Palm tree branches are used as a simple measure to respond to the imminent threat of coastal erosion – due to rising waters and habitat destruction – on Tarawa Atoll in Kiribati.

Inserted into the sand, the spoon-shaped branches constitute an ideal barrier, causing sea currents to slow down and deposit sand material into the concave inner surface of the leaf branch. Sand mounds are thus created which gradually elevate coastline embankments, allowing aquatic plants such as mangroves to grow and secure the beach.

Read project feature in 4th Holcim Awards 2014/2015 (flip-book)

Maj Plemenitas of LINKscale (United Kingdom) sees the immense impact of the project’s minimal input as its greatest strength. “In-Situ Network: Palm tree branches for coastal protection” at Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati uses palm tree branches as a simple measure to respond to the imminent threat of coastal erosion due to rising waters and habitat destruction. Inserted into the sand, the spoon-shaped branches constitute an ideal barrier, causing sea currents to slow down and deposit sand material into the concave inner surface of the leaf branch.

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The winning projects of the Holcim Awards 2014 Asia Pacific show how building with sustainable construction in mind can enhance the region’s human, natural and economic performance. A bird sanctuary in Thailand, a locally-adapted orphanage in Nepal, and a community library in Sri Lanka received the top prizes.

The jury enjoyed the ingenuity and simplicity of the proposal, an ostensibly common solution for the restoration of sandbanks susceptible to the detrimental effects of climate change – a small-scale solution for a large-scale problem. Commended is the intelligent deployment of parametric design to increase the performance of individual branches when combined into groups or swarms of branches, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Furthermore, what was appreciated were the beautiful drawings showing stunning geometric patterns of branch network assemblies, generated from scientific data.

Palm tree branches are used as a simple measure to respond to the imminent threat of coastal erosion – due to rising waters and habitat destruction – on Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati. Inserted into the sand, the spoon-shaped branches constitute an ideal barrier, causing sea currents to slow down and deposit sand material into the concave inner surface of the leaf branch. Sand mounds are thus created which gradually elevate coastline embankments, allowing aquatic plants such as mangroves to grow and secure the beach.