Here is the winning entry of Christian S. Salandanan, a graduate of University of Sto. Tomas, who won the first ever National Thesis Competition in 2014 organized by the Center for Career Development (CCD).
Introduction
Our cities are built with these two materials, Concrete and steel. These are the two materials that are widely used by the construction industry. These are materials that are strong and would last for decades. But these are also the materials with very high energy and greenhouse gas emission in their process. About 8% of the carbon emission comes from these materials. And until now we haven’t found any alternative to it.
It won`t last, It will not survive typhoons; it is a poor man’s timber. Bamboo construction is perceived to be ephemeral/ temporary. But little did they know that there are countless possibilities on what you can do with this material. The misconceptions mentioned above needs to be revolutionized in order to make bamboo based construction acceptable. There is a need to educate people that in building houses, simple technologies are not necessarily inferior to modern ones. It must be pointed out that indigenous materials like bamboo, though lightweight, can make a house permanent if properly joined and pretreated, and yet have the advantage of being relatively easier to modify or replace than heavier and more expensive materials.
The current government setup for bamboo research and development of forest products are divided into three divisions. The production side is under the DENR and the utilization side is under DOST. There is a gap between the production and utilization process. There are no continuous collaborations between these agencies which yield to the sluggish pace of development of forest-based product industry, such as the bamboo industry.
Boards Explanation
The design concept for the project
is “Ceaseless Evolution: An architectural translation of the rhizome
philosophy”. Rhizome is seed for the development or growth of a bamboo
plant; it serves as the catalyst for growth. In totality, the project aims to
achieve the relation and connectivity of things in an amorphous manner, meaning
in an unconventional and unpredictable pattern. The main translation of the
concept was done by providing passively-furnished nodal discussion points
within the complex in a macro to micro approach so they can discuss things and
ideas which randomly pops out of their mind. Because ingenious information and
technologies starts with a single piece of idea and it then needs another piece
of associated idea for it to develop that when combined together, turns into an
imaginable concept.
There are four sub-concepts for the project:
First is Connectivity – it means
that “every part of the system should be connected to another part in any
possible way”. This is a macro approach on connecting the buildings within the
complex and it was translated by providing nodal discussion points, which
serves as the building’s connection to another building, that are strategically
placed within the site.
Next is Multiplicity and
Suppressing Rupture – meaning “In a rhizome, all parts are connected to
another and these parts should also be connected to the smaller parts of the system”.
Meaning, things should be connected not just in a macro scale, but also in a
micro scale approach. This was translated into the design by providing nodal
discussion points, which are tactically placed, inside the buildings, and also
within the interior space of the offices.
Last is Heterogeneity – it
states that “a rhizome is a connection between things of different nature”.
This was architecturally translated through the use of material. Bamboo was
combined with other possible construction material in order to create
sustainable composite building products which suits best the needs of the
project.
The complex basically is composed
of nine curvilinear shape structures which are angled after considering the
macro – micro wind patterns within the site and the technical sun path diagram.
These structures are then linked by nodal points. These structures provide the
spaces for the various needs for the research complex. The Main building which
is located on the front part of the site is the brain of the complex. It is a
3-storey building which features a strategically-played roof levels in order to
maximize the potential for passive cooling since the site will not be using any
mechanical air-conditioning. Its structural elements are made from bundled
Giant bamboo placed on a concrete pedestal, its walls are made from rammed
earth with bamboo mat board as the main reinforcement and its roof is made from
engineered bamboo mat roof sheets for durability purposes. It also features a
bamboo helix upon entering the lobby; this helix supports the middle roof layer
of the structure and served as an eye catching icon within the building.
Other buildings within the complex
are also made from the sustainable and renewable materials same as the main
building. These buildings comprises of the following: Material science
division, which basically is for the mechanical researches in bamboo, next is
the in-house training center where people would be educated on the proper way
of producing and utilizing this material. It aims to provide a sustainable
development targeting livelihood training for the people. Accompanying the
development is the ease of constructing the proposed infrastructure. Next is
Carpentry and Treatment processing area where the proto-types are made and
where bamboos are treated for various uses. Then The housing units for the
people who are training but would be coming from provinces, these a unique
element. It uses a pre-shaped bamboo columns from the specie of Guadua
Angustifolia or also known as the the Iron Bamboo. It aims to show the users
that there are numerous ways to utilize and develop bamboo. Next is the Gallery
Building which basically serves as the information knowledge when it comes to
bamboo facts and a place where the technologies would be displayed and
showcased for the community. And then the canteen building that is designed in
a amorphous way in order to lift and to show to the users that this poor man`s
timber can be made into an elegant structure.
The main feature of the project is
the Water – Collecting Mycelium - towers which are located at the center of the
site. It is a bamboo helix injected with mycelium. A mycelium is a self-growing
living organism that when combined with other substance, forms a strong,
fire-resistant, and permanent building material. The idea is to inject a
composite mycelium organism inside the penetrated internodes of the bamboo
within the helix, and let the living organism grow and took the shape of the
bamboo culms. After a few weeks It would then transform into a permanent
bamboo-mycelium helix with water collecting system, which would serve as a
sustainable maintenance in watering the nursery and the plantation. It is
combing bamboo with other natural materials in order to produce an unimaginable
and strong composite material.
Bamboo construction techniques used
in the project are east to understand, reusable, and repeatable. These
techniques are used by various institutions and have been proven to work and
are safe for human habitation. What the project aim is to become an exemplary
model of bamboo construction. Though old, the extensive use of these techniques
exhibit a one of a kind facility for the country. It efficiently exhibits the
capabilities of bamboo previously ignored by the masses. Through the extensive
use of these techniques, the facility exhibits how repeatable and reusable
bamboo is when properly utilized.
Green is not always
sustainable. Sustainability is a holistic approach in saving Mother Nature -
from the production of the material, to its utilization. This is the material
of the future. Imagine steel bars growing on land, eleven times cheaper, and
made by nature, for nature.
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