Project Overview

Russ the Bus is a book-loving mobile library and book exchange designed by LAVA for the Children’s Festival of Moving Stories in Sydney. Designed as a fun environment to bring books alive for children, the reimagined bus features 125 plywood shelves housing hundreds of books for kids of all ages to enjoy. The reimagined interior is a robust yet fluid and colourful space that accommodates 20 excited kids at any one time and keep them engaged.

Project Commissioner

Sydney Writers Festival

Project Creator

LAVA Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

Project Brief

As part of the Children’s Festival of Moving Stories in Sydney, LAVA have transformed a retired bus into a book-loving mobile library and book exchange that reached over 4,000 kids at 28 school all across Sydney. Designed as a fun environment to bring books alive for children, the reimagined bus features 125 plywood shelves housing hundreds of books for kids to enjoy.
Using a fluid geometry, LAVA transforms the retired bus into an immersive space of rippling plywood ribs where all spatial functions merge seamlessly into one – Driver’s zone, Multimedia, Library and Lounge areas. A computer-generated model was sliced and ‘nested’ into buildable components. 580 pieces of CNC-cut plywood were put together to create shelves, seats, benches, storage, counters and display. Edged with coloured strips, the curve plywood flows seamlessly so that walls, ceiling and floor (space, structure and ornament) all become one element.

Project Innovation/Need

Combining digital work flow and the latest digital fabrication technologies, LAVA was able to achieve a completely integrated and innovative design out of just one primary material – timber veneer and plywood. Russ the Buss is a perfect example of LAVA’s design philosophy – to build “MORE WITH LESS”: the capability of achieving an iconic and fulfilling design solution with less material, energy, time and cost. Locally sourced and manufactured, LAVA was able to complete the project within budget and a very tight time frame of just 4 months from design to completion, as well as overcoming all design challenges that were faced along the process.

Design Challenge

The design had many challenges. It had to be a robust yet colourful space to accommodate 20 excited kids at any one time and keep them engaged. The design had to be practical, hardwearing and economical. All the fittings and connections had to be flexible whilst keeping the books secure when the bus was in motion. The project also had a very tight time frame of just four months from design to opening.

Sustainability

LAVA was able to construct the entire interior space out of locally sourced and manufactured timber. The primary material of choice consists of timber veneer and plywood that is both recyclable and renewable. The immersive space created with rippling plywood ribs evokes creativity and radiates natural beauty inspired by the textural patterns of wood itself. The usage of timber also provides excellent acoustic qualities of timber help to animate the space while the fact that it was renewable, sustainable and locally manufacture meant that it was cost effective and safe. All timber elements are satin finished in Cabots Cabothane Clear Water – conventionally a coating made for flooring, it was selected to coat the timber for its extremely hard-wearing quality. Water based products also ensured the application process to be completely fumes and toxic free, since the bus was within such a confined space.