PROJECT DESCRIPTION: OOMBRA Architects (Philadelphia, PA - USA), in collaboration with RED E (Detroit, MI - USA), KLH (Portland, OR - USA / Austria) and Britt Peters & Associates (Greenville, SC - USA), presents a prototype EV charging station - EV CANOPY KIT / LADDKIT - that reimagines how sustainable infrastructure can support evolving community and environmental needs. Fabricated from mass timber, bamboo, plywood, or steel, and designed for rapid deployment, the system rests on weighted pads to minimize site disturbance while allowing for reuse and relocation. Powered by renewable energy or connected to the grid, the station fills gaps in the U.S. EV infrastructure, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Modular add-ons may include seating, solar panels, or micro-retail components. Scalable and adaptive, the project proposes a regenerative, low-impact network for clean mobility. This installation serves as a working model for real-world implementation across the United States. Viewers are invited to explore the 3D-printed prototype KIT using the accompanying User Manual.

OOMBRA ARCHITECTS AT THE VENICE ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE 2025
PALAZZO MORA, ROOM 213
MAY 10 – NOVEMBER 23, 2025

OOMBRA Architects is honored to exhibit at the 2025 edition of Time Space Existence, an international architecture exhibition organized by the European Cultural Centre in Venice, Italy. Our prototype project, EV Canopy Kit / LADDKIT, will be on view in Room 213 of Palazzo Mora - one of three venues across the city showcasing cutting-edge architectural ideas from around the world.

THE ORIGIN STORY
As architects and electric vehicle drivers, we found ourselves repeatedly stuck in uninspired, exposed, and sometimes unsafe environments while charging our cars - with our families sitting on curbs under glaring sun or pouring rain, without shelter, lighting, or basic amenities. It became clear: EV infrastructure wasn’t just lacking in quantity, but in design. These sites should be places people want to be - not avoid.
The EV CANOPY KIT was born out of this need: to make the charging experience safer, more inviting, and more accessible. By integrating shelter, light, and optional amenities like seating, trash bins, and micro-retail, we aim to improve the user experience while addressing broader adoption challenges. With increasing wait times and limited stations, we also designed for flexibility and ease of installation, helping to close the gap in charging infrastructure - especially in underserved or remote areas.

MATERIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY
The EV CANOPY KIT adapts to different environments and budgets through a range of material options. Structural options include glue-laminated timber, cross-laminated timber (CLT), marine-grade plywood, galvanized steel, and bamboo. Each has unique performance characteristics: steel offers structural efficiency and minimal bulk; timber expresses warmth and character; marine-grade plywood balances durability with lightness. Bamboo, in particular, offers rapid renewability and carbon sequestration benefits - growing back in just a few years, making it an ideal material for regenerative design.

Cladding options vary as well - ranging from bark shingles that offer a natural, textured aesthetic to high-efficiency amorphous solar glass panels that can generate renewable energy on site. This system is designed for climate sensitivity, cost adaptability, and visual integration into its surrounding landscape.

Optional attachments like garbage receptacles, shaded seating, solar charging, vending machines, or micro-retail modules allow the system to be configured for public parks, highways, trailheads, or urban infill - responding to place-specific needs.

Bark shingles are a renewable cladding material made from the outer bark of trees - typically poplar - that would otherwise be discarded by the forest products industry. Used as a rainscreen or decorative facade treatment, bark shingles bring a deep connection to nature while embodying circular design principles.

Key Benefits:

Upcycled material - Bark shingles are harvested from what would otherwise be waste material, giving them a low embodied carbon footprint and supporting regenerative forestry practices.

Durability without coatings - When properly dried and graded, bark functions as a naturally protective material that doesn’t require paint, stain, or sealant, avoiding toxic treatments and reducing long-term maintenance costs.

Textural richness - No two shingles are alike, offering a naturally varied and tactile facade with an organic character that enhances biophilic design.

Local sourcing and low transport impact - sourced and processed regionally, bark reduces the emissions associated with long-haul material transport.

Bark cladding is ideal for areas where texture, warmth, and ecological connection are design priorities.

Solar Glass (Photovoltaic Glazing)

Solar glass is an advanced building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) material that replaces traditional glazing with energy-generating surfaces. It serves both passive and active roles - improving energy performance while reducing carbon emissions.

Key Benefits:

Energy generation and Sustainability - Integrated solar cells embedded within architectural glass convert sunlight into electricity, helping buildings offset energy use and move toward net-zero goals.

Daylighting optimization - Semi-transparent PV glass allows natural light into interior spaces while filtering UV and infrared rays, improving occupant comfort and reducing lighting loads.

Reduced operational carbon and cost - By decreasing reliance on grid energy, solar glass supports long-term emissions reductions and can reduce HVAC loads through improved thermal performance.

Aesthetic integration - Unlike traditional PV panels, solar glass can be seamlessly integrated into the facade or canopy, maintaining architectural intent while delivering functional performance.

Solar glass is especially effective in areas with strong solar exposure - such as upper facade zones, entry canopies, or rooftop screens - where it can both perform and serve as a visible marker of a building’s sustainable ambitions.

LADDKIT / EV CANOPY KIT: A Modular System
The EV CANOPY KIT is designed as a true kit-of-parts. Delivered as a flat-pack system, it can be transported easily and assembled quickly with basic tools and clear, illustrated instructions. Components are pre-fabricated for precision, and the system avoids the need for heavy machinery or permanent foundations - resting instead on weighted pads or special CLT slabs.

This modular approach makes it scalable and replicable, suited for both temporary events and permanent infrastructure. Each canopy is an invitation to reimagine not just how we charge our vehicles, but how we design with intention for people and place - balancing utility with comfort, sustainability with simplicity.