Everything dances

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We like to call ourselves material choreographers: we see materials as if moving over the earth's surface in an endless performance. We direct those material streams in such a way that they become architecture. When designing temporary buildings as a step in the material choreography, we always take the next step into account. We process material in such a way that the original sizes remain intact and different materials can be separated again.

 

Many of our designs consist of modules to guarantee flexibility in the future. In this way, Overtreders W ensures that material can have as many life cycles as possible without turning into something we call waste. 

 

Everything is temporary

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Overtreders W specializes in temporary pavilions with a permanent impact. When designing a building that lasts for just a week or a year, it becomes apparent that one needs to think about the building materials that will be left over after the disassembly of the building. But even when a building is planned to last for 50 years or longer, there will always be a next step in the material choreography. 

 

Everything is borrowed

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In 2017 Overtreders W and bureau SLA realized the People's Pavilion, a 300m2 building that existed for just 9 days, made of 100% borrowed materials. But: in fact, materials are always borrowed - from the finite resource stock of our planet. As human beings, we are usually bad borrowers. We behave as if we are the owners, we do not worry about the way we acquire materials and do with it whatever pleases us. When we don't need it anymore, we burn it or throw it on a trash heap where it pollutes water and air. A good borrower tries to keep the borrowed in the best possible state. 

 

Everything is important

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A design can only be truly circular if it meets all the functional and aesthetic demands. A substandard design will be discarded sooner, and thus makes more waste instead of less. Our role doesn't stop at the opening party: we remain involved in the project until we have given all materials a new destination, and we're sure nothing is discarded afterwards. Also, we don't just design pavilions, we also negotiate with suppliers and have to think about economic models that convince suppliers to work with us.