Designing with Paper Tubes

This paper details the author's experiences working with paper as a temporary building material in the work of Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. The paper is present in these projects as a structural element in the form of a paper tube. The mechanical properties of the material are examined and three projects are presented: Two, which have been designed, built, and dismantled and one which is currently being designed for construction in 2005. These projects illustrate the design challenges in using this innovative material.