Campfire CLT Pavilion
Crafting Reclaimed Timber into Architectural Wonder
Campfire is a striking installation made from salvaged wood, designed in partnership with RIOS and Cambium. This work examines the architectural applications of mass timber through a combination of material exploration, spatial experience, and structural expression, showcasing the innovative potential of mass timber construction and engineered wood products.
Read in Dezeen: Rios creates “spiraling timber coil” Campfire installation from reclaimed wood
The installation features a continuously spiraling timber coil arranged in a crescent shape. This design creates a captivating visual journey that guides the viewer’s gaze upward and across the form, ultimately revealing an interior space defined by a warm and inviting material presence. At the heart of the installation, a warm glow invites visitors into an intimate interior that functions both as inhabitable artwork and as functional furniture.
The pavilion design of Campfire celebrates the unique qualities and possibilities of reclaimed fallen urban timber when repurposed as Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). Panels measuring 15 feet by 8 feet are expertly joined using custom steel channels, creating soaring interconnected A-frames that reach heights of up to 28 feet. The precision of CNC-shaped panel edges invites closer inspection, revealing seamless transitions between timber planes that highlight the material’s versatility and beauty. Integrated kiosks at both coil ends provide a human-scale reference point within the grand structure. These thoughtfully designed elements showcase the aesthetic appeal of structural CLT as an interior finish, demonstrating how mass timber can create strikingly impressive, visually warm, and inviting spaces.
The Campfire installation debuted at the International Mass Timber Conference (March 25-27), where it served as a compelling demonstration of mass timber’s potential in contemporary sustainable design and construction for innovative timber building systems.
