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Cedar Structure Featuring Translucent Polycarbonate Panels for Community Engagement

Authors:
Judy Liu, Elyse Jiang, Muyun Xiao
Cedar Structure Featuring Translucent Polycarbonate Panels for Community Engagement
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Constructed from cedar and featuring translucent polycarbonate panels, this mobile reading space adapts seamlessly to various environments, promoting community interaction and engagement with literature.
5 key facts about this project
01
Constructed with a bent A-frame design that enhances stability and aesthetic appeal.
02
Utilizes translucent polycarbonate panels for natural light while ensuring privacy.
03
Features movable wheels for effortless relocation across varied terrains.
04
Equipped with retractable stairs to improve accessibility for all users.
05
Incorporates community shelves for book exchanges and interactive engagement.

# Analytical Report on the Wandering Library: Portable Reading Room

## Project Overview
The Wandering Library is a mobile structure designed to redefine communal reading spaces through its adaptability to diverse environments, including both land and water. This portable facility serves as a venue for literature immersion, book exchanges, and quiet reflection, promoting engagement with the written word in tranquil settings.

## Spatial Design and Interaction

### Structural Form
The structure is characterized by an irregular semicircular shape, which serves both aesthetic and functional roles by guiding visitors towards the reading area while fostering interactions with the surroundings. The sweeping curves of the canopy provide a sense of enclosure, allowing views of the sky while employing opening mechanisms that respond to environmental conditions.

### Functional Components
Key elements of the design include bookshelves constructed from cedar wood, featuring polycarbonate fronts for visibility and protection of the literature. The integration of movable wheels enables the structure to traverse various terrains, enhancing its versatility for installation in different locations. Retractable stairs provide improved accessibility to the reading space, further contributing to its user-friendly design.

## Material Use and Sustainability
The choice of materials reflects both aesthetic considerations and durability. Cedar wood is utilized for the structural components, offering natural longevity and visual appeal. Translucent polycarbonate panels allow natural light to filter into the interior, ensuring privacy while maintaining an inviting atmosphere. Steel connectors are strategically incorporated to enhance stability, and glass elements, such as the sky window and book exchange box, promote interaction with the environment.

Incorporating innovative lighting elements, such as the top window, the design enriches the reading experience through the interplay of light and shadow. This approach fosters a serene ambiance, encouraging users to engage deeply with both the literature and the surrounding natural landscape.

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Enter an open architecture
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MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

The Next House: USA — A Global Call to Reimagine the American Suburb

`
Competition organisers

Buildner is launching The Next House: USA, a global architecture competition that challenges architects, designers, and thinkers to reimagine the American suburban home for the 21st century. For decades, the suburban house has symbolized comfort and stability, but today it often reflects excess, isolation, and environmental strain. This competition asks: how can the American home evolve to address climate urgency, economic pressures, and shifting social values?

Participants are tasked with designing a prototype home of no more than 1,500 sq ft (≈140 m²) for a household of two adults and one child. The design should be compact yet generous, adaptable, sustainable, affordable, and replicable across diverse U.S. contexts. More than a design exercise, the competition aims to spark a conversation about how homes can support healthier, smarter, and more connected communities.

The total prize fund is $20,000 USD. The final registration deadline is May 20, 2026, and winners will be announced on September 22, 2026. The Next House: USA invites architects, students, and visionaries worldwide to redefine what the American home means today—and what it should mean tomorrow.

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Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
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