Material System

From pallet to building component.

The Linbro Park body of work begins by carefully taking pallets apart. The resulting timber stringers and blocks become a working kit of parts for walls, screens, cladding, floors and other architectural elements.

Disassembly

Recover the parts before designing the pattern.

A pallet contains long timber members, referred to here as stringers, and shorter spacer blocks. Once separated and prepared, these parts can be grouped, layered and rotated in different ways. The examples below describe arrangements documented in the founding record.

Source drawing of a complete timber pallet before disassembly.
1. The complete palletLong timber members and spacer blocks make up the original pallet.
Exploded pallet drawing showing the first long members and spacer blocks separated.
2. Separate the first piecesThe exploded drawing shows long members lifting away and spacer blocks separating from the pallet.
Expanded pallet drawing with more long members and spacer blocks separated.
3. Reveal the kit of partsFurther separation reveals the long members and blocks that can be sorted for reuse.

Sequence adapted from the Timber Techniques book illustrations. Diagrammatic, not a construction specification.

Stringer arrangements

Long elements, varied orientations.

01 Book illustration of long timber members laid in horizontal courses.

Horizontal stacking

Stringers are placed in horizontal courses to build up walls or screens.

02 Book illustration of alternating horizontal and vertical timber infill within frames.

Infill panels

Grouped stringers sit within a separate supporting frame as non-structural infill.

03 Book illustration of timber members meeting in a chevron pattern.

Mirrored diagonal cladding

Stringers fixed at opposing 45-degree angles create a repeated zigzag surface.

04 Book illustration of closely spaced upright timber members.

Vertical stacking

Stringers are turned upright to create a denser vertical rhythm.

Block arrangements

Small pieces becoming patterned fields.

01 Book illustration of small timber blocks in regular courses.

Stacked blocks

Blocks are placed in regular courses to create a solid, repeated texture.

02 Book illustration of offset timber blocks.

Staggered infill

Overlapping blocks form offset arrangements within a frame or panel.

03 Book illustration of timber blocks forming a diamond lattice.

Diamond formations

Blocks are rotated and grouped to form geometric openings and patterns.

Evidence boundary

A record of applications, not a performance certificate.

This page documents material arrangements visible in the Linbro Park project record. It does not claim structural capacity, code compliance, durability or suitability for another use without project-specific testing and professional assessment.

Explore the prototype library