Pallets, a favorite of the shipping industry, can gain a second life in architecture and design. The ubiquitous wooden platforms are often repurposed for temporary structures, particularly during festivals, or incorporated into interior and exterior facades. They make for an inexpensive and readily-available material for those looking to design a project with an earthen color scheme and unique style. RealClearLife has rounded up our favorite creative uses of an unusual building material: the wooden pallet.
ReConnect Chair and Table Set
As part of this year’s London Design Festival, Bloomberg challenged designers to create a functional and innovative design with the waste from its London offices. Responding to the “Waste Not, Want It” challenge, designers Laetitia de Allegri and Matteo Fogale created a table and chair set from 1,800 meters of stripped computer cables and 33 wooden pallets. The result is a furniture set that’s equal parts functional design and art.
Video Production Company Office
When a Japanese video production company hired Hiroki Tominaga Atelier to design their office space in Tokyo, they were looking to keep the renovation costs as low as possible. Sticking to their word, the architects brought the interior pallet facade—balanced out with silver and glass accents—seamlessly to the building’s exterior with a functional awning, giving the storefront a clean and modern look.
Aptos Mountain Home
A beautiful blend of metal and wood materials, this family retreat nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains fit in well among the dense pines surrounding the property. The 2800-square-foot house is wrapped in a facade of repurposed pallets. The raw exterior, with unfinished wood and steel beams, complements the finished wooden interior for contemporary, organic vibe for the Aptos, California home.
Urban Coffee Farm and Bar
During the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the city’s “Red Stairs” (a municipal outdoor performance space along the River Yarra) were transformed into a pop-up showcase of some of Australia’s best coffee. Architecture firm HASSELL developed Urban Coffee Farm and Brew Bar out of timber pallets, packing, crates, and 125 coffee trees and formed a cozy jungle-like cafe in the heart of Melbourne.
Mixed-Use Space on Dutch Beach
This summer, Bloot Architecture created a temporary building on the Hague’s beach. The pavilion serves as a seasonal outpost by the Netherlands’ seaside for sports rentals and dining. The pallet facade gives the structure a warm and beachy ambiance while blending the indoor-outdoor spaces fluidly.
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