IKOSI-One Pavilion — Investment Pitch

Structural Logic

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, just 5.5 tonnes of shell structure, supports 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 32 bespoke cassette faces (20 triangular, 12 pentagonal) form the building envelope. Each is a sealed, pre-fabricated panel with integrated thermal performance, waterproofing, and structural attachment — enabling rapid on-site assembly onto the pre-erected steel frame.

Structural Efficiency
5.5 tonnes of shell steel 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.

Capital Expenditure

Financial Overview

The total build cost of £2,847,000 reflects a proof-of-concept prototype — a first-of-kind pavilion where every cassette, node, and connection detail is bespoke. At £6,104/m² this sits at the premium end of pavilion construction, but Ikosi Architecture projects a 30–40% reduction in volume production through standardised tooling and repeat fabrication.

The largest cost centres are the bespoke façade cassettes (£410k) — 32 uniquely oriented panels requiring parametric CNC fabrication — and the exoskeleton steel (£385k) for the 30 cast nodes and 60 CHS members. Together these constitute the geometric identity of the building.

The central reinforced concrete core (£260k) serves as protected staircase, mechanical riser, and structural spine. Five distributed pad footings (£155k) anchor the pentagonal base to ground — each sized at 1.2–1.4m square, bearing onto competent subsoil at 150–200 kPa.

£2,251k Construction

+£225k Design Fees (10%)

+£371k Contingency (16.5%)

£2,847k Total Build Cost

Market Context

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	£2.847M	£6,104/m²	← OUR PROJECT — proof-of-concept icosidodecahedral pavilion
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

30% Below Expo Rate
At £6,104/m² IKOSI-One costs 30% 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 GFA 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 £3,700–4,300/m² — competitive with bespoke commercial pavilions.

Engineering Innovation

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
~200 kg per node, 6 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.

200mm OD, 8mm wall thickness
6m uniform length (all 60 identical)
360m total CHS, 5.5 tonnes shell steel
Bolted end connections for demountability
Intumescent coating to R60 standard

Bespoke Cassettes

32 sealed, pre-fabricated facade panels (20 triangular at 15.6 m², 12 pentagonal at 61.9 m²). Each uniquely oriented — parametric BIM + CNC fabrication ensures precision fit to the steel frame.

U-value 0.25–0.30 W/m²K target
Elastomeric gaskets + silicone sealant (Class 100)
20–25 year waterproofing lifecycle
Parametric BIM (Rhinoceros/Revit)
Glazed option: U 0.15–0.20 W/m²K

Environmental Performance

Circular Economy

Full Demountability

Every connection is bolted, not welded. The entire 5.5-tonne steel frame can be dismantled, transported, and re-erected with zero material loss — circular economy by design.

Minimal Material

5.5 tonnes of shell steel for a 16.52m building. The icosidodecahedral geometry achieves the lowest surface-to-volume ratio, minimising both embodied carbon and cladding material.

Thermal Mass

The full-height reinforced concrete core stores and releases heat, moderating internal temperature swings. Cassette U-values of 0.25–0.30 W/m²K exceed current Part L targets.

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.

Delivery Programme

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.

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