The Hindu Business Line : Build it with bamboo

The Kochi-based architectural and designing firm Inspiration, in association with Kerala Forest Research Institute, has come out with just such a concept — portable bamboo shelters.

The joint venture initiative set up a prototype bamboo house at a housing exhibition held here recently. The rectangular structure, which was installed in 10 minutes, opened into a 200 sq.ft house with eight supports and steel base.

The material used in the construction is bamboo. The roof is wood-free acrylic. There is a ventilation shaft and the whole structure stands 80 cm above ground.

Ideally it is a relief structure that can be used in the time of disasters. But it can also be used as rehabilitation housing for slum dwellers and migrant labourers in urban areas, says Mr Jaigopal, Managing Partner, Inspiration.

Two or three units can be joined together for bigger families and it can be constructed commercially if industries come forward.

The architectural firm designed the structure using KFRI technology. The portable house could cost around Rs1 lakh and can be readied in a month in the factory, he says. The structure uses bamboo mat board as the principal component while the support and joineries are of steel. The entire structure can be packed in a slot of 40 sq.ft plinth area.

less steel and cement

This also addresses another environmental concern. Both these organisations had set up a demonstration residential block in the rainforests of Nilambur near Kozhikode.

The objective behind such a venture is to propagate the use of bamboo as a construction material. The intention is to reduce the use of high-energy material such as steel and cement by replacing it with bamboo. Around 12,000 bricks, which consume top soil for production, can also be avoided and replaced by bamboo.

According to Mr Jaigopal, bamboo reduces steel and cement use by 40 per cent. The self weight of the building is also reduced by 50 per cent. Bamboo is used in all elements of the building, from the roof to the floor.

It is used as a composite along with optimised RCC, ferro cement and limited quantity of reinforced plaster so as to arrive at an attractive, functional and a comparatively cost-effective technology option for the future.

A total number of 590 full bamboos of length 3 metres and an average diameter of 90 mm were used for the construction of the building. The bamboo used was obtained from KFRI land and treated with preservatives.

The demonstration block has two residential floors, each consisting of living space, kitchenette and bedroom. The third floor functions as a common living space. The building is used as a guest house for KFRI. The use of natural material effects a temperature decrease of an average 4-5 degrees C in the interiors on a hot summer day, providing comfort as well as saving of energy on air-conditioning.

The building is a standing example of the usage of bamboo in all respects as a building material.

It proves the fact that bamboo can be used for a permanent structure. It is an example of excellence in eco friendly and economic structures. Bamboo houses are becoming popular in the eco tourism sector, says Mr Jaigopal.