Environmental Art/107 m³ Pavilion

Abstract

This intervention describes the installation art piece, named 107 m³ Pavilion, inspired to reveal the 'difference' between the breath a human's CO² emission versus a tree's absorption. The disparity in the extent of breath creates imbalance.

Keywords:

• Environmental Art
• Invisible visible
• Physical optimization

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The amount of human's breathing per day is estimated to be 19 m³ (National Institute for Environmental Studies, https://www.cger.nies.go.jp/ja/library/qa/26/26-1/qa_26-1-j.html). In this article, for comparison with trees, the human emission is calculated based on around 8 hours of light-work and rest.

2 The annual CO² absorption amount of one-hectare of cedar plantation is estimated to be approximately 8.8 tons. Based on this data, a 40-year-old cedar tree's annual CO² absorption amount can be estimated to be 4.9 m³ (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, https://www.rinya.maff.go.jp/j/sin_riyou/ondanka/20141113_topics2_2.html).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ryo Yamada

Ryo Yamada is a Japanese artist and architect, and maintains a professorship at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland (since 2023). He was born in Tokyo in 1968 and granted a PhD in art from the Tokyo University of the Arts. His projects are situated beyond boundaries of architecture and art, and emphasize the connection with nature and the environment through spatial investigations mostly integrating wood and textiles as central elements. Yamada stresses the language of the material, a theme also prominent in his teaching at various universities, including Sapporo City University School of Design (Japan), where he has taught since 2007. He has been awarded many international design awards, and has also published academic journal articles. His activities are uniquely as environmental artist and researcher, drawing upon and developing successful work in design and academic institutions.