COMMUNITY:

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Collaborative, community-based construction is considered to be the key. Through simple methods for untrained laborers and the use of local inexpensive materials the project seeks to demonstrate to the community how enhanced traditional building techniques provide real possibility for future building development: low cost, low tech construction that they can built by themselves, using their own resources.
Rather than rely on outsiders, they can be part of the solution. The construction process can help address the (common) issue of unemployment and unskilled workforce between the refugees, in addition to strengthening relationships among the villagers and reinforcing the sense of community.

THINK LOCALLY:

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One of the project main strategies is to make use of locally available skills and local and (re)used materials, always without jeopardizing the possibility of relocating the building.
A simple bamboo construction system was devised through a lightweight bamboo frame and extensive onsite prefabrication of modular components, all to be assembled in place and fitted together by traditional knot technology. To simplify the assembly of the different components, a “click-in” system was developed and used whenever possible for the placement of the different parts.

[RE] USE:

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Floors, doors and bookshelves are all to be made out of secondhand wood or old and decayed selected pieces.
Doors are to be painted with bright vibrant colors and some openings may be closed through the use of dyed hanging fabrics with the same color palette. This way the construction budget can be lowered and building simplicity improved, while the school gets a light lively atmosphere.
DESIGN: Trying to recreate what these children would experience in a more “normal” situation the building design follows the idea of providing a home to live in, a school to go to and a neighborhood-like environment where they can interact and play. This results in a wide range of different spaces able to host a large scope of different activities and events.
“Schools began with a man under a tree who did not know he was a teacher, sharing his realizations with a few others who did not know they were students” (Louis I. Kahn).
Anchoring the school around a tree it’s the starting point to merge it, symbolically and physically, with its context and surroundings,  and in a bigger scale with nature and the universe.

THE CORE:

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Around the tree a platform takes place like a stage in the middle of the school. A truly democratic place where people gather, arrive and depart. This platform constitutes the element that organizes the school around itself distinguishing and connecting at the same time both buildings and both parts of the program.
In between the buildings a large protected courtyard may be used as a big playground or a community gathering place where events like small theaters, concerts or community parties and big meetings may take place.

CLIMATE:

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Embracing the courtyard the building slightly rotates to turn its lower end to the northeast protecting itself from the dry season dominant wind. It opens its perforated face to the south to let the hot season breeze flow freely and carry inside the evaporation freshness from the adjacent plantation. An exterior half culm-lath bamboo layer also protects the bathing area and toilet corridor from the northeast wind and north outside overlooking.​



FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT:

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The south building comprises all the administration and service rooms. Its perforated nature opens it up to the community reinforcing its welcoming character and guaranteeing optimal fresh-air flow from the horticulture plots into the school. The open canteen overlooks the greenery to the south and opens itself to the central platform splitting the service areas between administrative and hygiene spaces. The reception room doubles its function sharing space with a cozy small library.

The north block houses the classrooms and a big covered exterior area. This multipurpose covered porch also constitutes a pocket area that allows fast and easy growth of the classrooms in case of need.
In addition an optional loft space can be introduced above the exterior corridors creating a more intimate situation. It occupies the roof space leftover and can be used as a place to sleep, read or play, or simply as extra storage space.
The single floor organization keeps the school construction simple and assures easy access throughout all the building.

SPATIAL FLEXIBILITY:

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More than a defined formal solution this project aims on setting a system where elements can be moved around and its position changed. The flexibility of this modular system allows the classrooms to adapt to different learning philosophies and to grow in number, meeting future needs. Rooms may be stretched or divided responding to changing needs and the building may grow or shrink by simply adding or removing modules.

CONTEXT:

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Much of the vernacular built tradition uses bamboo as building material. However, most of the times, construction techniques are not well informed and many buildings lack proper foundations and detailing. Such buildings require regular maintenance, increasing damage potential and reducing lifespan.
As deforestation grows and wood prices increase, the incredible fast growing bamboo reveals itself as natural abundant and sustainable material choice.
Bamboo culms are a natural material susceptible to insect and fungi attack, but with proper treatment (like Borax soaking) their usual three year lifespan is easily increased to over 15 years.
Sustainability and relocation need both played major roles when choosing materials and developing the construction system. Relying on technical know-how and fine detailing this project aims to help traditional and local expertise to improve construction standards and workforce skills.

ROOF:

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The special roof shape promotes effective natural ventilation while allowing indirect sunlight in the rooms. At the same time the deep roof overhang protects and provides shade all around the building.  The shading contributes decisively for the temperature cool down. People and walls get protected from sun and rain while covered spaces allow dry playgrounds and activities to take place during monsoons. Though with this structure we may use any kind of roofing finishing, traditional thatched roofing techniques ( with large dipterocarp leaves - bai tong teng -,  palm leaves or straw) are suggested in order to prevent the extra heating and the huge noise of heavy rainfall,  over simple metal or corrugated steel sheets roofing.

BUILDING RISING:



One of the main challenges for the building is the relationship between relocation ability and the potential rainy season flooding. In this period the water can rise considerably above ground level and to retain it would be very challenging. When rising the building problems with moister and rot in the construction are prevented and the resulting under shadow enhances ventilation and cooling.

TOILETS:

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The toilets in this project are very simple devices equipped with twin pits for composting purposes. The composting dry toilet processes the excreta into organic fertilizer that can be used directly into the soil for agricultural purposes.
Installing a urine diverting system in the toilet seats will promote a better excreta waste management. Extra liquids and urine overflow not used for agriculture are easily diverted to the nearby banana trees plantation.

The toilet cubicles are kept cool letting in only minimal light and the composting deposits are connected to vertical black venting pipes that heat up and suck out the cold air above the roof along with the flies and smell. Access doors to empty the pits face the plantations in order to minimize transportation needs.

RAIN:

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A rainwater collecting system conducts the water in order to make the best usage of this precious resource. Part of it is directly diverted to the vegetable plantation horticulture plots and part is collected in a big deposit. This water is first to be treated and then drunk by the school population.

STRUCTURE:

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In order to improve stability and resistance the structure is integrally composed of prefabricated elements made of bamboo culms fixed and fitted together by knot and doweling techniques.
Introducing prefabrication in all construction stages increases the shipyard speed potential making the school faster and easier to be built in perfect conditions.
To simplify the erection the “structural sections” are assembled horizontally on a pre-made positioning device and then lifted up and “clicked-in” into the foundations in their final position. Afterwards these are connected between each other’s by means of perpendicular culms. Longer the perpendicular culms, more sections connected, more stable the structure.
Three layer beams composed of three bamboo culms on top of each other compose very stable elements that help to reduce necessary material and are especially easy to build. They are used to win over the biggest spans and bare the heaviest loads.
Double posts are used in order to make the structure easier to erect and share the beams loads between them. This way, future post repairing is possible without additional props.

FOUNDATIONS:

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Addressing the flooding issue, the School rises from the ground on foundations simply cast in old tires. Elevating it on stilts promotes foundation (re)use when relocating the building and a simple custom designed foundation extension system was devised to simplify the different terrain heights adjustments.

FLOORS:

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The system comprises the possibility to make use of bamboo flooring if needed by budgetary restraints, but for the most of the rooms and spaces used wood would be a more efficient solution, providing comfortable floor for all kind of uses.

WALLS:

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Both division and exterior walls are composed by bamboo framed prefabricated panels easy to handle and “click-in” in place. For the two different sets of needs two different types of panels were designed.
The building skin provides good ventilation and is composed of bamboo framed panels with an exterior half culm-lath bamboo layer. Its upper part has a spaced half culm-lath layer to provide light and outlook views from the interior while the bottom half is opaque avoiding distraction for the classroom seated students.
As the division walls may be moved to change the room’s layouts a system that leaves the floor intact was conceived. A bamboo beam is first laid on the floor between the pillars acting as a rail on the top of which the panels are “clicked-in”. These will be fitted together with the rail and the top horizontal beams. To attenuate the sound transmission between rooms these panels comprehend an acoustic absorption natural material (like kapok, bagasse, rice hulls, coconut choir/husk, corn stalk, palm olive leaves or durian peek) sandwiched between two layers of half culm-lath.