Aluminium: Sustainable from the Start

Long before “Sustainable Booth” became a trend, Ms. Bow-Chatchadaporn Phootip, CEO of the KIN brand and director of S-One Group Co., Ltd., saw the idea taking shape in a material she already knew well. Aluminium is a zero-waste material that can always be melted down and formed anew. That quality raised a key question from the very beginning: how can the potential of existing materials be used to the fullest at every exhibition, without leaving waste behind for the planet?

The real starting point of S-ONE was therefore not chasing a trend. It was setting the challenge of reuse together with the architect team from the very start of the design. The thinking shifted from creating temporary beauty to planning, in advance, the whole journey of each piece from its end of life to its new beginning, so that every length of aluminium is ready to serve a purpose again in the future. Setting sustainability goals from the first moment of design was the crucial first step in turning a temporary exhibition space into a true prototype of Sustainable Exhibition Design.

Blending Sustainability and Beauty into Every Aluminium Profile

Behind the beauty of the booth on show day lies a way of thinking that began with the very first aluminium profile. For S-ONE, reducing environmental impact means simplifying installation by using as few bolts as possible, while also cutting down on sawing and drilling. The team uses full-length profiles and a waffle steel frame to support the structure instead, adding strength without modifying the main material. When the event ends, the pieces remain in good condition and ready to be reused. Every reduction in material is also calculated by engineers, to ensure that sustainability is never traded off against strength, beauty, or function.

The design looks ahead to the material’s future from the outset, with every component planned in advance for where it goes after the event: a showroom, the next exhibition, or reassembly in a different form. The assembly method is designed to be prefab-like, so the structure can be dismantled and reinstalled easily. This is what makes the S-ONE booth more than a temporary display space. It is a structure designed to keep playing a role.

“Aluminium is already a material that can be put to further use, whether it goes back into decorative work or is melted down to make new pieces,” said Khun Bow.

Lower Costs, Not Lower Design Standards

A sustainable booth is often assumed to cost more. Khun Bow does not see it that way for S-ONE and the Looklen team, because everything begins with agreeing on the direction together from the start. They set a clear target that each year’s budget must not exceed the previous year’s, and that installation must not become more complicated.

Nearly 90% of the previous year’s booth can be reused, for example as workshop sets with cut sections to show clients, as mockups for distribution, or in a showroom. The remainder goes back to the factory to be melted into new raw material. No part is discarded as pointless waste.

Not Just a Trend, but a New Standard for Design and Construction

The ASA Green Pavilions Silver Award, from the ASA Sustainable Design Award 2026 programme, which S-ONE received at Architect’69, is a deeply meaningful source of pride. Khun Bow sees it as a starting point that can go much further, in line with the growing consumer interest in health and a better quality of life. She believes this direction is not limited to the S-ONE booth, but is becoming the direction of the entire construction industry, in which every party must take greater responsibility for the environment. For today’s consumers, sustainability is not just a lofty idea or a good-looking booth. It must be verifiable and provable in every detail.

Playing with Aluminium More Than Ever

Beyond the sustainability concept set at the outset, working with the Looklen architect team gave Khun Bow something she had not expected: fresh inspiration for a material she had known for a long time. Although S-ONE has always specialised in doors and windows, familiarity can sometimes cause one to overlook other potential in the material at hand, which can go much further than expected.

The turning point came from the new ideas of Khun Ton, Natthaphon Tetopich, an architect from LOOKLEN ARCHITECTS, who lives up to the studio’s playful name. (“Looklen” is a Thai word meaning clever tricks or playful flourishes.) The aluminium offcuts left over from building the booth were seen in an entirely different light. Rather than ending only as raw material to be melted down, they were transformed into furniture, lamps, pencil boxes, pen holders, and even phone stands. No piece has to end up as pointless waste any more.

“It made us feel that there are so many things that can be developed further,” Khun Bow said, recalling the day she saw this new perspective. It became an important lesson for S-ONE: to see aluminium as a material with more than one life, not just a component of doors and windows, but a starting material for many possibilities.

The Cycle of Sustainable Materials

For exhibitors interested in building a sustainable booth, Khun Bow believes the most important thing is to plan from the beginning. It is not enough to build a beautiful booth that ends when the show does. They must start by asking: “What is this for, what happens after it is used, and where will each piece of material go when the event ends?” Real sustainability means looking at the whole cycle, from design and construction through to dismantling and reuse.

The work is therefore not only for architects. It must be done together with an experienced contractor, Bangkok Canvas, who has the knowledge and experience to preserve both the beauty and the function of the materials, and who can communicate the materials’ potential clearly to clients. That way, a booth does not end on teardown day but can continue its journey in a new, valuable form.

Architect’70: Sustainable Aluminium Without Compromising Creativity

S-ONE is preparing to take its sustainability concept beyond the exhibition booth. The company intends the space to feel like a public space, where anyone can come in and understand sustainability naturally. It will invite visitors to see aluminium in a new light, from where the material comes from to the question: “After it has been used, how far can it go?” Also worth watching is the continuing collaboration with the Looklen team on new ideas, as well as the push to connect sustainability more closely with health and quality of life.

Get ready for S-ONE’s new perspective on aluminium, which will change the way you think about design and construction, at Architect’70, held 27 April – 2 May 2027, 10:00–20:00, at Challenger Hall, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.