NEW CONSTRUCTION / HONOR

Entry Name: Unit Load Redux, Bellevue, Nebraska
Firm: HDR Architecture, Inc.
Owner: Fontenell Forest, Julie Huffman
Photographer: HDR, Inc.

The ordinary unit load pallet is the foundation of commercial shipping. U.S. companies discard approximately four billion board feet of wood pallets every year. Two-thirds of these pallets are used only once. This project, located in the forest of a Nebraska nature center, is a temporary exhibition intended as a probe for sustainable living through the redux of pallets. The projectuses recycled pallets as an experiment to promote sustainability as a creative entity and not simply a green option. Green options have dominated the advancement of sustainability for the last 20 years, creating a dichotomy between architecture and sustainability.

The structure is able to withstand variable weather and other natural elements. It is set softly on the site and is designed to interact quietly “off grid” with the forest wildlife. Once the exhibit is complete, the structure will be removed without harming existing trees or shrubs. The pallets will then be broken down and reused and the bicycles donated to a local charity.