is slightly different. It’s more a philosophy against waste.
It’s about creation, inquisitiveness, innovation, and about tackling problems with a sense of humor. All of his work is permeated by a solid sense of Japanese architectural history and he has translated it in a very contemporary manner by re-examining existing natural materials, or metamorphosing banal materials into proud structural elements.
Shigeru ban creates new spaces that are in tune with the original function of shelter, he tries to improve people’s lives in time of natural calamities and with eco friendly materials.

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References 

 1. Bryan Lawson (2001). Language of Space .Architectural press ,Burlington
United Kingdom. 

2.  Mary Cambert (2004) Top Architects of the World.(Trans) Mark Holloway,Eva Marin. Ferre Olsina SA,
Spain.  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Ban 

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardboard  

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Biennale

6. http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/02.20/09-gsd.html