→ Close Project

SALT WATER CLAY:
NEW CENTER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL KVARTER
location: Esbjerg / Denmark
year: 2025
collaborators: Tillmann Gebauer
client: Esbjerg Commune
support: Bauhaus Earth

The project explores how regional raw materials – particularly local earth from West Jutland – can be used as sustainable building resources for a new neighborhood center in the diverse district “International Kvarter” of Esbjerg, Denmark. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the bioregion, extensive material testing with local soil, and the concept of a field factory for local construction material production, the project resulted in an concrete architectural proposal with different elements.

One core component of the new ensemble is the community pavilion. It’s builds on the adaptive reuse of a field factory infrastructure, which produces building materials from locally excavated soil. All production halls, each tailored to specific stages of the manufacturing process, will not be demolished after construction is completed. Instead, they will be repurposed or only partially dismantled to conserve resources, minimize emissions, and—above all—strengthen the identity of the place, where the collective building process remains present and legible.

The adjoining greenhouses, initially used for solar, climate-neutral drying of the clay bricks, later perform a passive climatic function: in winter, they channel solar heat into the building, while in summer they provide efficient ventilation through a chimney effect. Moreover, this approach allows the unfired clay bricks to become tangible in the public realm through the glass façades that protect the moisture-sensitive material from rain while keeping it visible as part of the outdoor space.