This research began at the Pavilion of the UAE at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2021, with the exhibition Wetland. The pavilion was awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, the Biennale’s highest honour. The exhibition at SRR Project Space marks the first time the research is being exhibited in Japan.
The Wetland exhibition in Venice presented a prototype of a salt-based cement material made from recycled industrial waste brine, which has the potential to reduce the construction industry’s impact on the environment. This new material was devised as a potential alternative to commonly used Portland cement, which is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. It uses salt as a binding agent and relies on a crystallization process inspired by the sabkhas of the UAE.
Wetland Lab by waiwai research and design agency. Image courtesy of waiwai.
The exhibition in Shimokitazawa is an opportunity to celebrate leading architects and researchers from the UAE and Japan, in line with SRR Project Space’s mission to promote the role of art, creativity, and technology in sustainable urban development.
A central theme of the exhibition is the ways in which technology can be used for the development of new construction materials that are uniquely suited to local ecosystems and environments. The work of waiwai research and design agency on view in the exhibition furthers SRR Project Space’s mission to connect the local community of Shimokitazawa with the latest research projects in contemporary art and design from around the world.
The Wetland exhibition in Venice presented a prototype of a salt-based cement material made from recycled industrial waste brine, which has the potential to reduce the construction industry’s impact on the environment. This new material was devised as a potential alternative to commonly used Portland cement, which is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. It uses salt as a binding agent and relies on a crystallization process inspired by the sabkhas of the UAE.
Wetland Lab by waiwai research and design agency. Image courtesy of waiwai.
The exhibition in Shimokitazawa is an opportunity to celebrate leading architects and researchers from the UAE and Japan, in line with SRR Project Space’s mission to promote the role of art, creativity, and technology in sustainable urban development.
A central theme of the exhibition is the ways in which technology can be used for the development of new construction materials that are uniquely suited to local ecosystems and environments. The work of waiwai research and design agency on view in the exhibition furthers SRR Project Space’s mission to connect the local community of Shimokitazawa with the latest research projects in contemporary art and design from around the world.
