• Cultural Infrastructure, Research-in-Practice 
• 100 m2
  
• 
  
• Belval, Luxembourg 20212023
• Built Used Dismantled Stored for Reuse
  
  
• Team: Project Leader Prof. Carole Schmit (UniLU), Arch. Dragos Ghioca (UniLU), Prof. Christoph Odenbreit (UniLu/Arcelor Mittal), Engineer Andras Kozma (DESA Engineering),     Mersch Paysagistes SARL + 40 private and public partners.
  
  

Fabrication // Construction

Operation // Events

Assembling and Dismantling for Reuse 

Artistic Documentation, Courtesy of Eric Chenal

Petite Maison was realised by the University of Luxembourg as part of the European Capital of Culture 2022 and with the support of frEsch ASBL, City of Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. 

The project was directed by Prof. Carole Schmit in collaboration with Dragos Ghioca, architect and researcher-in-practice (Master Program in Architecture, UniLu), Prof. Christoph Odenbreit (Arcelor Mittal Chair at UniLu), Engineer Andras Kozma (DESA), and researchers from Luxembourg Institute of Science. The pavilion was realised with the support in kind and in nature of more than 40 partners, public and private, that have been actively collaborating for a period of 2 years. 

Petite Maison was open to the public for nine months. Every reusable component was inserted in a BIM database (©LIST) connected to a retail platform (©BIM-Y) and remained available for reuse after deconstruction. The project also features a temporary tree nursery to create a green, shady and more intimate place for visitors. Agora Luxembourg will permanently replant the trees in Belval Central Square.

Reuse is the most genuine act of circular thinking in construction. Although no real market for second-hand components exists in the local context, Petite Maison is a precursor project for circular practices in the Greater Region of Luxembourg.