"Research on Reducing Homogeneity of Raw Bamboo Buildings"
Digital version of the Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education. Made by @chusdoit_ at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from 2016 to 2021.
- Full Title: "Research on Reducing Homogeneity of Raw Bamboo Buildings Based on Material Tectonics and Craft Technology"
- Author: Dr. Daniel Stamatis
- Supervisor: Tan Gangyi
- Digital version: Read it anytime, on any device.
- Pages: 236
This research will search back the bamboo characteristics as building material and the logical technology of construction. With the premise of correctly identifying and clarifying the global distribution of bamboo structure buildings, we will investigate the whole process of bamboo structure architecture and then practice the theory in the context of fast urbanization process of rural China. China's choice is because of the Chinese bamboo industry's economic importance and its influence on developing countries. As bamboo architecture is a global tendency, the objective is to propose guidelines for future researchers to make best uses of bamboo by producing a timeless architecture, deeply rooted in its context, and yet universal.
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Table of contents
1. Introduction
1.1. General background
1.2. Ideation
1.3. Hypothesis, objectives, and impact
1.4. Research status review
1.5. Research method
1.6. Synopsis
2. Bamboo: an advanced building material
2.1. The bamboo plant: distribution and classification
2.2. Characteristics of bamboo as a building material
2.3. Cultural values of bamboo materials
2.4. Contemporary history overview of bamboo architecture
2.5. Summary
3. Global distribution of bamboo structural building
3.1. America: an interrupted bamboo tradition
3.2. Africa: bamboo architecture in highly challenging environments
3.3. Asia: an uninterrupted bamboo tradition
3.4. Homogenization tendency of global bamboo architecture
4. General process of bamboo structure construction
4.1. Architectural design strategies
4.2. Selection, harvest, and preservation
4.3. Prefabrication, installation and joinery
4.4. Maintenance, repair, and rebuild
4.5. Summary
5. Application of the theory: practical projects in China
5.1. Deciding on bamboo or steel as a building material
5.2. Protocol of failure: finding the path to build with bamboo
5.3. Identified path to build with bamboo
5.4. Summary
6. Case study of balancing craftsmanship and digital design
6.1. Design process
6.2. Construction process
6.3. Summary
7. Discussion
7.1. Main findings
7.2. Innovation points
7.3. Strengths and limitations
7.4 Recommendations and further resarch
8. Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References
List of figures
List of tables
Appendix
Abstract
After a century of the international style of modernism, bamboo building materials recently re-emerged as a solution to the overuse of non-renewable materials. The architectural style of modernism of the 1930s started to look the same all over the world because it brought many technological freedoms that liberated the architecture from vernacular tasks. As a result, the buildings did not do anything anymore and architecture became boring boxing containers of space connected to machinery. The inertia of the international style of modernism tends to homogenize raw bamboo architecture as well. In addition, digital technologies are oversimplifying the design processes, while the modern electric tools are eliminating the need for master artisans. This research aimed to search back the bamboo characteristics and the logical technology of structural construction. With the premise of identifying and clarifying the global distribution of raw bamboo structure buildings, the whole process of raw bamboo structure construction was investigated. Then, the theory was applied in five practical projects in China using the Participatory Action Research method. Among different types of bamboo materials (raw, semi-industrialized, and engineered), this research used only raw bamboo because of the low technology required to process. Based on the analysis of construction results, making proper use of raw bamboo accordingly to the species prevents homogenization of bamboo architecture, and it requires to consider three key points: (1) To maximize the structural potency of bamboo, it most combines with different materials such as steel, concrete, wood, or plastics; (2) a new bamboo architecture should consider the local conditions such as weather and history without falling into the tradition's imitation, and (3) prioritize hand-made bamboo model-making for the initial phases of bamboo architectural design; then, refine the results through Finite Elements Analysis. The specific design process to prevent homogenization of new raw bamboo architecture is (1) Problem identification, (2) Hand-drawing and model-making 1:50, (3) digital modeling using parametric tools (Rhino/Grasshopper) to reproduce the geometry according to the physical model. (4) Utilize the RFEM software to simulate and analyze wind and earthquake forces, (5) Return to the digital file to edit it according to RFEM results, and (6) Create a new physical model on a bigger scale (1:20, 1:25, or 1:10). The research results provide a public awareness of bamboo's history and characteristics, its role in the construction industry, and how to deal with the modernization issue. In conclusion, based on the traditional bamboo technology (scaled model-making) and digital software technology, as well as the bamboo´s combination with complementary materials, the bamboo material´s characteristics can be fully exploited, the homogenization problem of bamboo architecture can be reduced, and the bamboo architectural design can be enriched.
Keywords
Raw Bamboo, Architectural Design, Tectonics, Participatory Action Research, Traditional Crafts, Digital Technology.