The Social Shell Pavilion

In the summer of 2018, we held an interactive weekend workshop with local students to design a pavilion and enable them to be directly involved in a real-life construction project from start to finish. Following a panel event, the winning design was chosen. Named the ‘Social Shell’ and designed by two students from two Nottingham schools, the proposal was influenced by the flow and movement of the River Trent.

We then took this initial model and brought it life. The striking design is made up of wooden ‘fins’ and ‘ribs’ that slot into the ‘spine’ of the pavilion. These pieces are then stitched together by twine and a few strategic bolts. Using plywood allowed for a flat pack design, which helped with transport and assembly, and the natural patina of the material will grow the character of the shell over time.

The protective nature of the shell serves as a perfect social gathering opportunity with integral benches encouraging social interaction, which the pavilion was designed for. Parametric software enabled every detail to be developed and tested prior to construction, allowing refinement of structure with Arup, ease of manufacture, build, and crucially to understand the quantities of all materials and fixings to keep within budget. This level of pre-design and simulation, down to placement of all the predrilled fixed points, allowed the CNC machines to save crucial time on site.

The volunteer assembly team consisted of everyone who took part in the project and the pavilion was successfully erected in Nottingham’s Old Market Square over the course of one day. Here it spent the summer, playing host to many a conversation.