Buro Happold reveals new innovative construction technology inspired by ancient structures
Ancient techniques and modern design will come together to harness the power of a new construction technology, inspired by history.
Buro Happold has always been at the forefront of innovation. From highly complex buildings made possible through computational engineering, to advisory services and masterplanning that reimagine entire cities, our work has an impact on the world around us.
At the heart of this is research and development. We are excited to announce the launch of a new building material: Pastacrete ResCP™. Made simply out of easily accessible, affordable, bio-based elements, this strong yet flexible material is set to transform the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.
It was developed after the discovery of an ancient Etruscan town in 2021. Our engineers were interested in the strength and power inherent within structures that were thousands of years old. Upon analysis, it was revealed that the material that held the stones and bricks together was made from milled wheat and eggs. The foundations remained in place, bolstered by this miracle ancient material. The reliability and strength evident in what remained of this building inspired us and prompted discussions of how we could bring it into the 21st century.
This is not new technology, but Pastacrete ResCP™ is a modern and refined version of a material that was developed centuries ago – with a Buro Happold twist. The leaning tower of Pisa is an icon of Italian architecture, but what many don’t know is that we now believe it to be a very early example of using Pastacrete in a building. It wasn’t perfect – it famously is very slightly off centre – but it remains standing after many hundreds of years.
Riga Toni, director of culinary construction at Buro Happold, said, “We see a number of pasta-bilities in both circular and layered deployments, where we can strengthen and enhance the architectural ingredients from our collaborators in an innovative and delicious way. Some of the world’s first multistorey buildings were said to be inspired by the humble lasagne, and we believe with Pastacrete we can take things to new levels.”
Early iterations of this cost a pretty penne, but we have worked hard to make this technology available to all.
Riga Toni, director of culinary construction at Buro Happold
“Early iterations of this cost a pretty penne, but we have worked hard to make this technology available to all. We have undertaken extensive testing to optimise performance. You can find the ingredients in your local supermarket – just get in contact with Buro Happold to speak to our experts, find out quantities and how to integrate this into your projects. To make things simple, we are today excited to reveal the most important and final addition to make Pastacrete ResCP™ perfect; the addition of boiling, salted water.”
Our engineers seized the opportunity to study historical use of this material and consider how it can serve 21st century clients and partners.
Lynne Guine is part of a team of structural engineers who contributed. She said, “There were moments in the development that seemed as if we had problems we couldn’t get pasta, but we worked through them to create something that will stand the test of time. It is something that I know will remain popular for many years to come.”
If you would like to find out more, please contact:
communications@burohappold.com, quoting “April Fool’s Day”.
