Bamboo Housing | SAINT VAL Laurent

Bamboo is an « all-purpose » plant which has the peculiarity to work like wood and can produce an amazing wealth of knowledge to craft and more now to construction. Across the world, bamboo is used for a multitude of tools, objects and furniture, from the « shine stool» of Shanghai to the water pipe of Son La, Vietnam, through the scale, the cradle and the swing… The bamboo housing project could be likened to a traditional art object, which have been woven and it can even be compared to the carving of totem. The art of basketry or weaving plant fibers could be applied to this habitat, which adopts this form of cocoon. The proactive approach to address those habitats as totems refers to a sacred aspect and moreover, « these primary objects » are marking spaces or devasted lands by their verticality. It’s an architecture that segments space and which translates well the transient character of these habitats. This « primary habitat » is conceived and designed to accommodate three families, the common rooms are placed downstairs and the two spaces above are usually intended for housing, however it’s adjustable being able to respond then to a decrease or increase of the family units. Built on a concrete base, « a kind of plot », the construction is an assembly of bamboo sections, bound to each other by metallic socket joints (clips, links). These bamboo trellises handle in a geometric progression theopenings, windows and entrance door. On the side exposed to the sun, openings in wooden slats let in lightwhile protecting themselves and the least exposed facade can introduce more glass openings. This « primaryhabitat » is characterized by a waterproof canvas on the North side which flattens along the trellis. The family units are served by a staircase, a sort of backbone assembling metal and wood which has the function of distributing vertically the habitat and feeding each cell with electricity and heat through the railings,powered by a boiler located on the top floor. A wide discretion is left to the offices of technical studies for thechoice of energies (mixed: electricity + gas or all electric). It goes without saying that all power supplies and evacuations will use the same « pipe ». The whole structure of the project is assured by an attachment principle (GWADUATECH) that can then formthe habitat as it’s assembled like furniture. Thereby this assembly system can easily assemble and dismantle all the structures, which facilitate the transport of the habitat’s elements.