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Constructed by students from disused military parachutes, this tent recently traveled from its home in the south Asian region of Ladakh to London's Kensington Palace for the prestigious Earth Awards. Called the Commonwealth Pavilion, the tent is the brainchild of Sergio Palleroni, professor of architecture, who was selected from sustainability leaders worldwide to serve as a juror for the Earth Awards.

The pavilion was designed by students from PSU and other universities in collaboration with Palleroni and Filum, a Canadian design firm, for the Druk White Lotus School in Ladakh, a region claimed by India, Pakistan, and China. It was a project of the PSU-based BaSIC Initiatives, an international effort co-founded by Palleroni to create sustainable buildings that transform lives in areas of the world ravaged by war, hunger, and disease. The students worked with local Ladakh pupils and Buddhist nuns stitching together Indian, Pakistani, and U.S. army parachutes-to symbolize peace and unity amidst the chaos of war.

"The Commonwealth Pavilion takes materials conceived for war and turns them into something positive—essentially building blocks for a peaceful future," explained Palleroni. "We worked with local people to unpick a tool of conflict and restitch a place of sanctuary. This is the heart of the BaSIC Initiative, providing structures which unite and empower people to deliver a more positive future."

In London, the Commonwealth Pavilion held the Earth Awards prizes and was on exhibit alongside finalist's projects. Palleroni and other jurors chose six finalists for their innovative, sustainable projects. The finalists competed before investors to secure funding that will bring their ideas to market. The Prince Charles Cultural Trust of the Commonwealth and the Royal Houses of Malaysia and Abu Dhabi sponsored this year's Earth Awards.

The Commonwealth Pavilion was returned to Ladakh where it "assumes its place at the center of the community," said Palleroni. "Designers have the power to make a massive difference. Through structures they can transform people's lives. This is the very essence of the Earth Awards-a belief that design and innovation can deliver tools for a better world."