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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

Project in-detail

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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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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