plywood is expensive to make, bamboo or otherwise. in that way, i think the brief may have been misleading at best and maybe even ignorant to push bamboo. think about ways of using bamboo in natural form. maybe you can string it together like a thatch.
sure. and your idea works without the bamboo element too so feel free to change it. i like the basic floorplan with ideaway beds.
first, thanks for being first.
second, to @teigan's comments - might be interesting to break this down. maybe one element is a long think mat, to be constructed from a variety of local materials. no sure I can prove it, but feels like weaving might be a widely available skill in developing countries.
this mat might then be supported by a frame - again local fabrication using local materials, might go a long way to reduce the cost much of which could easily come from moving materials around.
yes i was thinking something like long flexible, yet durable bamboo long poles, like the technique that they have developed at the village of Sankhela, tripura (India). "Sewn" together through laminated joints, something like that.. I will research a bit better on this. Possibilities of bamboo are really endless :) Thanx for the early feedback :)
there have been permanent pedestrian and vehicle bridges made 100% from bamboo woven or twisted together. the unprocessed fibers are as strong as manufactured materials. it is also naturally weather resistant to a point.
Hi, Martina read between the lines of what shaumabe said to you. Think more about a system than a material, because bamboo may be not available in all undevelopment countries, think about frame, coating, foundations and that stuff, that can be adapted to different countries depending on the weather conditions. Once you have that, it could use bamboo, wood or whatever material is available in the country.
yes you are right :) i 'll think about that, this is a very nice and serious project and i like it alot. Thanx very much for the feedback :)
Good for including the cooking area indoors.
In Haiti, for example, we've learned that when people cook in the courtyard, their neighbors judge their income... so they cook indoors!
See: http://ubershelter.blogspot.com/2011/03/feedback-and-observations-from-genesis.html
Thank you for the link. I can imagine. It is understanable behaviour in poorer countries to always jump to conclusions and gossip on the neighboors. I can only imagine how tough life would be in a overcrowded slum or quake-recovery camp like in Haiti.People still need to have privacy even under very difficult circumstances.That;s the main reason i desided to make the windows so small and horizontally oriented.and higher than the middle of the wall. I will include an explanational brainstorm soon about the details. Thank you for the feedback :)
just putting a stove in the room doesn't mean you can cook indoors. the room would quickly fill with smoke and odor. teepees and yurts are shaped how they are for purely functional reasons. you need a high ceiling and a room shape conducive to natural convection. the little building i designed has a 13 foot high ceiling that funnels to a chimney.
ok, it doesnt need that high ceiling. unless you'r cooking like a restaurant :) after all the first measuerments i've given are quite enough (2,5m), at least for the anthropological characteristics of most people of the third world countries. It would be enough if there was a window next to the cooking unit, which is what i intend to do. and also, in most poor countries the climate is so hot and humide that people eat more raw foods and dont cook all the time.
nice.
switch up the materials to depend on the country or region of use, and you'll be good to go.
thanx. this is very flattering :) i like the nissan cube. time for a car with an assymetrical front to also break in the market ;)
a single module can be used as one shelter already, or you need several modules to form a shelter?
yes you have two types of modules. basic and children . According to each family's/person's needs they can use only the basic, or they can expand it.more updates coming soon ;)
Very good suggestions so far. I would ask you to provide sketches that are bigger and easier to read as well as give more insight on budget calculation, but I suppose that's coming with the update ;) Good job, waiting for your update then!
This system is a good idea in that the structure is elevated off the ground. It will need have some type of anchor system to secure to the ground.
thank you for the comment. i am uploading some updates with the basic structure i have in mind. i'll try to figure this aspect out :)
Good to see you are researching on this, looking forward to see the result : )
Nice updates, very interesting! Do you have any information on how available bamboo is in the respective regions? Just an assumption, I imagine it might not be that easy anymore to get for free as it is used for the production of various articles that are for sale... or did you include its costs in the budget? Looking forward to seeing more!
media hype has given you a common misconception about bamboo. i commend you for acknowledging an assumption present. bamboo grows most anywhere. there are hundreds of species that span the range of ideal soil types and behaviour. the problem is not in growing it, but in sorting and processing it. that is also where the high cost comes in. even though there are now fully automated plants making semifinished bamboo building materials, it isn't the same kind of industrial breakthrough that the cotton gin was for cotton.
the taipei 1 building; former tallest building in the world originally bragged it would use bamboo as a primary building material(even some featured structural use), but because bamboo processing was so cost prohibitive, you will only see it in the main lobby and as small accents in guest rooms. and they have forests full of bamboo.
it amused me to see bamboo mentioned in the brief as a way to serve the poor. you may as well be importing finished steel goods if you have the luxury of bamboo .
@teigan, i have tried to use more unprossed bamboo for most of the design, or bamboo that requires little and handcrafted methods. You'll see in the uploads. I am working on them.still, i have no experience in building things etc so your feedback is valuable :)
Very interesting way of using bamboo! It employs a traditional craft and yet creates an unusual technological solution. The house as a basket. In a number of places in the world traditional homes have used woven bamboo as wall elements. Here in your design the wall becomes the roof and the floor.
You might consider how to affordably protect the weavings from the elements. Weavings can also create three dimensional stability as in the case of baskets.
Thanks for the creative contribution!
thank you for the nice feedback and comments:) i have some ideas in mind about the external insulation and protection of the box . I will upload them later today. Also the woven wall can continue and create some furniture basic framework and basis for other utilities commonly met in a household. i am continuing to work on this, please check back again for the updates :)
fresh cut bamboo is naturally waterproof. there have been structures which withstood sun and rain for years upon years. modern sealers can make bamboo last even longer. unfortunately it can't be sealed until after it dries out. this process takes a year or more depending on the thickness of the bamboo. the longer you wait the better. at that point, you can use any waterproof sealer which will get absorbed into the pores left by the original moisture. this also keeps the insects from eating it which usually causes the major damage to bamboo buildings.
no problem. another thing to remember is that bamboo roofs are thrown away every year just like a thatch roof, whether it needs it or not. you can't see the mold and mildew and bug damage that's underneath. it isn't healthy to leave it.
yes but if it has an overall exterior insulation from local materials? wouldnt the bamboo panelling be protected then ?? also i read that the bamboo poles are treated with some sort of chemicals which make them more durable, and dont let them absorb moisture. also when they are used as concrete reinforcement. i'll dig it up again. I think there should be a treatement that would protect them from insects as well. if you take a look at the example slides on how the wall paneling is made, the bamboo poles are not entirely "raw" they are being boiled and they could also be run across with wood varnish.( the slides dont show varnishing the panels but i'm guessing it could be done :)
boric acid is the cheapest way to make it mold and insect resistant. sealing it with a modern chemical would be far better, but as i said before that means the bamboo has to be left alone for years to dry out first. this means major storage cost. in the orient, since bamboo is plentiful, they just refresh it anually and don't worry about sealing it. they treat it as a disposable.
yes, it was boric acid i think. :) i'll include this step in the next update. Ok, since the wall panelling is realtively easy and requires low manual local labor i guess it could be renewed every now and then.
the locals must know what they are doing. maybe you can somehow completely encapsulate the bamboo to seal in the natural moisture. try PANTENE® pro-V conditioner.
ok, but what if it's not available in all 3rd world countries ??? do you think ingersoll rand will agree to this ?
i dunnooo... bamboo poles come cost- efficient but PANTENE® pro-V conditioner might explode my projects budget :)
In most of the designs the wall sheathing is the weak point. You have solved that for anywhere one can find bamboo. But structurally I don't see any solutions. Hopefully more bamboo, solid poles.
I think your home will have warmth & character. Look forward to more detail. I would not worry to much about the sketch quality. Just complete the design.
No doubt about it a well woven basket is stronger than a box.
thanx :) i am not worrying about the sketch quality :) and yes i am planning to suggest using moso poles as the basic structure. i;ll upload some more sketches later . a 3d would look very nice too, so 'll try to do one as well.
i like the sunflower colour scheme you went with on the house. very sellable, especially in spring/summer season. and you coordinated it well with the shopping bags the 3rd world children are carrying. torn tees and exposed midriffs are back in style.
Thanx for noticing, funny teigan. I like yellow. Plus i chose that colour since it's the closest one to the colour of the bmb . Stop mocking me :)
Martina, did you think how are you gonna shape the curves with the bamboo ? I mean the woven bamboo will fit any shape but I guess the structure underneath is going to be made of bamboo logs so it wil be more difficult to shape them this way. The actual shape will complicate a lot the construction process especially if it´s expected hand-made built, what do you think ?
yes i thought about that , but i instist to make the shape that way. because round angles in furniture and housing- according to syrveys- have better psychological effects on people. So this house can result result in reducing crime in slums and better communication between people/ The bamboo logs can form a smoother edge if instead of two logs to form a 90? angle , you use one or two more ... at least thats what im thinking in theory seems logical. i dont know 100% if it would be appliable in real life, but since bamboo poles and woven mat boards are durable and strong i dont see why it shouldnt be. i am working on explanatory illustrations as we speak , so by tonight i think i'll have almost everything uploaded.:)
Ok , in my opinion you have to focus on the design of the joints of the logs they have to be easy to make for unskilled people and strong enough to transmit the loads properly. Look for sailor´s knots or boy scouts´s tricks ,it could be usefull.
you lay the bamboo reeds vertically side by side and drill small holes in each along a diagonal path. then you thread a steel wire through all of it and post tension the wire with a turnbuckle. repeat for opposite diagonal. you have a wall. round the corners with a saw. done.
@ flegido, there are specific ways to join the bamboo poles and specific ways to cut the ends. You will see it all in my illustrations :) @ teigan,what if there's no steel wire in this area?
There you got it. Solved thanks to professor teigan : D
i'm sure mrs. howell will have some wire in her corsets. if not the professor can make some string from coconut fibers.
Ah, it is a nice shape. I like it.
But then in the radious between the floor and walls they wont be able to put anything, not even stand. Is that on purpose to keep them away from the walls?
And I was wondering could it handle 110 mph winds?
in the actual 3d the radius is not so big as it looks in this pic.
i presume you are talking about the inside surfaces ofcourse..
on the one side there will be beds, so it is not a wasted angle,
on the other side will be accomodated by the diy framework furniture i'm going to add to the design of the Bamboobox.
Another plus of the rounded edges is that les dust and dirt would be concentrated there, so it makes the woven bamboo surfaces easier to clean and mantain.
One other thing is that people in poor countries ,and most definately in slums,tend to keep their belongings unorganized and stack as much as possible on the floor, ending up with an "interior slum" as well. Having a rounded edge, while as you say "wont be able to put anything" on, has on the long term a much more desired effect, by making the inhabitants keeping the inside of the Bamboobox neatly organized and with less stuff on the floor as possible.
About the winds , i havent researched much into that yet, maybe professor teigan has more information, but if the poles are nicely joint together, i dont think there would be any problem. Both the poles and the woven boards are durable yet flexible. Still, in theory. cos you never know in real life right what happens right ? :)
if a wind that strong were blowing you'd be knocked over unless there were guy wires securing it to the nearby trees. but don't leave gilligan in charge of anything.
then what do you suggest, profesor teigan ? haha. i think resistance to very strong winds is important but i think the bamboo structure will overcome it, wont it ?
research "guy wire structures". but as nathalie hinted at in the brief, bamboo has feng shui properties which prevent calamity.
the beds look neither comfortable nor convenient for sex. but we know that won't stop them from doing it.
teigan, you are a magnet of low ratings :) as to your observation ... my proposal includes basis for furnishing and this gives a much more homey feel than most of the other designs i've seen. And maybe if the people find the beds uncomfortable for sex, this will result in a birth decrease, isnt this your idea of the best solution fot the undevelped world ? :)
sex isn't just for making babies. it's also a way to earn a living. and believe it or not, everyone secretly enjoys it.
I love how the only positive comments you provide are for your team mate. Cute. I think some one has a crush....
This type of weaving is used on old cane chairs, seats and backs which I restored a number of times. It holds strong even on seats. Problem is they dry out over time if not oiled. But rattan can be easily repaired and has many cool designs. : )
are woven bamboo boards the same as rattan? i think not, but you are the woodworking expert :)
Anyway, it still looks a little small for a whole family ... Think about that people in poor regions also tend to overpopulate.
Same family of plants but extremely versatile applications ! :) i hope this "Miss Designer' wasnt as ironical as it looked. Also, the basic unit is small, depends on the point of view and each culture. That's what the "children"- secondary unit is for.
banieramartina, Nice design and I think having woven bamboo as a cladding is smart. Having a locally manufactured material improves the local economy (factories, stable jobs, readily available materials, etc). Maybe even the woven bamboo (and cob walls for that matter) could be made into a prefabbed modular system - used to create variations on your funky design. How cool would that be to have a factory that produces materials for other local villages?
I like the bamboo interior and the wrap around window in the initial render of the BambooBox. If the space enveloped by the concrete was a little larger this could provide space for poultry outside the living space. This may work to reduce the crossover of animal/human flu whilst maximising land use.
interesting suggestion , too bad i hadnt seen it earlier. i didnt really think about that, however some problems could evolve, since i dont think the inhabitants would bother cleaning the space under the house and it could cause even more hygienic problems. Thanx anyway ! :)
i had the chance to check out some of your other competition proposals -- culminating in a fun portfolio. the housing proposal definitely has an industrial design flavor to it, and tastes pretty good. i would spice it up with some more industrial design sensibilities and a side of branding graphics.
the complex wooden formwork required to pour your fancy concrete base would take up the entire $300 budget. it's a lucky thing bamboo is magic and free.
You are probably right. but still i think the $300 cost criteria is a little too pushed. there are sandwiches in london that cost round 280 pounds.
well i wouldnt expect another answer from you either way. i think you are one of those people who protest mostly for the sake of protesting :)
i like this design, i think simple and practicality! i like the house stand detail design!
thanx ! :) needs more work, i ran a little out of time but i hope the basic idea comes across.
I hate the concept of stackable houses, they may be poor but a ceratin amount of dignity of living should be the objective. Moreover things like form, woven mats, etc are very flimsy. It is low cost housing not "fancy dress" housing is what i get the impression from this. Please grow up.
Thanx for the bashing. You should consider using less harsh words when commenting on other peoples thoughts and efforts.
Did you even take a look to see and try to understand the proposal?
Cos if you had, it shows clearly that THE SAME family only stacks the secondary units, not a lot of different families! The secondary units are to be used only by the familiy who lives in a basic unit.
Also to your other comments,
Maybe do a little research more on bammboo.
You even contradict yourself, you can my design fancy (therefore, something more or less "pretty"), but above you say "a certain amount of dignity of living should be the objective".
have a nice day.
to add to your comments ECODESIGN... supporting your friend and bashing everybody elses ideas is not a very "grown up" thing to do either.
First I want tell you that I started to look your idea from the 1. day and I like that you developed your Idea good.
I think you forget to tell use, that bamboo is the fast growing plant in the world.
But, I dont like the concrete base, because looks very expensive for me. Why not simpler? Just a higher concrete base, filled with wood or bricks, for example? Than you need not so much concrete.
And I dont think that bamboo works for 50 years, or? Because normally you should protect bamboo again rain.
Sure, I love your good presentation.
Thanx RICHARDO. i appreciate that a lot I left out the information that bamboo is the fastest growing plant on purpose cos its the first thing you read when you google "bamboo", and i didnt want to underestimate anyone's intelligence :)) Yes your suggestion with the bricks is clever , but would be also costly. Bamboo could work for 50 years, if protected with boric acid or oils (like tomaszjan commented above). dont forget that the external insulation is adobe or some sort of other onsite available material (mud etc), so the bamboo panelling is not directly exposed to sun, winds, rain and humidity. Thanx for liking the presentation, i know this concept needs a lot of work, i'd never say that it could work 100% flawlessly in real life ( as a matter of fact, what does? ), as i dont have hands on experience with those materials or building in general, but it;s a basic proposal and some thoughts on what could be used in the parameters of this brief :)
Apparently a concrete foundation would be a little expensive ! It would be nice to see a little more constructive details ! But overall it's a nice design for Adobe
hi Ivalpocity , thanx for the comment. Yes i agree, concrete would be kind of more expensive, but still its a house and real people who have to live inside. i took more generally the very tight budjet, cos on the other hand this secures more against floods, earthquakes, moisture and floor dirt. you suggestion with the bricks is nice, but would also be costly i think. I am sorry i didnt include more constructive details around the bamboo framework. i ran a little out of time . Glad you appreciate the adobe design! good luck ! :)
ah, sorry RICHARDO suggested bricks under the concrete base :))
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