Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The construction of the house handmade building in Bangladesh employs the locally available materials earth and bamboo. Adapting and improving upon traditional construction techniques, the building provides an example of how local skills can be used to secure a future for the rural region. The buildings were built by hand by local laborers and trainees from the organization under the leadership of the German-Austrian-Bangladeshi architect team and were trained on-site during the building process. The ground ?oor is made of earth using a technique similar to cob-walling. Each of the rooms has their own opening with ventilator made by handmade terracotta with the respect of climate. Steps of the stair made by wood, mud with bamboo support. A nice seating place on the first floor stair landing. A mini veranda access from the upper living room with beautiful bamboo and wooden work which enhance our local craftsmanship. The design, its construction and the involvement of the building’s users in all aspects of the building process are an example of how architecture can provide a lasting contribution to local communities in developing areas. The use of locally available building materials and techniques contrasts strongly with the prevailing trend to more expensive and energy-intensive construction methods using concrete and masonry that is evident in the region as it is in many other parts of the world. The local earthen construction techniques were improved in terms of structural stability and protection against rain and rising damp. Cows were used to mix the earth, water and rice-straw mixture. All other work was undertaken by hand with out the need for technical machinery. Local building constructions do not usually have a foundation or damp-proof course, and this is the reason for their short 8 - 10 year lifespan. The brickwork masonry foundation, the PE damp-proof course and compacting methods used in the school also help prevent rats and other vermin from nesting in the walls. The earth is heaped in layers on to the wall. After each layer has dried, the surfaces of the earth walls are cut ?at with a sharp spade. On the outside they have been left bare; on the inside they have been plastered with a clay plaster and light-colored white mud. The ceiling consists of a double layer of thick bamboo beams arranged perpendicularly to one another. Bamboo boards are laid on the central layer and the ?oor is ?lled with a two-layer straw-earth mixture and earth ?oor. The bamboo framework construction of the roof is ?rmly anchored with the wall beneath. The bamboo screen project outwards beyond the building’s perimeter providing a wide green covered screen which will protect the mud surface against strong rainfall. The corrugated ?at roof rests on top of the construction. The façade is clad with bamboo strips on wooden frames. Both the construction and the purpose of the building intend to strengthen the infrastructure of this rural region in the most densely populated country of the world.