Let's Build A Yurt! – The first residency at ProtoPotsdam

Wool as a circular building material

During the residency and accompanying public programme, Zhunush highlighted the use of felted wool by Kyrgyz craftsmen as façade cladding. This cladding, which was designed and sewn together during the construction workshop, also served as an in situ material test: even after three days of rain, the interior of the yurt remained dry. This confirms other findings by the architect, who is currently researching woollen façade elements in Zurich.

Zhunush understands wool as the “textile equivalent to clay” – a globally underestimated by-product that is available everywhere where sheep live. In Kyrgyzstan, approximately 75 percent of the annually produced 12,000 tonnes of wool are burned as waste – and in Germany, too, wool is often discarded. With a market price of around 30 cents per kilo of wool, it is not profitable for shepherds to raise animals solely for wool, focusing instead largely on meat production or landscaping. However, Zhunush argues that the coarse German sheep’s wool is perfectly suited for use in façade and building insulation, thereby unlocking a regional economic benefit, eliminating waste, and taking advantage of the thermal properties of the material.

Rethinking the yurt in the modern context

In addition to practical experiments, the residency explored the cultural significance of the yurt and traditional building forms in the context of regenerative architecture. Zhunush highlighted in her workshops the challenges with the yurt structure, such as the frequency of abdominal health problems in Kyrgyz women from long periods spent squatting on the ground. She challenged participants to think of how these structures can serve a particular function across contexts–such as an intimate and non-hierarchical gathering and discussion space – and where the idea can be evolved to suit the urban context.

"I am fascinated by how my nomadic ancestors developed this mobile architecture. My goal is to transform the yurt into an inclusive space for creativity and community." – Saikal Zhunush

The residency concluded with a conversation between Philipp Misselwitz (CEO, Bauhaus Erde), Regula Lüscher (Akademie der Künste, JUNGE AKADEMIE), and Saikal Zhunush. They discussed how young approaches to regenerative architecture can provide impetus for research, teaching, and practice. The recording is available in German below.

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