The economic and social realities of free-market systems dictate that architects in private practice largely make their living by making the comfortable lives of privilege even more luxurious and comfortable. Some of those same realities help create – and sustain, the global shortage of affordable housing around the world.
While architects certainly enjoy the challenges and opportunities of designing beautiful, big-budget, tech-forward, resilient housing for well-to-do clients, we recognize that our expertise in design and construction could also evolve solutions leading to the provision of shelter for our less privileged brothers and sisters. The need is great.
As a private, unfunded, internal research project we set out to envision a prototype home for use throughout the global tropical belt…ranging approximately from the Tropic of Cancer in the North to the Tropic of Capricorn to the South. This region is home to several billion people, many of whom are poor.
The solution we proposed is predicated on the use of bamboo – a common, inexpensive, fast growing, impressively flexible and strong material that is widely distributed, and therefore accessible, throughout this region.
The prototype is meant for rural populations and features three zones. A fully enclosed structure with rooms for sleep, storage, sanitation, cooking, security and socializing. Raised, covered porches on either side support additional social and cooking functions. Finally ground level covered areas can accommodate livelihood projects. Additional features include rain-capture and storage, PV panels for electrical generation, and a small, reinforced concrete core to resist fire, earthquake and high wind.
