SEOUL DESIGN AWARD

The Borrowing Project was presented at YODEX 2024, Taiwan’s largest student design exhibition, under the theme “Beyond Sustainability.” It redefines temporary architecture through a borrow-return system, proposing a new material culture grounded not in ownership but in responsibility. Scalable to exhibitions, festivals, and pavilions, and adaptable to local material markets, it introduces a sustainable paradigm that challenges the issues of short-term, single-use waste.

Instead of building disposable booths, the project borrowed timber planks, metal pipes, and bricks from local sources and returned them afterward. All structures were assembled with screws and Velcro—without cutting or gluing—so that every component could be reused. Timber bundles formed the structural bases, while metal pipes borrowed from a furniture factory were bundled into temporary seating and later returned. This design philosophy prioritized temporary stewardship and maximum reuse of existing resources over the production of new materials.

As a result, the project significantly reduced wood waste generated during the exhibition and presented a replicable model for low-impact event infrastructure. With the participation of students, builders, and visitors, it raised awareness about the importance of material reuse and the long-term implications of temporary construction. Collaboration with industry partners further created a circulation system linking production and reuse, reinforcing the cultural value of resource conservation. The Borrowing Project ultimately established itself as a new exhibition design model, proving that aesthetics, structural efficiency, and cost-effectiveness can coexist with environmental circularity and social responsibility.