SANDRO
Special Recognition in Design for Impact
Selected in Architectural design
SANDRO (Structure Assembled from Nearby Disassembled and Reclaimed Objects) is the constructed culmination of a semester-long course with the Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture at ETH Zurich, which reconsiders architectural production as a dynamic, continuous loop rather than a static product. Through hands-on fabrication, students from interdisciplinary backgrounds explore the overlap between digital innovation and material reuse. Materially, the structure is constructed entirely from reused elements salvaged from the Huber Pavilions, disassembled on the Hönggerberg campus in 2022. Rather than downcycling, these historic components are granted a new life. Integrating advanced digital methodologies, students tracked, sorted, and cataloged all materials before conducting rigorous Life-Cycle Assessments. Generative AI was then leveraged to iterate design prototypes based on available material constraints, while 3D LiDAR scans meticulously documented the structural details. Beyond its role as a pedagogical device, the intervention provides an active campus space for gathering, shelter, and performance. Designed for disassembly, the structure will soon be dismantled and re-cataloged for future student cohorts to reinterpret. Ultimately, SANDRO demonstrates how the overlap between digital technology and material reuse has the capacity to transform the built environment from consumption to stewardship, building a circular future.
Participant category: Team of students
Company name: Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture
Country: Switzerland
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Team: Developed by students of “Digital Creativity for Circular Construction” at ETH Zurich with Prof. Dr. Catherine De Wolf and Teaching Assistant Nathan Ehrlich, alongside members of the CEA Lab and collaborators at Wick ReUse.
Edition: 2026
Project status: Realised
Website: https://cea.ibi.ethz.ch/