Proof of Concept

IKOSI‑One

16.52 Metres · Icosidodecahedral Pavilion · SE England

£3.59M Build Cost
466.7 M² GFA (4 Floors)
30 Weeks Programme

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Geometry as Structure

The icosidodecahedron is one of only thirteen Archimedean solids — the rarest class of convex polyhedra, each vertex-transitive with two or more types of regular polygon faces. It possesses 30 vertices, 60 edges, and 32 faces (20 equilateral triangles and 12 regular pentagons). IKOSI-One uses a uniform 6-metre edge length throughout its entire exoskeleton, meaning every structural member is identical in specification.

At pavilion scale the geometric logic is even more potent: 360 metres of CHS tubular steel — 4.86 tonnes of circular hollow section — spans a 16.52-metre building across four occupied floors. The near-spherical form distributes wind loading with no flat facades — the estimated drag coefficient of 0.65–0.75 is roughly half that of a conventional square tower.

The solid has 32 faces, but only 31 become bespoke cassettes: the base pentagon is the ground slab. The 31-panel envelope (20 triangular, 11 pentagonal) is a set of sealed, pre-fabricated units with integrated thermal performance, waterproofing, and structural attachment — enabling rapid on-site assembly onto the pre-erected steel frame.

Structural Efficiency
4.86 tonnes of tubular steel — 360 m of CHS — for a 16.52m, 4-storey building. Homogeneous load distribution across all 60 members — no eccentric joints.
Demountable Design
Bolted connections at all 30 nodes. The entire frame can be erected, dismantled, and re-erected — circular economy by geometry.
Wind Performance
Cd 0.65–0.75 vs. 1.1–1.3 for rectilinear buildings. No stagnation pressure on any facade — reduced cladding and structural loads.

By the Numbers

0 Total Height
0 Gross Floor Area
(4 Levels)
0 Uniform Edge Length
0 Façade Cassettes
(20 ▵ + 11 ⬟)
0 Total CHS Length
(60 × 6m Members)
0 Tubular Steel
(60 CHS Members)
0 Junction Crown Nodes
(Degree-4, ~200 kg)
0 Core Diameter
(CLT Decagonal)

Financial Overview

The total build cost of £3,591,600 reflects a proof-of-concept prototype — a first-of-kind pavilion where every cassette, node, and connection detail is bespoke. At £5,415/m² gross slab area (£7,696/m² on 466.7 m² usable) this sits at the premium end of pavilion construction, but Ikosi - Geometric Intelligence projects a 30–40% reduction in volume production through standardised tooling and repeat fabrication.

The largest cost centres are the exoskeleton frame (£691k) — the 30 cast nodes, 60 CHS members and the CLT core — and the bespoke façade cassettes (£595k), now led by the 11 ETFE pentagon cushions that form the pavilion’s primary daylighting. Together these constitute the geometric identity of the building.

Switching the central spine from a reinforced-concrete cylinder to a CLT decagonal core — with CLT floors at F1–F3 — saves £269,644 (−7.0%) against the baseline of £3.86M, while cutting mass and embodied carbon. A 20% contingency (£599k) reflects genuine prototype risk on a novel-form assembly.

£2,627k Construction (A–I)
+£366k Design Fees
+£599k Contingency (20%)
£3,592k Total Build Cost

Pavilion Benchmarks

Project Total Cost Cost / m² Notes
UK Expo 2025 Osaka Pavilion ~£7.0M ~£8,750/m² National pavilion, temporary, fully serviced exhibition programme
IKOSI-One Pavilion £3.59M £5,415/m² ← OUR PROJECT — proof-of-concept icosidodecahedral pavilion (gross slab basis)
Serpentine Pavilion (typical) ~£1.5M ~£7,500/m² Single-storey temporary pavilion, ~200 m², Kensington Gardens
Antepavilion (typical) ~£100k ~£3,300/m² Small-scale experimental structure, ~30 m², Hoxton
38% Below Expo Rate
At £5,415/m² gross IKOSI-One costs materially less per square metre than a typical national expo pavilion, while delivering 4 occupied storeys and a permanent-capable structure.
3× The Space
At 466.7 m² usable across 4 floors, IKOSI-One provides over twice the usable area of a Serpentine Pavilion within a compact pentagonal footprint of just 62 m².
Volume Production Path
The proof-of-concept premium of 30–40% is recoverable in series production. At volume, unit cost is projected at £3,000–3,200/m² gross — competitive with bespoke commercial pavilions.

Materials & Technology

Cast Steel Nodes
Thirty degree-4 junction crowns — each a precision-cast steel sphere with four CHS stub connections. Factory-applied intumescent coating to R60 fire rating.
  • ∅580mm cast steel sphere
  • ≈183 kg per node, 5.49 tonnes total
  • 4 socket connections per node
  • Intumescent DFT 30–60mm (factory applied)
  • Aluminium node collars with EPDM gaskets
CHS Tubular Members
Sixty identical circular hollow section members at 6m length. Bolted connections enable full demountability — the frame can be erected, dismantled, and re-erected without material loss.
  • Ø114.3mm OD, 5.0mm wall thickness
  • 6m uniform length (all 60 identical)
  • 360m total CHS, 4.86 tonnes of tubular steel
  • Bolted end connections for demountability
  • Intumescent coating to R60 standard
Bespoke Cassettes
31 sealed, pre-fabricated facade panels (20 triangular, 11 pentagonal). Each uniquely oriented — parametric BIM + CNC fabrication ensures precision fit to the steel frame.
  • 11 pentagonal ETFE cushions (daylighting)
  • 15 double-glazed triangles + 5 apex PV triangles
  • U-value 0.25–0.30 W/m²K target
  • Elastomeric gaskets + silicone sealant (Class 100)
  • Parametric BIM (Rhinoceros/Revit), 20–25 yr lifecycle

Circular Economy

Full Demountability
Every connection is bolted, not welded. The entire steel exoskeleton — 30 cast nodes and 60 tubular members — can be dismantled, transported, and re-erected with zero material loss — circular economy by design.
Minimal Material
4.86 tonnes of tubular steel for a 16.52m building. The icosidodecahedral geometry achieves the lowest surface-to-volume ratio, minimising both embodied carbon and cladding material.
Carbon-Negative Core
The CLT decagonal core replaces 117 tonnes of concrete with 15 tonnes of timber — removing 18 tonnes of CO₂ from manufacture and storing a further 24 tonnes of atmospheric carbon in the wood. A net swing of 42 tonnes from a single decision.
Wind Efficiency
The spherical form eliminates flat facades. Cd 0.65–0.75 halves stagnation pressure compared to rectilinear buildings, reducing structural steel weight and cladding fixings throughout.
208 tCO₂e Whole-Building A1–A3
(446 kg/m²)
117 tCO₂e Including Biogenic
(250 kg/m²)
−42 tCO₂e Net Core Swing
(CLT vs. RC)
~55% Cladding Share
of Total Carbon

Swapping the reinforced-concrete core for a CLT decagonal core removes 18 tonnes of manufacturing CO₂ and stores a further 24 tonnes of atmospheric carbon in the timber — a 42-tonne net swing from one design decision. Whole-building embodied carbon is 208 tCO₂e at A1–A3, or 117 tCO₂e once biogenic sequestration is counted. The aluminium-framed cladding is now the dominant element (~55%) and the primary Stage 2 reduction target.

Programme Overview

Weeks 1–2 Site Prep & Foundations
(5 Pad Footings)
Weeks 1–14 Node Fabrication
(Off-Site, Parallel)
Weeks 3–8 RC Core Construction
(Slipformed)
Weeks 15–22 Steel Frame Erection
(3-Phase Assembly)
Weeks 22–30 Cassette Cladding
& Fit-Out
Node Fabrication
14 Weeks
Off-site, parallel to ground works
On-Site Assembly
12–16 Weeks
Frame + cladding + fit-out
Total Programme
~30 Weeks
Fabrication start to handover

Enquiries

IKOSI-One is a proof-of-concept for a new class of mathematical architecture — demountable, circular, and structurally efficient at any scale.