The use of local materials in architecture is becoming more and more important as there is a growing need to find new, sustainable construction methods that can help address the current climate crisis. Understanding the behavior of different materials and their key construction properties, architects and other professionals in the field are increasingly turning to bamboo, aiming to develop strategies and techniques that enable its use in both the structures of their projects and the various components of spaces.
Acquiring thousands of potential uses, bamboo represents a construction material in architecture that offers remarkable acoustic, thermal, and seismic behavior. Being a natural material of biological origin, the truth is that there is an infinite variety of bamboo types depending on the area from which it is obtained. In any case, it can be used as the primary support structure in a project, forming part of columns, beams, trusses, and more, as well as integrating the construction of a roof or serving as enclosure and/or furniture to separate different spaces, among other functions.
From Brazil to Mexico, we set out to traverse the Latin American landscape to choose 10 housing projects that incorporate bamboo in their interior or exterior spaces, highlighting its construction applications in detail.
Related Article
How To Build With Bamboo: 4 Basic Structural Systems-
Brazil
Marinho da Serra House / Vazio S/A
"The highlight of the house is the bamboo louvers that surround the entire perimeter of the building (except for the south facade, which does not receive sunlight). The windows of the rooms, facing west or east, are protected by the bamboo weave, a natural element abundant throughout the region. Bamboo was pretreated on-site with a bath of borax and boric acid, a popular preservation method because it is effective and less toxic than other wood preservatives. The bath produces an insecticide, fungicide, and fire retardant effect.
In environmental terms, the extraction of bamboo is not harmful, since the giant grass reaches a satisfactory size in about three years and is quite common in the interior landscapes of Brazil, where it is popularly used in railings, fences, and ceilings. Also weighing into this account is the economy allowed by its use and also its durability when treated correctly."
Learn more about this project here.
Gutter House / Atelier Daniel Florez
"Conceptually, the house is built as an inverted ship, with a succession of structural elements of laminated wood (ribs) fixed to a concrete gutter always visible inside the house.
The interior, conformed by a mantle of curved wooden and bamboo beams, evokes naval interiors with great sensuality and, together with the sculpted pillars like masts, the circular windows, the flooring fishing scales patterns, and the blue colors honor the craft and knowledge of those ancient and heroic sailor-architects. With a double façade on both fronts and a double roof finished with wooden tiles, the project intends to insert itself silently into the landscape with minimal ecological impact."
Learn more about this project here.
Ecocasa Atelier / Encaixe Soluções Alternativas
"The hilly terrain forms a natural lookout facing the sunset. Therefore, the west façade was enhanced with an 85 m² external area that followed the same logic as the main house, concrete blocks define the outdoor cooking area designed with remaining precast elements from the slabs, and where the land drop is sharp, a 6m-high balcony was built structured by locally sourced and treated Mossô and Hatiku bamboo. The 40 m² flooring was built from repurposed wood.
The resilience of Ecocasa Atelier is multifaceted, it can be seen as the ecohouse fulfills its scope while seasonal rental serves as the primary source of income for its residents until hosting events is allowed again. It is also demonstrated through the ecological construction site with a temporary bamboo structure to store materials and the implantation of a composting toilet for the workers. Another example is the complete water cycle inside the property (semi-artesian well, bio sewage treatment, and infiltration basin). In addition to using earth from the site to build the rammed earth walls, all wood is refurbished. During the construction phase, a training course was hosted for the general public on building with bamboo."
Learn more about this project here.
-
Colombia
Milguaduas House / ritmo arquitectos
"Milguaduas draws on natural resources to foster a sustainable environment in materials as well as its layout, thus reducing its environmental and energetic impact. The design selects exclusively five materials as its language: locally sourced guadua bamboo, pristine white walls, poured concrete, welded black metal, and baked clay. In their purity, the materials have a monochrome and texture-rich tone. By establishing independence between roof and cladding, as well as in the gable roof and habitable roofing being dislocated, the interiors avail themselves of natural light and ventilation. This displacement is mirrored by arranging a layered descent adhering to the terrain, where rooms are laid out downwards while enabling areas for lingering. The habitable roofing acts as a canal for rainwater harvesting, lying between the traditional clay gable roof which draws a frame enclosing the forest. This plate, as well as the sculptural folded staircase that leads to it, gives off a breath of modernity among traditional archetypes."
Learn more about this project here.
-
Costa Rica
House of Houses / YUSO
"At the materiality level, sustainability was the main objective. The house was modulated according to the commercial sizes of the materials used, which guaranteed that the waste on-site was minimal. Materials that could be recycled or that would easily biodegrade such as wood and bamboo were also implemented for the most part. At a bioclimatic level, the house guarantees comfort to the inhabitants through the design of internal patios that allow the use of passive mitigation strategies. It also has a rainwater collection system that supplies water to the toilets in all three bathrooms and the irrigation system for the green areas."
Learn more about this project here.
-
Ecuador
The Endemic House / ESEcolectivo
"The project occupies an area of approximately 120 m2 on the ground floor, leaving a rear patio for a vegetable garden, which continues as a green area in the mandatory retreats in the front and the side. Towards the other side, there is an elongated space limited by the neighboring house, facing the bathrooms and containing the laundry area on the ground floor. The Endemic House is resolved through a bamboo (caña guadua) structure, which has been collected and treated in the Islands by a local builder. To save costs, the work monitoring is carried out remotely, establishing a close relationship between the clients, the builder, and the architects.
[...] Towards the interior, most of the furniture, walls, and divisions are resolved with bamboo or cedrela, a type of timber tree typical of the Galapagos Islands. In the same way, the external details of balconies, terraces, and latticeworks are solved with cedrela and cane in different ways. [...]
It is important to mention that, despite the availability of local materials and the fragile conditions of the Galapagos ecosystem, the Endemic House is the second project built with bamboo technology in San Cristóbal. In the urban areas of the Islands, most of the constructions are made out of metal and concrete."
Learn more about this project here.
Cholan Nests House / La Cabina de la Curiosidad + Marie Combette + Daniel Moreno Flores
"The architectural project consisted of rethinking the roof, as a potentiating opportunity. With a proposal for a lighter roof, we expanded the space: metal sheeting (lighter), eucalyptus pingo structure (economical, common material and easy to obtain); coconut fiber (natural thermal insulation); egg trays (economic acoustic insulation); chopped cane (covers a large surface and is quick to install). With the change of roof, enough height is created to suspend two new bedrooms and two nests, to this ceiling, occupying the existing beams of the space."
Learn more about this project here.
-
Mexico
Traversa House / Marina Vella Arquitectura
"The materials used are the Tanlajas stones, the local bamboo “guadua vellutina” known as Otate, (considered one of the most flexible and resilient species because of the closeness of the bamboo rings), and the earth of the ground. To protect the building from humidity stone was used in the external façades. To keep the living spaces fresh and nice, a constructive system known as “enjarre” (bahareque – green building in bio-construction), was used in the interior walls. The roof coverage is separated from the walls to generate natural cross ventilation in the rooms and so avoiding any mechanical system.
In the construction of the roof coverage parallel systems were used, present and vernacular, like curving the beams with the “sangrado” technique and the use of scaffolding and formwork in the structure. Mat or ironed bamboo from the species old hamii were used for the ceiling and bamboo canisters for the friezes. Orejon Wood was used in the woodwork. All materials were harvested from the Huasteca area."
Learn more about this project here.
Patio House / herchell arquitectos
"We utilized regionally sourced materials, such as clay bricks from local pits, reeds for ceilings, and pine wood grown and harvested in the same area of Jalisco. The facade showcases wood that has undergone a carbonization process, referred to as carbonized wood, to harmonize with nature rather than compete with it. This traditional Japanese technique, used for centuries, offers a remarkable advantage, extending the wood's lifespan to approximately 50-60 years after installation without requiring any maintenance. The wood is sealed on both sides and charred to create a protective layer against environmental factors like sunlight, humidity, and water, among others."
Learn more about this project here.
-
Peru
Calx Sustainable Houses / Pezestudio
"The two houses follow a compositional symmetry in the design, sharing the logic of the distribution on three levels, all of them with sound and spatial independence. The rooms are diaphanous and open, allowing flexibility of uses and promoting the daily use of outdoor spaces as an extension of them. They communicate through the patio on the lower level and with wooden walkways on the upper levels. The main materials are lime, bamboo, and wood, low-impact materials with resistance to the climate and local seismic movements. To optimize and speed up the construction, the use of lime blocks is selected, reinforced for the structural elements, and a simple system for the partition elements. Located on sandy terrain with a pronounced slope, the use of concrete has been minimized, limiting its use to the structure in contact with the ground."
Learn more about this project here.
* The texts for each project correspond to the descriptions sent by the authors themselves.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: The Future of Wood in Architecture presented by Tantimber ThermoWood.
Tantimber ThermoWood brings the timeless warmth of wood to modern design. Natural, renewable, and non-toxic, they transform sustainably sourced wood species into dimensionally stable and durable wood products for use in residential and commercial building and design projects. Find out more about how the enduring beauty of ThermoWood brings warmth to the built environment.
Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
