Project Report Bambú Social 2.0

Page 1

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

PROJECT REPORT 1


COLOPHON in any case, you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license and indicate if changes were made. Also, if you build upon the material, you must Bambú Social is a foundation with the

distribute your contributions under the

aim to improve the living conditions in

same license as the original. In this way

Nicaragua through the development and

Bambú Social hopes to disseminate

diffusion of sustainable housing made of

knowledge in the most accessible way

local materials.

possible.

Starting in November 2015, team

www.creativecommons.org

Bambú Social 2.0 analysed the achieved results of the foundation, concluding in

DATE

improvement suggestions for the design

September 2015 - January 2016

of a social house.

2

AUTHORS This report presents the results of

Marie-Louise Greijmans

Bambú Social 2.0. The knowledge

Thomas Hebbink

shared in this report is a combination

Sophie Hengeveld

of observations, interviews, literature

Verónica Mejías Reyes

studies and the experience of research by Bambú Social in El Rama, Nicaragua.

PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATIONS Marie-Louise Greijmans

The content of this report and all other

Thomas Hebbink

work of Bambú Social, including the design and the details that are used in

CONTACT

the construction, are covered by the

​www.bambusocial.com​

following license of Creative Commons:

www.facebook.com/bambusocial

ShareAlike 4.0 International. +31​ (0)​6 25​ ​0​2​​ 3​​​​9​ ​43 This means that you are free to share,

bambusocial.tudelft@gmail.com

adapt and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. But

Delft University of Technology


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

3


CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 6 1.1 PREFACE ................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 READING GUIDE ....................................................................................................... 10 1.3 PROJECT SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 12

2. NICARAGUA & THE BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION ........................................................... 14 2.1 NICARAGUA ............................................................................................................. 16 2.2 BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION .................................................................................... 18

3. BAMBU SOCIAL 2.0 ....................................................................................................... 20

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

GOAL AND METHOD .................................................................................................... PROJECT STRUCTURE ............................................................................................... PROJECT ORGANISATION .......................................................................................... FINANCES ............................................................................................................... PUBLICITY ..............................................................................................................

22 26 28 30 32

4

4. CONSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 34

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... MODEL HOUSE ........................................................................................................ SOCIAL HOUSE ....................................................................................................... IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS ................................................................................... BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................

36 38 62 66 75

5. SOCIAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................... 76

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ THE SOCIAL HOUSE .................................................................................................. TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ SOCIAL HOUSING ..................................................................................................... DESIGN SUGGESTIONS ............................................................................................. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................

78 80 84 102 108 114


PROJECTPLAN BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

6. IMPACT ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................ 116

6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 118 AWARENESS OF BAMBÚ SOCIAL ............................................................................... 120 IMAGE OF BAMBOO .................................................................................................. 124 IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS .............................................................................. 128

7. DESIGN & CONSTRUCT ................................................................................................. 132 7.1 DESIGN WITH STUDENTS ......................................................................................... 134 7.2 CONSTRUCT WITH CRAFSTMEN ................................................................................. 146 7.3 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 158

8. CONTINUATION ............................................................................................................. 160

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4

DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................ CONSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY ................................................................................ RESEARCH CONTINUITY ........................................................................................... CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................

162 164 168 170

X. APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 174

A. B. C. D. E.

INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................. UCA DESIGN CASE RESULTS ...................................................................................... ENCUESTA ............................................................................................................... HOMEVISIT STORIES ................................................................................................. BUSINESS MODEL BAMBÚ BUENO ..............................................................................

176 192 196 200 212

5


1

INTRODUCTION


1.1 PREFACE .................................................... 1.2 READING GUIDE ........................................... 1.3 PROJECT SUMMARY ......................................

09 10 12


8


PREFACE

1.1

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

From July 2015 until January 2016, we, Marie-Louise Greijmans, Sophie Hengeveld, Thomas Hebbink and Verónica Mejías Reyes had the opportunity to work for the Bambú Social foundation. By the end of October 2015 we delivered our project plan and we left for Nicaragua. During the three months in El Rama we delivered two elaborated research reports and posted three official updates on our progress. Analyses, research and tests have been done and a small bamboo construction was made as an experiment. To bundle all this information, findings and conclusions, this project report was written. In 2013, when Bambú Social was founded, seven students and six professionals contributed to the project. Their aim was to develop a public blueprint for a sustainable and socially accessible house made of local materials, while creating capacities amongst students and local craftsmen. Therefore, the design and construction of the model house was the main objective. Due to a broad collaboration with different parties, multiple side projects were attached. The recycle bins of bamboo and artesian workshops were commissioned by the municipality. The permaculture garden was an expertise of an individual team member. In September 2014 all activities were documented and reflected on. As a next step in the project, an intensive evaluation had to be done. Based on the conclusions of this evaluation, suggestions can be made for the continuity of Bambú Social and future activities. We are team Bambú Social 2.0, existing of four students with different backgrounds and specializations. With a great preparation in The Netherlands (based on the minor programme International Entrepreneurship and Development at Delft University of Technology) and dedicated work in Nicaragua, we hope we got one step closer to affordable, easy-to-build housing of good quality that is fits the various needs of the residents of Nicaragua. We really enjoyed the project as it was an enriching experience for all of us. This report bundles all our information, findings and conclusions, as well as our impressions and experiences. Read and enjoy!

9


1.2

READING GUIDE This project plan is written by team Bambú Social 2.0 for both the educational purpose (minor International Entrepreneurship & Development) as for our client Bambú Social foundation and all the sponsors and supporters. A lot of aspects and topics will be discussed. Therefore a reading guide was made which will make the reading more convenient. The project report consists of four main parts. In the first part (chapter 2 and 3) Nicaragua and the Bambú Social foundation will be introduced. With that the project structure and goal of team Bambú Social 2.0 will be presented. In the method the approach and implementation is explained, which forms the basis for the project, activities and results. The second part (chapter 4, 5 and 6) is the evaluation part and consists of the three evaluation reports. The constructional, social and impact analyses focus on what has been done since 2013 until now. This extensive research was done to learn from the past and, for that reason, concludes in suggestions for the future.

10 The third part (chapter 7) focuses of the implementation of the project, taking the suggestions of the evaluation part into account. Some of these suggestions were executed during the project of Bambú Social 2.0, mainly related to constructing and designing. In the fourth part (chapter 8) future collaboration opportunities are presented. Based on all previous chapters, an answer to the question how Bambú Social can continue living up to its goal and how it can continue contribute to development is given. In this part we also expand on a business culture and the idea of a prefab bamboo company. Recommendations for Bambú Social are presented with our vision on continuation and approach for future teams.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

11


1.3

PROJECT SUMMARY NICARAGUA

Bambú Social 2.0. Our goal was to get one

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in

step closer to affordable, easy to build

Central America. There is a great shortage of

housing that matches perfectly to the needs

housing and the existing houses have many

and wishes of the people of Nicaragua.

qualitative shortcomings. This makes that

We reflected and analysed the obtained

78% of the population is homeless or lives in

accomplishments of Bambú Social. Based

very poor conditions.

on the knowledge and experience of the last two years, we investigated ways to improve

BAMBOO

the design of a social house.

Bamboo is a strong building material. It can be produced locally, grows extremely

EVALUATION

fast, needs few nutrients and helps prevent

Our first step was to analyse the model

deforestation of the rainforest. Also, the

house on constructional aspects. With the

growth prevents soil erosion and bamboo

help of local craftsmen who were involved

has a high CO2 absorption.

in the construction, the model house was inspected from top to toe, from ridge to

12

BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION

foundation. All our findings were collected

Bambú Social is a foundation that aims

in an elaborated report, concluding in

to improve the housing conditions in

constructional design suggestions for the

Nicaragua, by sharing knowledge about the

social house. These new connections were

use of bamboo as a construction material. In

tested in the experiment Techito, Spanish for

2014, a bamboo model house was built in El

little roof.

Rama, as an experiment on using bamboo in a local, sustainable and cost efficient way

We continued our research with a social

in Nicaragua. Based on this model house,

analysis of El Rama, in which we matched

a first design for a cheaper and more basic

the design of the social house to the target

social house was made, taking all previous

group. While visiting people in their homes,

lessons into account.

we asked them to draw and explain their current living situation and their dream house. In this way, we learned about the needs and wishes of fifty families of El Rama and incorporated them to the design of the house. This social analysis concludes in functional design suggestions. The constructional and social analysis

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

combined form the program of requirements

From November 2015 till January 2016, we

to optimize the design of the social house.

joined the Bambú Social project as Team


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

IMPLEMENTATION

We concluded our project with a final

During a design case that we organised

event in the model house and we met up

at the Universidad Centroamericana in

with the interviewed families, the students

Managua, five architecture students decided

and craftsmen, the local government and

to join us in our journey. Together with

our new partners. By sharing our findings

these future architects, we sat around the

and the two alternative designs with them,

table and turned challenges into solutions.

we hope that we got one step closer to

After weeks of hard work, this resulted in

affordable, easy to build housing, matched

an alternative design for the social house.

perfectly to the needs and wishes of the

The main characteristics of this new design

people of Nicaragua.

are its modularity, its flexibility and its ability for prefabrication. Because we believe that a social house should be accessible to the

Si lo puedes soĂąar, lo puedes hacer.

poorest, while adaptable to the needs and

wishes of the entire target group.

- If you can dream it, you can do it.


2

NICARAGUA & THE BAMBÚ SOCIAL


FOUNDATION

2.1 NICARAGUA .................................................... 16

2.1.1 Housing situation ....................... 16

2.2 BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION ........................... 18

2.2.1 Mission ....................................... 18

2.2.2 Bambú Social 2013-2014 ........... 18


2.1

NICARAGUA Nicaragua (officially Republic of Nicaragua)

Health: Malaria and tuberculosis cases

is the largest country in Central America.

continue to increase and one out of three

The six million inhabitants are enriched by

children suffer from chronic malnutrition. 64%

multiple influences over the years. The country

of the population does not have access to

is mainly populated by Mestizo’s (69%), while

sustained sanitation services.

the Atlantic coast is mostly populated by indigenous groups like Miskito’s, Rama’s and

Environment: large scale commercial

Creoles (Index Mundi, 2011). Nicaragua is

agriculture have decimated the forests and left

known as the land of lakes and volcanoes (7.14

the land vulnerable to landslides and droughts.

percent water of total area), and contains a Human Rights: approximately 76,000

variety of climates and terrains.

landmines (left over from the Contra war) still

16

Despite the richness of cultures, climates and

remain in the soil and continue to kill and

landscapes, Nicaragua is one of the poorest

maim hundreds (particularly children).

countries in the world. Over the past decades,

Youth and Education: 29% of the children

the country has been hit by devastating

complete primary school, 5% of disabled

events; both political as economical as

children receive an appropriate amount of

environmental. These have left the nation in

attention.

a precarious development position for this century. Different aspects of the country are

Housing: 78% of the people live in

explained below (FSD, 2015).

substandard homes or do not have adequate housing (record in Latin and South America)

Economy: Nicaragua is the fourth poorest

(IDB, 2012).

nation in the Western Hemisphere. Its economy is based mainly on agricultural

A detailed poverty analysis can be found in the

exports (coffee, sugar, beef, and seafood)

Project Plan of Bambú Social 2.0 (2015).

along with some manufacturing export.

2.1.1

HOUSING SITUATION In order to get a more specific look on the housing problem, downscaling is needed. Therefore local investigation can be done and direct impact could be analyzed. The choice made by our client is to zoom into the municipality of El Rama in the RACCS (South Atlantic Autonomous Region)..

El Rama

Building techniques used in El Rama are not adapted to the local environment any more. The current materials create a warm and


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

43% LIVES BELOW POVERTY LINE humid interior climate and are produced with processes that pollute the natural environment (concrete walls with tin roofs). In addition, the local population is dependent on large-scale central systems for building, electricity, clean drinking water and food. These are systems they cannot always rely on, there is a lack of clean drinking water, there are regular power cuts and a lot of food is imported resulting in high prices. Recent research shows

64% DOESN’T HAVE SANITATION SERVICES

Nicaragua has the poorest quality of housing in all of Latin America and a housing deficit of 12%, 900,000, as mentioned before. In the social analysis (chapter 5) the current housing situation is studied in more detail. The most important reason for these problems on the quantitative side are the high building costs, mainly caused by expensive construction materials. On the qualitative side the lack of infrastructure access (e.g. to clean drinking

71% DOESN’T FINISH PRIMARY EDUCATION

water) and use of poor materials are the main issues (IDB, 2012). This although El Rama is rich in potential resources, like a yearly rainfall of 3000 mm, 2400 sun hours, various bamboo plantations, trees, fruits and a rich traditional building culture. The image of this traditional housing has been damaged by American influences (starting in 1855). Experience and knowledge of local construction materials were lost over the ages.

33% SUFFERS FROM CHRONIC MALNUTRITION

Bambú Social aims to reconnect the people of Nicaragua to one of the widely available resources by linking the continuous housing (health and safety) problem to the widely available material bamboo.

200 HA RAINFOREST DISAPPEARS EVERY DAY


2.2

BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION Bambú Social is an educational and

The two foundations together are heading

construction project with the vision to

for an improvement of the social housing

share knowledge and expertise about the

condition, starting in, but not limited to

use of local resources for sustainable and

Nicaragua.

affordable social housing.

2.2.1

MISSION

The foundation works according five

The goal of Bambú Social Foundation is to

principles. It is important that these appear

improve the housing conditions in Nicaragua

in every practice of the project. In the social

by sharing knowledge and expertise about

analysis the principles and how they are

the use of local resources for sustainable

applied on the first design of the social

and affordable social housing. For this, a

house is explained elaborately (page 82).

building method of bamboo social housing is created, by working together with the local community, governmental and non-

PRINCIPLES OF BAMBÚ SOCIAL

governmental organisations and experts from all over the world.

1. Share knowledge and skills 2. Use local resources

18

3. Create local systems

This project can be considered as an

4. Make it environmentally prospering

opportunity is to contribute to the

5. Dare to play, dare to discover

housing problem in Nicaragua. This will be an iterative process that will eventually meet its higher goal: contributing to the

To be able to amplify the impact and

development of Nicaragua.

professionalise the continuity, Bambú Social foundation has partnered up with the

The deliverables of the project Bambú Social

foundation Incombinación, based in The

show that bamboo housing is feasible.

Netherlands.

Bamboo has the potential of becoming a standard building material and be adapted by the architects and universities, who are

“We want to share knowledge

the engineers of the future.

with locals and stimulate the

In Rostow’s theory this movement is called

acceptance of bamboo

transition and will be the first steps of the

as a construction material” Incombinación provides learning and

curve (take-off).

2.2.2

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2013 – 2014

intercultural opportunities, empowers

In 2013 and 2014 seven students and six

solidarity and conscious living, and promotes

professionals contributed to the project

participation in the development of society.

Bambú Social. The aim was to develop a


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

public blueprint for a sustainable and socially

construction of this first bamboo social

accessible house made of local materials,

house step by step.

while creating capacities amongst students and local craftsmen. At the same time, this

In El Rama, Bambú Social set up a

model house functioned as an experiment

sustainable construction course, together

on using bamboo in a local, sustainable and

with the local university and the municipality,

cost efficient way in Nicaragua. Based on this

to share knowledge about a sustainable and

experiment, a first design for a cheaper and

dignified alternative to the available social

more basic social house was made, taking all

housing.

previous lessons into account. In September 2014 all activities were The building method can be practiced

documented and reflected on, which is very

in a completely local manner, with the

important for the continuity of the project.

integration of a decentralized, low-tech, natural water purification and storage system

In 2015 team Bambú Social 2.0 was formed

in order to provide clean drinking water.

to contribute to the continuation of the

The complete method is described in

project. Based on the knowledge and

the manual ‘Un manual de construcción

experience of the first two years, team 2.0

sostenible’. This manual explains the entire

investigated ways to improve the first design

process of bamboo cutting to complete

of the social house.

THE SOCIAL HOUSING CONCEPT BY BAMBÚ SOCIAL

19


3

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0


3.1 GOAL AND METHOD ............................................. 22

3.1.1 Our goal .......................................... 22

3.1.2 Method ........................................... 22

3.1.3 Implementation .............................. 23

3.2 PROJECT STRUCTURE ......................................... 26

3.2.1 Two main phases .......................... 26

3.2.2 Documentation .............................. 26

3.2.3 Activity lines ................................... 27

3.3 PROJECT ORGANISATION ..................................... 28

3.3.1 Team BambĂş Social 2.0 .................. 28

3.3.2 Internal stakeholders ...................... 28

3.3.3 External stakeholders ..................... 28

3.4 FINANCES ........................................................... 30

3.4.1 Fundraising ..................................... 30

3.4.2 Expenses ........................................ 30

3.5 PUBLICITY .......................................................... 32


GOAL AND METHOD

3.1

From September 2015 to January 2016,

In order to do so, we took a step back to

team Bambú Social 2.0 continued the

analyse what has been done by Bambú

previous work of the Bambú Social

Social from 2013 until now. This evaluation

foundation. In September and October

stage consists of a constructional and a

2015 research was done to prepare our stay

social analysis.

in El Rama. Based on this preparation, we defined our goal. In this chapter our goal

CONSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS

will be described and will be explained how

The model house built in 2014 was

we want to accomplish it.

investigated on constructional level. This was done by the team itself with the help of

3.1.1

OUR GOAL

students and craftsmen who were involved

In three months in Nicaragua, team Bambú

in the building process. By involving the

Social 2.0 aims to get one step closer

students in the process, we also worked on

to accessible, easy-to-build housing of

our second goal. By the construction of a

good quality that is matched perfectly to

scaled model, the first design of the social

the needs and wishes of the residents of

house was investigated. The constructional

Nicaragua.

analysis concludes in design suggestions to optimize the bamboo social house on

“We want to get one step closer to accessible, easy-to-build housing

that matches perfectly to the needs and wishes

of the people of Nicaragua”

constructional aspects.

SOCIAL ANALYSIS The functional aspects of the social house were investigated in the social analysis. In this analysis, the first design of the social house, the target group and the social housing opportunities in Nicaragua were discussed. In order to do so, we visited 50

This is done by means of two assignments:

families in El Rama. During this homevisits

1. Finding ways to optimize the first design

we learned about their housing needs

of the bamboo social house

and wishes, and incorporated them to the design. The social report concludes

2. Actively involving local craftsmen,

in functional design suggestions for the

students and the target group for social

bamboo social house.

housing in the project. We believe that the combination of both

3.1.2

METHOD

constructional as social analysis form a

The first assignment was to find ways to

good basis for a follow-up, optimized

optimize the design of the social house.

design of the social house.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

3.1.3

IMPLEMENTATION

(Arnold and Bell, 2001) as shown in the

The second assignment is to actively involve

scheme below.

local craftsmen, students and the target group for social housing to the project. In

In this scheme, Bambú Social functions as

order to find ways to do this we investigated

an intermediate organisation. By working

the impact of Bambú Social from 2013 until

together with education and research

now. This impact analysis concludes in

systems and business systems, the

implementation suggestions.

acceptance of bamboo as a construction material can be improved. This means

DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION

knowledge diffusion through these existing

To involve all parties, we think direct

networks.

implementation is fundamental. We approached the implementation according

The goal for Bambú Social is to eventually

to the scheme of national innovation systems

let go of the components so they can

Bambú Social components of national innovation system of Nicaragua Demand Individual families with low income ($2000/year) to high income Public housing (public government investment) Contractors (private investment)

Business System Education and research system

(prefab) Bamboo companies Bamboo farmers - employment - safety

Intermediate organizations Bambú Social foundation

- health - environmental

Local education (BICU) Central education (UCA) (international)

awareness

Research network

Microfinance

Infrastructure

Diffusing through

Subsidies for bamboo research

Subsidies for bamboo

participation groups

(Universities and students)

investements (contractors)

Banking loan support


develop themselves independently of

the design of the social house needs the

the intermediate organisation (external

input of local construction methods and

help). Therefore we want to stimulate the

values. Of course, by working together with

acceptance of bamboo as a construction

these students, we hope they get involved

material.

in the future development of the use of local resources for (social) housing.

With direct implementation, we mean implementation during each step in the

To learn about their vision, experiences and

process of the project.

values, we organised a design case with the UCA (Universidad Centroamericana). Five

DESIGN WITH STUDENTS

students volunteered to join BambĂş Social in

We started this direct implementation

the designing process during December and

with the involvement of students, who

January.

are the engineers of the future. For the improvement of the design of the social

CONSTRUCTION WITH CRAFTSMEN

house, the experience and knowledge of

Through the construction of the scaled

local students is crucial. Because we think

social house (first design) we were able to


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

go deeper into the construction details (e.g. prefabricated wall elements). Some of the new connections were constructed and tested in the experiment ‘Techito’ (=little roof). This was done by the help and experience of local craftsmen and the architecture students. For this, we cut over a hundred bamboo culms, of which the natural treating process was also an experiment.

PARTICIPATING TARGET GROUP Apart from the involvement of craftsmen and students, the involvement of the actual target group is also very important. After the introduction meeting and home visits, we decided to put more emphasize on involving local families with the Bambú Social project. As concluded from the cultural analysis of civil society (Bambú Social, 2015) the citizens could be seen as a cohesive and participating mass. By including the families and sharing each step of the process, we hope to make bamboo housing more accessible. Together with the students, craftsmen and local families we hope to get one step closer to accessible, easy-to-build housing of good quality, matched perfectly to the various needs of the residents of Nicaragua, and eventually, to contribute to the housing situation in El Rama.


PROJECT STRUCTURE

3.2

EXECUTION PHASE (WEEK 10 - WEEK 19)

In the previous chapter, the goal and the method of project Bambú Social 2.0 are explained. The method includes many tasks

Evaluation

and activities, which are structured and

• Constructional analysis

presented in this chapter.

• Social analysis • Impact analysis

3.2.1

TWO MAIN PHASES The project can be devided in two main

Implementation

phases: the preparation phase in the

• Construction with craftsmen

Netherlands and the execution phase in

• Design with students

Nicaragua.

• Involvement local families (target group)

PREPARATION PHASE (WEEK 0 - WEEK 9)

Continuation • Collaboration opportunities

Research

• Criteria for development (from project to

• Technical research on bamboo

development)

• Cultural research Nicaragua

26

Publicity

• Implementation research

• Awareness increasement of the project Fundraising and publicity

• Update sponsors and supporters

• Donation page • Bambú Social night The execution phase in Nicaragua took The two months of preparation took place

three months. This phase consists of four

in September and October 2015. With

main themes; evaluation, implementation,

the help of the programme International

continuation and publicity. The themes

Entrepreneurship and Development (IE&D) at

cannot be separated completely, as many

the Delft University of Technology (DUT) and

activities overlap and are connected with

the Bambú Social foundation, we were able

each other.

to gain the needed background knowledge. Literature studies about bamboo, the culture

3.2.2

DOCUMENTATION

of Nicaragua, sustainable entrepreneurship

To make our work valuable, sharing

and developing countries in general helped

knowledge is not only important with other

us to prepare for the execution phase and

parties, but also within the Bambú Social

make a comprehensive project plan.

foundation we have make sure that gained knowledge and experience doesn’t get lost.

Also fundraising and publicity were very important tasks in this phase, to be able to

Therefore, a continuous task alongside

live up to our plan.

all phases and themes of the project is


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

the documentation. Not only the results

all activities are sorted out in the overview

and findings of our research, but also a

below. Small activities are illustrated as

reflection on our process on both cultural,

stops while milestone activities are shown

organisational and personal level.

as bigger, white stations.

Documentation

All coloured lines stand for different

• Sharing all gained knowledge

themes of activities. In the preperation phase, these themes coincide and have

Reflection

a great overlap. In the execution phase,

• Cultural reflection

they are more seperated and follow their

• Organisational reflection

own course. In the final event all themes

• Personal reflection

come together, as a completion of the execution phase in Nicaragua. The tail at the right can be seen as the settlement and

3.2.3

ACTIVITY LINES

the closure of the project by team Bambú

All tasks are carried out through numerous

Social 2.0. However, the track doesn’t end

actions. From conducting interviews to

in the 21st week. After all, the project is to

posting updates and organising events,

be continued...

ALL MAIN ACTIVITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT


PROJECT ORGANISATION

3.3

All tasks and activities, that are presented

EL RAMA

in the previous chapter, are carried out by team Bambú Social 2.0. In this chapter can be

• Citizens

found more about the team members, their

Families, participants of workshops Artesanía

background and their responsibilities. Also

& Construcción sostenible

the internal and external stakeholders are an important part of the project organisation.

• Municipality / Local government (Alcaldía) Javier Balmaceda (Director of Planification),

3.3.1

TEAM BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

Ines Ortega (Local development)

Team Bambú Social 2.0 consists four team members with different qualities and

• Craftsmen

backgrounds; Marie-Louise Greijmans,

Lester Antonio Bermúdez and Angel Theodoro

Sophie Hengeveld, Thomas Hebbink and

Gutierrez

Verónica Mejías Reyes. In the project the the responsibilities were divided to make the

UNIVERSITIES

organisation as efficient as possible, although

28 3.3.2

many of them have a great overlap. The main

• Universidad Centroamericana (UCA)

responsibilities are described on the left page.

Emma Grun (lecturer Urbanism)

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

• Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University

During the project team Bambú Social 2.0

(BICU)

worked with different parties within the

Rafael Acevedo (principal)

foundation.

BAMBOO PLANTATIONS • Client Bambú Social foundation (assistance in The

• INTA (El Recreo)

Netherlands)

Raúl Santos

• Supervisor on site

• La Fonseca

Henky Borgstein (practical assistance)

Juan Beltran Mendez

• Educational supervisor

FUTURE PARTNERS (OPPORTUNITIES)

Wim Ravestijn (educational assistance) • CEDEHCA Thomas Hellmann, Michael Campbell

3.3.3

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS The team also worked with various external

• EcoPlanet Bamboo

parties. External (possible) stakeholders and

Fransisco Ferreira

contact persons are listed in the blocks below.


Marie-Louise Greijmans - Bachelor Civil Engineering constructional analysis & report | final documentation | online PR - PROJECT REPORT BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 I’m very glad to be part of the team who will continue the tremendous achievements of Bambu Social. Last three years I have learned a lot about constructions and improved my management skills during the organisation of various (student) activities. Bambu Social 2.0 for me is, not just a next step abroad, but also a challenge to contribute in such a way that my expertise will guide the local people during the development of social housing construction. I hope this transfer ofknowledge would be in both ways and the knowledge must be maintained during the years.

Sophie Hengeveld - Bachelor Architecture, Bachelor Psychology social analysis & report | graphic documentation | photo and video assembly Thanks to the TU Delft I have the opportunity to join the second team of Bambú Social. My passion lies in the social aspect of architecture and design. That is why, apart from architecture, I’m studying psychology. The influence of the built environment on the quality of life is immense and forms the basis of my work. By joining the Bambú Social team I hope to learn about the living conditions and desires in a culture far from my own, and to contribute to the quality of life in Nicaragua by the exchange of knowledge with local residents.

Thomas Hebbink - Bachelor Architecture constructional analysis | construction management | finances Through the minor International Entrepreneurship & Development I came into contact with Bambú Social. The last couple of years I have worked on various building sites in Holland where I learned and gained lot of experience. With this project I hope to gain more knowledge about different building materials (e.g. bambú) under different building conditions. I am very enthusiastic about being part of this project because I think it can make a real difference for the housing conditions in Nicaragua.

Verónica Mejías Reyes - BSc. Tourism MSc. Business Administration social analysis | local PR | spanish translation Thanks to Bambú Social I have the opportunity to be introduced in the world of International Development Cooperation, a pending subject for me that I will face with great desire. During my professional career I especially enjoyed working with people. Carrying out social activities in order to establish, develop, optimize and maintain the relationship between Bambú Social and its public is a challenge that motivates me and will make me enjoy the work. I’m sure that contributing to improve the living conditions in Nicaragua will be an amazing experience and that together, we will turn difficulties into great opportunities.


FINANCES

3.4

This chapter explains how we financed the

organisation that supports developing

project Bambú Social 2.0.

projects organised by students. They covered the construction costs during the

3.4.1

FUNDRAISING

project.

In order to fund the three months of work in Nicaragua, the estimated budget was

DONATIONS

9000 euro’s. The team applied for various

Companies, organisations, friends, family

funds and used different ways to collect the

supported this project through donations.

needed budget. Apart from the preliminary

An online donation page has been opened,

research, fundraising has been one of the

where donating money can be done easily

main activities in the preparation phase of

and in a few clicks through iDeal. During the

the project.

execution phase the donation page stayed online, so people had the opportunity to

PERSONAL GRANTS

keep supporting the project during these

One of our main personal grants is the

months.

International Internship Fund by the TU

www.bambusocial.com/donate

Delft (FIS), that was granted to three team

30

members. In addition, an internship fund (TBI) was granted by the UniversiteitsFonds

By donating 100 euros or more, a bamboo

Delft and a monthly compensation for a

culm could be ‘adopted’, and the (company)

temporary stay abroad was given by the

name was engraved in the bamboo

Ministry of Education (OV stop).

construction.

FOUNDATIONS

FUNDRAISING EVENT

Other foundations, who’s vision is similar

On October 17th 2015, we organised the

to ours, were willing to fund the project.

Bambú Social Night, an open event to

Student4Sustainability is a student

collect money through drinks. Here we had the opportunity to thank all sponsors and supporters. Live music, Nicaraguan Rum and a salsa DJ entertained the guests. The viceconsul of Equador and the founder of the Incombinación foundation gave a speech and we explained the guests about our project plan. The Bambú Social night raised a total amount of 700 euros!

3.4.2

EXPENSES Thanks to all funds, sponsors and supporters, we collected a total of 8130 euros within one


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

month, as can be seen on the next page.

and living costs. All the money was used as

The expenses can be divided into five main

efficient as possible. In this way we managed

topics; preparation costs, construction

to carry out all our plans within the estimated

costs, execution costs, transportation costs

budget.

INCOME

EXPENSES

31


PUBLICITY

3.5

As described in the project organisation

FACEBOOK

and finances (chapter 3.3 and 3.4) Bambú

On the Bambú Social Facebook, minor

Social has many stakeholders, sponsors and

(weekly) updates on our progress were

supporters. The project is able to run due to

posted. These posts reached around 1000

the financial and practical support of these

people with our personal record of 2467

parties. Therefore, a good communication

views. These are mainly friends, family and

with these people and organisations is crucial.

other involved and interested people, but also

Not only existing stakeholders, but also

potential new supporters, reached though the

potential new partners and supporters of the

existing network.

project are an important audience.

www.facebook.com/bambusocial BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - UPDATE 2

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

1 UPDATE

2 UPDATE

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0

3 UPDATE

NEWSLETTER Sponsors of Bambú Social who signed up for the newsletter were informed about our progress and milestones through emails that

32

09 / 11 / 2015

17 / 12 / 2015

30 / 01 / 2016

link to the official updates on the website.

FOLDERS WEBSITE

In addition to the online promo, we also

The Bambú Social website is our main

focused on live promo. Information folders

information platform, accesible for everyone.

were personally spread to students and

Important milestones and updates are posted

teachers of the TU Delft and Leiden University.

here. During our stay we published three

These provided a summary of the project and

official updates in PDF format and many minor

information on how to support the project.

updates to keep the audience informed.

EVENTS www.bambusocial.com

To crown the promo plan (as can be found in the project plan of Bambú Social 2.0), the Bambú Social event was organised in October 2015 (The Netherlands). Through the network of supporters of Bambú Social, many people were invited to the event, were they were informed about the project plan. In January 2016 a final event was organised especially for the people of El Rama. Here, the interviewed families, the students and craftsmen, the local government and our

A screenshot of the Bambú Social website


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

new partners came together and were informed about the progress of our team, the outcome of our project and the future of Bambú Social.

The invitations for the two organised events

VIDEOS In the last weeks of our stay we have published two series of short videos. The most important series shows our main activities as team Bambú Social 2.0. The last video, also our last official update, is a project summary in wich the project report of Bambú Social 2.0 is visualized. The other series consists of impressions of El Rama and surroundings, to give people a better and more lively image of the situation on site.


4

CONSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS


4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 36 4.2 MODEL HOUSE ................................................................. 38

4.2.1 maintenance and measurements ................ 38

4.2.2 physical analysis............................................. 38

A. Foundation ........................................... 38

B. Columns, beams and trusses................ 42

C. Stability ................................................. 50

D. Roof ...................................................... 51

E. Atmosphere ......................................... 54

F. Electricity .............................................. 56

G. Water system ....................................... 56

H. Sanitary and dry toilet ......................... 56

I. Bio systems .......................................... 60

4.3 SOCIAL HOUSE................................................................... 62

4.3.1 physical analysis............................................. 62

4.4. IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTIONS............................................ 66

4.4.1 Physical improvement suggestions ............... 67

Strut connection......................................... 67 Foundation................................................. 68 Panel foundation........................................ 68

Connection between folumn and beam .. 69

Outriggers................................................... 70

Rafter connection - jointed....................... 71

Rafter connection - fixed............................ 72

Panel connection....................................... 73

4.4.2 Discussion ...................................................... 74

4.5 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................. 75


4.1

INTRODUCTION Since 2013, Bambú Social does research on local building materials and opportunities in Nicaragua, resulting in the design and construction of a bamboo model house in El Rama. This house functions as an example that shows the various qualities of bamboo which could help improve the image of bamboo as a construction material. Most importantly, the construction of the model house served as an experiment on constructing with bamboo in a local, sustainable and cost efficient way. Based on the construction of the model house and the experiences obtained, a first draft for a social house was designed. The aim of Bambú Social is to create a design of a social house that is affordable for lowincome families, easy to build and of good quality that matches with the culture of Nicaragua. In order to improve the design of the social house, this constructional report discusses the outcome of the experience of last year and the possibilities we see for the future. Together with our local supervisor and three students who participated in the course “Construcción Sostenible de Bambú”, we’ve analysed the constructional aspects of the model house. The design of the social house is investigated by constructing a scaled model by using the “Manual

36

de construcción sostenible” as a guide (draft version). The analyses of these two aspects result in constructional improvement suggestions for the social house and the next step towards physical improvements. The improvement suggestions for the social house are presented to local students from the UCA (Universidad Centroamericana, University in Managua). The students will share their ideas on social housing by creating an alternative design for the social house, while keeping in mind the improvement suggestions we make in both social and constructional analysis. The purpose of this document is not only an evaluation, but also an instrument of discussion, where the proposed solutions are enriched by the experiences locals in El Rama, Nicaragua. By sharing, improving and discovering, Bambú Social will be able to develop towards a design of a bamboo social house in Nicaragua and elsewhere.

LIST OF INTERVIEWEES Henky Borgstein | sociologist, local supervisor, professional carpenter Angel Theodoro Gutierrez | student CS, part-time BICU student Octavio Herrera | student Construcción Sostenible, BICU student Juan Rafael | student Construcción Sostenible, son of local carpenter The interviewees are mentioned as followed: Henky, Theodoro, Octavio and Juan Rafael.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT


MODEL HOUSE

4.2

4.2.1

38

In order to improve the design of the

However, because bamboo is a natural

social house, this constructional report

material, it is impossible to prevent certain

discusses the outcome of the model house

irregularities while constructing. Thus, it

and the possibilities we see for the future.

is impossible to know if for instance the

Constructive feedback is given and each part

bending of a beam is caused by forces in

concludes with an improvement suggestion,

the construction or if the placed beam was

in the green boxes.

initially bended.

MAINTENANCE AND MEASUREMENTS

To make evaluation and re-measurements

The model house is situated and owned by

easier in the future, it could be a good

the Bluefields, Indian & Caribbean University

idea to set up a measurement protocol

(BICU) in El Rama. Until November 2015 the

that describes the initial situation of the

house functioned as a university library but

construction so that after a certain period of

from December 2015 and onwards it will

time the beams, columns, rafters and floor

serve as a cafeteria and museum managed

can be re-measured. By comparing these

by the BICU students. Since the construction

measurements you get a good view of the

of the model house in 2014 the BICU

deformation of the construction in time, but

students treated the bamboo with linseed

also of the characteristics of bamboo as a

oil and removed fungus, as is needed.

construction material.

Unfortunately, the original garden has not been maintained.

• Create a measurement protocol • Ensure the protocol performance

An important aspect of an elaborated and complete analysis of the model house is the check of deformations of the construction,

4.2.2

PHYSICAL ANALYSIS

especially in the first year when usually the

This chapter discusses our investigation of

major deformations occur.

the physical aspects of the model house. This includes the (bamboo) structure and the different systems within the house. A

FOUNDATION Concrete Usually the foundation is designed to carry the load of the house; therefore it has to dissipate forces to the underlying ground. However, houses of bamboo weigh much less than ‘normal (concrete) houses’. Furthermore, the ventilation system of the roof causes a suction effect that creates


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Therefore we suggest for the social house using this tension designed foundation only on windward. The social house has one floor so the total height of the house is less Fig 1. Tension load on windward foundations

resulting in lower suction forces, compared to the model house. On page 69 this

forces upwards. Therefore the foundations

suggested foundation is presented.

of the model house should also be designed for tension forces, as showed in the

Connections

illustration above.

In the foundation of the model house, a spherical piece of wood is used as a

A local engineer dimensioned the

connection between the bamboo and the

foundation. Because of the unusual forces

concrete. By using this piece of wood the

on the house, we are unable to calculate and

bamboo is lifted from the concrete which

check if the dimensions of the concrete foot

reduces the risk of water infiltration into the

meet with the forces on the house. What we

bamboo. On page 9 and 11 this connection

did conclude is that the foundation should

piece is illustrated. We believe that this

mainly resist tension forces on the windward

connection is a very inventive in both

side of the house.

constructional and esthetical way.

THE FOUNDATOON OF THE BAMBOO MODEL HOUSE

39


Design The foundation is built up out of three columns that support different parts of the house (roof, beams, and floor). During the investigation some problems were found which are shown on the next page. Fig 2. Detailed foundation with forces

Therefore, some forces are transferred to other columns. Regarding the compression

When applying the connection pieces it is

forces this means that the columns are

important that the screws are placed into

strong enough, to carry the load of two

the wood as far as possible. This way screw

columns, as illustrated in figure 3.

can resist more tension forces and makes the connection more secure.

One advantage of this design is that you can easily correct the height by rotating the

40

By measuring the space between the hose

wooden connection piece up and down. This

clamps (brackets) and the bamboo, the

way the deformations can be corrected later

shrinkage of the bamboo columns could be

on.

measured. Unfortunately some hose clamps have been tightened already by the BICU

Execution

students without documenting. Therefore

A returning observation we found was the

no data regarding the shrinkage of the

tilting and floating of bamboo columns

columns is available. At the time of our

(figure 4), which indicates the uneven load

investigation half of the hose clamps weren’t

transfer. On top of that, it’s really difficult

tightened (yet). The fact that they needed to

to make and place the wooden connection

be, indicates that the bamboo shrinkage is

pieces. These wooden pieces have to be

significant during the first year.

custom made for each column, since the diameter and the wall thickness of each bamboo culm differs. This takes a lot of time and makes the construction more expensive. Besides, to make these connections a tool (lathe) with special additions (mandrel) is needed which is difficult to find in rural areas and difficult to work with, explained Henky. This also doesn’t match with the first principle of Bambú Social to use local resources, as explained in the Project Report of 2014 (BambúSocial, 2014).

Fig 3. Disturbed load transfer between columns


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

NUMBER 13

NUMBER 7

NUMBER 6

Floating: the load of the columns is not passed correctly, or the bamboo shrank too much and is cramped around the smaller part of the wood. Moved: the smaller part of the wood is too small and the bamboo moved due to horizontal forces.

NUMBER 4

Tilted: the column is eccentrically loaded (by taking over the load of the other column). Cracks: wood is overloaded or dried

NUMBER 1


In the design of the social, a different

diameter of 10 cm at the bottom and 5

foundation is used. However, this information

cm at the top (Schröder, Bamboo Species,

may add to future experiments regarding

Gigantochloa Apus, 2014). This bamboo is

this foundation. The general improvements

less conical and tends to bend much more.

for the foundations in the social house are: Bamboo is firm and gets its strength from • Design a new foundation which is easier to

the fibres, directed all in one vertical way.

construct (A1)

The circular shape forms a constructional benefit, because with the same amount of material more loads could be transferred.

B

42

COLUMNS, BEAMS AND TRUSSES

The main connections between columns and

The bamboo used for the columns is

beams are made by drilling holes in bamboo

Dendrocalamus Asper (Asper) with an

culms. These holes could be risky with

average diameter of 20 cm at the bottom

lateral (sideward) loads and has a higher risk

and 8 cm at the top. This bamboo is very

at buckling. The drilling spot doesn’t only

conical with a thickness of 11 – 20 mm

create risks on a constructional level, but on

(Schröder, Bamboo Species, Dendrocalamus

material level as well.

Asper, 2010).

A common observation is the cracks in the columns and beams. Most cracks

The bamboo used for the beams, trusses

occur around connections. In the further

and rest of the structure is Gigantochloa

investigation we analysed the cause and

Apus (Gigantochloa) with an average

severeness of these cracks.

COLUMS, BEAMS AND TRUSSES


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

It is important to keep in mind that the house is not only statically loaded, but also

GAP BETWEEN BEAMS

dynamically, mainly due to the ventilation flow. In the following paragraphs all connections of the main construction are investigated. 1. Connections between beams To be able to resist more load, the beams exist of two double bamboo culms vertically attached. These are connected with dowels, small sticks made of bamboo that are used as pins to keep the two culms together. The

the beams shrink and hereby enclose the

bamboo is perforated and a dowel with a

dowels. It could also be an option to drill a

slightly bigger diameter is inserted through

smaller hole for the dowels so they fit tighter.

both culms.

Keep in mind that cracks in the culms are then more likely to occur.

43

The dowels are applied diagonally so the shear forces are distributed in the most

For the beams we also suggest to use bolts

ideal way. The use of dowels is a very

to connect the bamboo culms. In the model

traditional and environmental friendly way of

house we saw that some of the beams

constructing and overall it works very well.

moved away from each other, leaving a gap

Yet, we came up with some small remarks.

between the bamboo columns. These bolts could help to keep the two bamboo culms

By multiple causes some dowels were

together and hereby create a fixed and solid

slightly moved. The dynamic load for

beam.

example causes small vibrations that tend to move the dowels. Also the irregular

• Apply bolts between every two dowel

shrinkage of the bamboo beams causes the

connection to ensure the separate beams to

dowels to move, as well as the shrinkage of

function as one beam (B1)

the dowels. This resulted in the beams to

• Use completely dry bamboo for the

loosen up.

dowels

In this case, the movement of the dowels is not a major concern, but we do have some

2. Connections between columns and

suggestions that could possibly solve this

beams

problem. We believe it would be best to use

Because of the bigger diameter the beams

very dry bamboo for the dowels so they do

could be easily attached to the columns by

not shrink. They will fit even tighter when

making a slot in which the diameter of the


beams fit. The open spot of the column is secured by hose clamps that hold the two separate parts together. This connection is firm and it enables the beams to transfer the load to the columns. It is not always possible to use culms with

Fig 5. Schematic representation of the roof construction

the same span as the column distance. In the model house the constructors fixed this by connecting the two culms within the beam

We suggest connecting the two culms

mid span.

halfway the span for the load to be ideally transmitted. We advise to look for ways to

In the model house cracks occurred in the

secure the connection.

lower beam. In these beams the upper culms were literally disconnected (moved) as

• Secure that a good load transfer from mid

shown in the picture …… This indicates that

span culms within the beam (B2)

the load is being carried mostly by the lower

44

beam and not transmitted to the connected upper beam. Connecting the two horizontal

3. Connections between struts, rafters

culms to each other must be done carefully,

and beam

as the culms should more or less have the

The connection between the rafters,

same diameter.

beam and struts on the windward side is

CONNECTION BETWEEN TRUSSES, RAFTERS AND BEAM


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

remarkable because a lot of bamboo culms are connected, seven in total.

CONNECTION COLUMNS AND BEAMS

The beam supports the rafter. Attached to them are the struts which entail stability to the roof. A strut must connect the two corners of a square (or quadrangular) to ensure pure force transfer and disables the plain to deform longitudinal. As shown in figure 6, solely tension forces within the strut disable the plain to deform. Green is the deformed plain, red are the resistance forces transmitted towards the foundation. In next

CRACK LOWER CULM

chapter Stability (C) this is discussed in more details. Because the lower struts are connected with the rafter and the upper struts are connected with the lower struts we believe that the current design does not secure the forces to be transferred purely from corner to corner in the rafter plain. Also by connecting the strut with the rafters, the rafters also carry the deformation load which could be avoided if the strut is applied from edge to

towards the foundation, deformations in the

edge.

house would occur less. A ‘shaking’ house would not only affect the liveability, but

If the struts in the model house are able to

also the construction (as explained in the

transfer the forces purely trough the strut

connection between beams). The question is if bamboo is a functional material to use for struts since it is very difficult to create these connections between the columns and the struts. Even though bamboo can resist a lot of tension forces, the strut is only as strong as its weakest point and from what we have seen in the model house the weakest point would be the connection.

Fig 6. Tension forces within the strut


We suggest looking for an alternative

The gap in the connection implies that the

material, such as steel cables which are often

leeward rafter has slided down.

used. This occupies less space and doesn’t have to be connected to the struts and

We concluded that this is not a tight

intermediate rafters.

connection between two different rafters. We think a jointed connection works best to

• Look for an alternative (material and

transfer the load of each rafter directly to the

connection) for the struts (B3)

columns without loading the other rafter. An ideal jointed connection would be one

4. Connections between rafters

bolt connecting the two rafters enabling

The rafters applied in opposite direction

rotation and ensuring support.

to resist deformation between the two roof plains on windward and leeward side. These

• Design a jointed connection (using a bolt)

are connected with the rafters with hemp

enabling rotation and ensuring support (B4)

rope and dowels. The choice made to use as much as local materials, is described in the

46

principles of Bambú Social.

5. Connections between columns and overhang

HEMP ROPE

The rope was applied tightly during

Juan Rafael explained that by removing

the construction but after one year the

a part of the surface, bamboo loses

rope seems to loosen up (due to small

its strength. The connection used for

movements and rotations). Between the two

connecting the column and overhang is

rafters a lot of movement seems to occur.

a piece of wood that is inserted in both

LOSE CONNECTION


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

FIBER DIRECTION OF ASPER

culms connected by one or two bolts. In

encountered proof of this. We aren’t able to

the overhang one bolt is applied and in the

state whether certain curves occurred due to

column two bolts are applied. The piece of

deformation of the house or if components

wood functions as a connecting part but also

were initially bended. We can conclude that

prevents the bolts from tearing out.

during the construction of the model house

Henky and Juan Rafael explained that

there were some difficulties with bended

making this connection took a lot of time

bamboo culms.

and it would be a good idea to find an alternative. The people we interviewed

The bamboo used, Gigantochloa, is a type

appreciated the esthetical value and it adds

that is known to be curved (BambúSocial,

to the appearance of the house.

2014). When working with an irregular material like bamboo it could be helpful to

• Design a cheaper (angular) connection

introduce a very strict selection procedure,

between a column and overhang (B5)

as suggested by Theodoro. This is possible by introducing a maximum deflection over

A possibility is to attach two pieces of wood or steel on either side of the overhang and the column (see Improvement Suggestions). Bamboo curves In general bamboo is a very difficult construction material. The shape is very irregular and it is difficult to straighten it out. When we investigated the model house we Fig 7. Illustrated by Theodoro

47


a standard 3 meters bamboo it is possible to obtain a constant quality of bamboo. It is also that important the deflection only occurs in one plain, which is easier to correct

Fig 8. Illustrated by Theodoro

than when a culm is bended in multiple directions. therefore be positioned correctly and the In the model house we also encountered

orientation checked with the other columns

some bends in the columns. At first sight the

for the alignment of the ridge.

Asper seems to be straight but the longer a piece of bamboo gets, the bigger the

Also when constructing the floor, the

deflection gets. Theodoro explained that

bamboo beams needed to be straightened

this caused problems with the roof. The

with the help of wooden beams.

top of the columns are not aligned straight, therefore the ridge of the roof is not a

• Strict selection procedure of the culms

straight line. This caused a problem while

used in construction

covering the roof.

• Orientation focused on the alignment of

48

the ridge With bamboo it is unavoidable to work with curved pieces. When aligning the columns

General execution

that support the ridge, the deflection

By connecting one culm with another, most

must be in line with the ridge. This is a

have to be cropped to the right size. This

way to manipulate the curves and still use

is often in an angular cut. As Theodoro

the bamboo properly. The column must

explained, the cut is ideal to be on a

CURVES


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

BAMBOO CORRECTED BY WOODEN BEAMS

WOODEN BEAMS SUPPORTING

WOODEN BEAMS SUPPORTING SECOND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR node, as the bamboo fibres are orientated

very little pressure from the user on the drill.

differently. The picture at the bottom of the page illustrates how the fibres split.

Then again, it cannot be said enough that working with any material requires a

The bolts applied with the angular overhang

lot of experience and attention. A lot of

connection, seemed to cause, at first sight,

knowledge and experience has already

(large) cracks. The bamboo is actually

been gained by working with local and

splintered and this happened on site while

international experts (BambúSocial, 2014).

drilling, according to Henky. The splintered

These are minor observations that can

surface has a (minor) negative effect on the

be taken into account in next bamboo

strength of the bamboo and on esthetical

constructions.

level. These are caused by the way the drill is being used. When using a low RPM and

• Place the connection as close as possible

apply too much pressure on the drill these

to the node

splinters occur. It is better to let the drill do

• Use drills with at least 4 HP

the work, so a higher RPM (more force) and

Fig 11. Using bamboo the strongest way (Kleiwerks International, 2013)

49


To secure a plain in stability in both lateral directions, the (singular) diagonals must be applied in both directions. This often results in a cross, ‘/\’ or ‘V’ design. In the model house a combination of these two was used (2). When a plain deforms only one diagonal Fig 9. Strut connections A and B in the model house

extends and tension forces occur, the other one compresses and is not able to transfer

C

STABILITY

any load. Because struts can only handle

The bamboo construction of the model

tension forces (like a loose cord).

house is comparable to an often used steel framework. Usually within the framework a strut connection is applied in x and y direction to provide the stability for the building. The same method is used for the model house.

50

During the construction the stability of the house turned out to be a problem. Even after the struts were placed, the constructors

As illustrated below the second design

experienced movement in the house. They

secures deformation in only one direction.

decided to solve this with rigid walls that provide a secure connection between the

We’ve concluded that this design could be

columns and beams, which indeed made the

improved by using only struts from edge to

house really stable and safe. Nevertheless

edge; therefore the load can be transferred

it is interesting to analyse why the problem

towards the foundation properly.

occurred in the first place. The struts in the model house are applied diagonally, from edge to edge (A) or from edge to strut (B). Initially when applying the strut, no forces occur in the strut. Only when the building tends to deform, the strut expends and tension forces occur within the strut, avoiding the building to deform. Therefore, the strut and its connections must be able to resist a lot of tension forces. The deformation and forces are illustrated with the first strut design as an example (1). Fig 10. Forces on strut connections in model house


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

During the construction two types of struts

Therefore, we recommend using steel

were experimented with. Whole bamboo

cables as struts since this is a well-known.

culms and two split halves (lengthwise) with

The cables can be easily connected with

a wooden connection piece in between.

eye bolts. Using the steel cables also avoids

The connection between the struts and

complicated connections and execution

the columns are similar, comparable to the

errors which make construction easier and

one described between the columns and

cheaper (see Improvement Suggestions).

overhang (5). A wooden connector piece is

When using the steel cables it is not

inserted inside of the strut and placed in the

necessary to add the wooden battens to the

column. This wood is glued and secured by

wall like it is done in the model house. This

hose clamps.

could save a lot of material and it leaves more space for windows.

Because we are not able to test the strength we cannot secure whether this is the

• Design a strut of steel cables which

strongest connection. The construction is

ensures stability of the building (C1)

as strong as its weakest point. Therefore we suggest using a connection that is proven to be strong.

D

ROOF In Nicaragua the people are mostly used to build with corrugated zinc sheets. In the

Last year was concluded that the

model house an alternative more durable

Gigantochloa used for the struts was too

zinc sheet is used. We analysed different

thin (Bambú Social, 2014). We think that this

aspects of the roof.

conclusion is not complete, as some strut designs aren’t correct and the connections

Corrosion

seem too weak.

Because of the humid climate here in

51


Nicaragua, materials have a high risk of corrosion (more in paragraph I; Bio Systems p. 62). Therefore the steel roof is first galvanized and later aluminized. This forms a durable roof, protected against corrosion. The sheets are ordered from ‘Ferromax’ and

or the previous sheet so it doesn´t get in

can be delivered in the desired dimensions

contact with rain water.

(with a maximum of 12 meters). Around some bolts corrosion occurs as well. During the construction the sheets have

This is a natural process and it is difficult to

been cropped to fit them correctly. The

prevent.

cut edges of the sheets are not protected with the anticorrosion layer anymore which

• Treat the cut edges with an anti-corrosive

resulted in some corrosion at these edges.

layer

We suggest treating these edges afterwards with an anti-corrosive layer.

Theodoro gave us a suggestion that could solve some of the corrosion problems. He

52

To reduce the risk of corrosion, it could

states that the banana trees surrounding the

also be possible to place the cut edge of a

house should be maintained so the leaves

sheet upwards so it fits underneath the ridge

and other organic material do not get onto


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

the roof. The dirt is difficult to remove and due to the shadow it retains moist. Even though the sheets have an anti-corrosive layer, the dirt makes the sheets less durable and they will decay faster. Maintaining the trees around the house could help preventing the corrosion of the roof. Leakage After investigating the roof we concluded that it is in a relatively good shape and especially the ridge is constructed with a lot of precision. There are only some small remarks that we would like to make. The manufacturer of the steel sheets claims that the overlapping of only one wave is sufficient to avoid leakage. This was proven to be insufficient because after the construction some leakage appeared. Especially with rain and strong winds, water can be forced upwards between the sheets which can result in leakage or corrosion. We suggest making the overlap sheets with two waves. Even though this is more expensive it could thus prevent leakages. • Connect the sheets with at least one “wave of steel” Around the bolts some leakage occurred as well. The gap was filled with silicone, which can only be a temporary solution, as silicone putrefies when exposing to the sun. Most of the gaps around the bolts are caused by the fact that the hole in the sheet didn’t fit precisely with the wooden outriggers. The bolt is not applied perpendicularly to the


house is alright, mostly due to the semiopen walls and the possibility to open a lot of windows. Between the roof and second floor, there is Fig 11. Ventilation system

a gap of approximately 35 cm and the walls are made of wooden battens. This is perfect

sheet surface and an open spot appears.

for ventilation and entrance of natural light

During constructing the bolts must be

but there is also a down side.

applied directly onto the outrigger and perpendicularly to the surface of the sheets.

We believe that the house lacks privacy. In the current situation the house is located in

E

54

ATMOSPHERE

an open space with a big garden but when

Light, ventilation and openness

it is surrounded by other houses we think

The house is characterized by its roof that

it is too open, affecting people’s privacy. In

stimulates the natural ventilation. This is an

the more rural areas this would be less of

important aspect of the house because of

a problem. Also, the big gap between the

the warm and humid climate. By a lack of

roof and the wall makes it vulnerable for

official measure tools we had to base our

burglaries (security).

findings and conclusions on impression and opinions of the people interviewed.

Furthermore, for the design of social house,

After analysing the inner climate of the

we think there should be a clearer separation

house we concluded that it is a very pleasant

between public and private space in the

and thought through. The natural light in the

house. Theodoro explained that the veranda


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

OPEN SPACE ON SECOND FLOOR

must provide contact with the street and

moist atmosphere is not the first impression

neighbours, but the living room should be

when entering the house. However, when the

private, as analysed more detailed in the

model house was used as library, the books

social analysis. We suggest that in the next

were rotting due to the moist climate inside

design it should be possible to close off the

of the house.

house. What is quite noticeable is the moist air in It is difficult to conclude if the good

the kitchen and washroom. This has mainly

ventilation is because of the air flow from

to do with the concrete floor and walls,

underneath the floor and in the gaps

which attract water from the soil. Water

between the walls and roof, or because of

can easily enter the house during intensive

the open walls.

rainfall, because the floor inside is close to the ground level.

• Provide sufficient privacy without obstructing natural ventilation and light

Humidity in a humid tropic (El Rama) climate stays a challenge in (bamboo) construction.

Humidity

Fungi grow the best in a humid area

In a country with a humid tropical climate,

which can cause decay of bamboo. This is

humidity avoidance is very important. A

explained further in the chapter bio systems


F

ELECTRICITY During our research we also looked at the electricity system. It seemed to be working great and the BICU employees had no remarks on it. The only suggestion we have is to place the fuse box is the driest area of

soil filter). This consists of a basin filled with

the house. In the model house it is placed

stones and tires. Banana trees are planted

in the kitchen which, we believe, is less safe

above the filter. The combination of the

due to the presence of water (see the picture

basin and the roots of the trees remove

on p. 54).

toxins and bacteria’s.

• Design the fuse box in the driest area as

No further conclusions could be drawn

possible

as the water system is not being used on regular basis and the toilet has not been used at all.

G

WATER SYSTEM A decentralized water collection and

56

H

SANITARY AND DRY TOILET

purification system has been developed

The model house was designed to be as

during the construction of the model house.

independent as possible from centralized

The water system analysis also includes the

systems like water, electricity and sewer. This

bathroom with its sanitary facility (toilet).

was one of the main reasons to choose to experiment with a dry composting toilet. The

In collaboration with blueEnergy, BambĂş

compost can be used as a fertilizer in the

Social developed a filter of bio sand which

garden.

is placed inside of the house. The filter has not been used since. This has to do with

However, this toilet has not been used after

the fact that it takes a month for the water

the construction. One of the reasons might

to come out. The house is not being used

be that the visitors confuse this with a latrine,

intensively, therefore it takes more effort

which would be really unhygienic placed

to wait and maintain the filter than to drink the pre filtered water with sufficient quality, states Octavio. The rain water captured in the tank seem very clear, had neither smell nor taste. Visitors of the house drink this water, as people are used to drink rain water in Nicaragua. The dirty water (and urine from the toilet) is drained into a so called bananeras (banana Bananeras


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

inside of a house. Read more about this in

For these reasons, we think that the distance

the social analysis.

between the toilet and kitchen is too small.

Whether to design the toilet inside or

• Do not locate the toilet next to the

outside the house is a complicated

kitchen. Take into account the hygienic risks

discussion. In this chapter only the

around the toilet

constructional aspects will be mentioned. In the social analysis this topic is approached

General dry toilet design

from another point of view.

The general design of the dry toilet can be explained as follows. There’s a division

Location

between the urine and faeces. The urine is

The toilet in the model house is situated

drained into the so called grey water filter.

next to the kitchen with a door to separate

The faeces are captured in a tank that can be

the two. Because of this, the water used

reached from outside.

for cleaning the bathroom can easily get into the kitchen. Also the removal toiletries,

The toilets exist of two separate basins.

toilet paper and other disposals happen

The first basin is used until it’s full, then you

through the kitchen and if the toilet is used

switch to the second one while the faeces in

incorrectly, bad smells will spread and will

the first basin turn into compost that can be

enter the kitchen directly.

used as a fertilizer.

Water cycle

Fig 12. The rainwater is collected in a gutter, the coarse waste is separated by a pre-filter, and the water is inserted at the bottom of the tank. At the top of the tank there’s the oldest water, with the least bacteria’s. This water is used for the kitchen and shower.

57


Fig 13. Current design for the dry toilet

58

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

Fig 14. Proposed design for the dry toilet

It is essential that no liquids enter the basin

Theodoro likes the idea of a dry toilet, but

because this influences the composting

he thinks that the one build in the model

process. No faeces must remain lying on the

house could be improved on certain points.

slope to avoid stench (unpleasant odours)

The concrete separator between the urine

coming from the toilet. To prevent odours

and the faeces is constructed too close

from the basin entering the house, a tube is

to the seat and it uncomfortable. There

connected to the basins. This tube is heated

must be a proper distance between the

by the sun and generates an air flow that

seat and the separator. He also explained

sucks air from within the basin, explained

that it is difficult to collect the compost

Theodoro.

because the basin is below the ground. He

VIEW FROM THE TOILET

THE TOILET


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

proposed an alternative design as shown in the illustration. The toilet is constructed outside, as he preferred. It is constructed at a higher level to obtain a steeper slope and the compost can be collected just above the ground. The distance between the seat and the urine separator is also bigger. Detail design As we take a closer look to the toilet, we have a few more remarks. The seat is designed as a wooden shelf with two holes in it. Because wood is porous (even when it is coated), it is not protected against infiltration of bacteria.

59

When the shelf is cleaned with water it cannot be avoided that water enters the dry

Alternative sanitary systems

compost basin. Therefore we think it could

Latrine lavatories and septic tanks are the

be a good idea to install a toilet seat and

current standard of El Rama. The latrines

replace the wood with (tiled) concrete. By

by far the cheapest toilet and can be

pouring the concrete bench with a gradient,

find everywhere (social analysis). A toilet

the toilet can be easily cleaned without

connected to the septic tank is costs more

disturbing the composting process.

and is found mostly with less poor families.

Fig 15. Toilet with septic tank (WHO, 1992)


A septic tank does fit with the principle, of Bambú Social, to use local resources and be independent of centralized systems. However, a septic tank is a wet toilet. This creates a humid area within the house as seen in figure 15. Humidity has a negative effect on bamboo as described in the next paragraph.

Fig 15. Septic tank with two segments (Strathclyde, 2011)

Inside or outside?

The Asper is often encountered darker

Based on the table in which we compared

than it should be. This brownish colour is a

the location and type of toilet, we believe

trace of fungus. At one spot between the

that it’s better to construct the dry compost

column and the second floor a very toxic

toilet outside of the house or a wet toilet

white coloured mould occurred. Aside from

inside of the house.

the fact that this mould is toxic, it is also disastrous for the bamboo and causes decay

60

I

BIO SYSTEMS

(Wei, Schmidt, & Liese, 2013). This has been

Fungus

removed immediately.

While investigating the model house we also looked for fungus, because it affects

On the Gigantocloa we found traces

the durability of bamboo. There were

of fungus with a black colour. This type

some incidents that we encountered but in

of mould (Coniophora Puteana) is less

general the bamboo construction is in good

aggressive (Wei, Schmidt, & Liese, 2013).

condition.

The bamboo used for the construction was not completely dry and the rain during

The bamboo used for the columns, Asper,

the construction had a negative effect on

is known to very strong but less durable in

the drying process. Therefore the fungus

comparison to other bamboo, as concluded

couldn’t be killed completely. The humidity

earlier by Bambú Social (BambúSocial, 2014).

for fungus to grow is around 40 to 80 per

Inside

Dry toilet

Wet toilet

Makes house unhygienic

Makes house less unhygienic Attracts moist in the house

Outside

Design preference: obtain height Saves space in the house Hygienically saver house

Prevents moist in the house


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

PUR FOAM TO FILL UP HOLES

cent (Schröder, Bamboo preservation, 2012). El Rama has a humid tropical climate. They relative humidity is 99% during the rainy season and 95% during the dry season (© Cedar Lake Ventures, 2012), the construction is very vulnerable for fungus. At the second floor no fungus was encountered, we think this is due to the better ventilation. Termites and woodworms The termites in Nicaragua are known

MINI BEES NEST

comejen. These were not encountered last year. The bamboo is treated by a Borax and Borid Acid solution which makes the ingredients unattractive to eat for the animals. Woodworms (polilla), were not encountered as well. Insects, vermin and reptiles During our analysis we did not encounter harmful vermin or reptiles inside the house. Keep in mind that this may changes if the

MINI BEES NEST

model house is going to be used as a cafeteria. The open character of the house makes that vermin and reptiles enter the house very easily. Wasps have been a problem since the construction of the house. To avoid these animals, an attempt has been made to fill up all hollow bamboo culms with polyurethane foam (pur). However, the wasps are able to create their nests also at flat surfaces,

TRACES OF FUNGUS ON A CULM

so not necessarily in the house. We do not encourage the use of pur; UV radiation promotes chemical reactions in foam. Some of which are harmful to the foam structure (Newman, C.R.; Forciniti, D., 2001).

A HOLE IN ONE OF THE CULMS


4.3

SOCIAL HOUSE Based on the design of the model house

up and together with Henky we invented

and the lessons learned during and after the

possible solutions. Some improvements

construction, the architects of Bambú Social

suggested in the previous chapter have

made a design for a social house.

already been improved in the design of the social house. Some are not, but these are

Of course, after everything learned, a lot of

not mentioned again.

aspects of the design of the social house have been adapted. In order to improve

4.3.1

PHYSICAL ANALYSIS

this design, we have analysed the new

Battens (roof)

construction improvements.

Battens are strips that lie on the rafter and on which the roof material is attached. In

With the help of Henky a scaled model

the current design of the social house a

of the social house was built by using

bamboo culm is used as a batten. However,

the “Manual de construcción sostenible”

due to the irregularity of bamboo columns,

as a guide (draft version). During the

we advise to make the battens out of wood

‘construction’ of this scaled model some

like the ridge. The main advantage of

errors practical errors in the design came

using wood is the precision with which you

CONSTRUCTION PHASES


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Ridge

can construct this batten. Furthermore, it

Battens

will be easier to place the zinc sheets on the wooden battens as it would be on the bamboo.

Roof sheeting

• Design the battens out of wood (J1) Column

Rafter connection The rafter construction of the social house

Rafters

Overhang Foundation

looks really solid and strong. However, we think the connection at the bottom corner at the leeward of the rafter isn’t loaded with a lot of force since only dowels were used for the connection. If the rafter would be more

The connection between the ridge and

supportive, the strength and stability of the

beams with the rafter for example, needs

construction would be ensured more.

to be very precise. The beam could differ in size and might bend. A solution could be

• Reinforce the rafter at leeward (J2)

to make the prefabricated columns 50 – 100 mm longer as needed. On site the excess can be cut off.

Columns The prefabrication possibility of the social

For the middle height column, it is important

house is a very important aspect of the

to place the beam before cutting the excess.

current design. It will save a lot of time on

When placing the rafter the beam and the

the construction site, when you have the

middle height column have to be at the

possibility to construct the main parts of the

same level.

construction in a workplace. Besides, it will also lower the chances of mistakes at the

Regarding the connections between the

building site and it makes the constructer

bamboo columns and the concrete we made

less dependent on the weather conditions.

just a small adjustment. In the current design the bamboo columns are placed on wooden

However, we believe that prefabricating

pieces that separate the bamboo from the

bamboo elements can cause some

concrete.

problems. Constructing the prefab elements must be done with a lot of precision. It could

Even with a wooden piece that separates

easily happen that some inadequate pieces

the bamboo from the concrete, some water

do not to fit within the construction.

could always lay on the wood. Because the

63


64


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

bamboo is closely placed on the wood, capillary effects could occur. This way water could infiltrate in the bamboo which could be disastrous for the material bamboo (p. 62 Fungi) Connection between the foundation and column In the current design the connections are made with a reinforcement rod poured within the concrete. The rod is bent around the bolt that comes out of the bamboo column. This functions as a jointed connection (and not a fixed connection). We think this could have major consequences for the stability of the house. • Design a fixed connection between the foundation and column (J3)

Foundation The dimensions of the concrete foundation looks like a foundation used for normal houses in El Rama, states Henky. However, houses of bamboo weigh less than usual houses (of concrete). So we believe also the foundation could be constructed with smaller dimensions. • Improve the foundation dimensions (J4)

65


4.4

IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS With the construction of the model house,

The purpose of this report is to suggest

a major step has been made into the (local)

improvements to even further optimize the

development of bamboo construction. This

design the (future) social house. The following

experiment resulted in a complete new

list summarizes the suggestions we make

design of a bamboo social house adapted to

for the social house. The previous chapters

local values.

support these advises and comments.

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS • Create a measurement protocol 38 • Ensure the protocol performance 38

PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS Connection improvements

66

• Design a new foundation which is easier to construct (A1)

42

• Apply bolts between every two dowel connection to ensure the beams (B1)

43

• Secure that a good load transfer from mid span culms within the beam (B2)

44

• Look for an alternative (material and connection) for the struts (B3)

46

• Design a jointed connection (using a bolt) enabling rotation and ensuring support (B4)

46

• Design an alternative (angular) connection between a column and overhang (B5)

47

• Design a strut of steel cables which ensures the building of stability (C1)

51

• Design the battens out of wood (J1)

63

• Reinforce the rafter at leeward (J2)

63

• Design a fixed connection between the foundation and column (J3)

65

• Improve the foundation dimensions (J4)

65

Practical and building improvements • Use completely dry bamboo for the dowels

43

• Strict selection procedure of the culms used in construction

48

• Orientation focused on the alignment of the ridge

48

• Place the connection as close as possible to the node

49

• Use drills with at least 4HP

49

• Treat the cut edges of the roof with an anti=corrosive layer

52

• Connect the sheets with at least one “wave of steel”

53

Design improvements • Provide sufficient privacy without obstructing natural ventilation and light

55

• Design the fuse box in the driest area as possible

56

• Do not locate the toilet next to the kitchen (hygienic risks)

57


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

4.4.1

PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS

mm with woven reinforcement bars with a

During the investigations, we began

diameter of 10 mm. The reinforcement mesh

designing some new connections as an

should be 140 x 140 mm.

alternative for the existing and current ones. These connections will be tested during

The beam widens to a width of 346 mm

the experimental phase of the project. The

at the point where it meets the concrete

connections are therefore not final and they

columns. The reinforcement bars of the

might be improved, by working together

beam and the columns should be woven

with local craftsmen and students.

together. The steel mesh in the floor should also be woven to the reinforcement bar in

J4

FOUNDATION

the beam and the column of the foundation.

In our suggestion the concrete columns

Because of the wet climate in Nicaragua,

of 346 x 346 mm that support the three

we advise to elevate the concrete floor from

bamboo columns have not been changed,

the dirt. We advise to place two layers of

but the concrete beam has. Beam: 200 x 200

stabilisation under the beams. The lowest

67

Section A Section A 346

10200

Section B

1200

Section B

1200

2400

Section C

Section C

346

2387 4774


layer is gravel of 200 mm high and the second layer is a row of sandstone tiles of 100 x 400 x 600 mm. To make constructing

200

easy, layers of gravel and sandstone tiles can be placed beneath the surface while the beam is above ground level. This means that there is 200 mm of space in between the concrete floor and the ground.

200

It would be wise to fill this space with gravel and a top layer of sand. This double layer underneath the floor does not only create a stable surface to construct on, but it also

50

separates the concrete from the dirt. This makes the construction less vulnerable for floods or heavy rainfall. 600

Another factor we have taken into account

900

is the wind. The current design of the social house has a very large roof surface that can

100

catch a lot of wind. The forces created by

200

the wind create a momentum that wants 100

to lift the house at windward while pushing the other side of the house (p. 9). To

200

prevent this from happening, we propose a foot at the end of the three main columns at windward of the house. These feet will absorb most of the tension forces that are caused by the wind. A1

J3

PANEL FOUNDATION Our suggested alternative is to pour a gusset (edged piece of panel) within the concrete. This way a fixed connection is created and the lateral load of the house is transferred to the concrete foundation. The bamboo columns are, of course, connected to the gusset.

007

051

3401


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

346

115 346

69


B3

C1

STRUT CONNECTION The strut can also be applied on the gusset or directly on the concrete column.

70


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

B2

CONNECTION BETWEEN COLUMN AND BEAM This connection is already improved in the design of the social house. We will test and construct this connection in the experimental phase of the project.

71


J1

BATTENS We also came up with an alternative for the

34

ridge and battens that has a small effect on the rafter. The bamboo culms for the ridge and rafters should be cut so the top of the battens lay on the same level.

104

In the illustrations below the new dimensions are proposed. We think that a

70

major advantage of these outriggers is their ability to compensate the irregularities of the bamboo rafters. We think it is therefore easier to construct an even levelled roof.

18

34

18

70

72

34

34

104

104 70

70

100 100


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

B4

J2

RAFTER CONNECTION - JOINTED

fixed connection will be created. The panel

This connection is already improved in the

must be applied perpendicular to the rafter

design of the social house (rafters connected

as maximum tension load could be transfer

with a bolt). This is shown in the figure below

by the panels.

RAFTER CONNECTION - FIXED

B5

PANEL CONNECTION

We think that by strengthening the corner

The same connection as shown in the

in the figure below can be strengthened by

picture below, can be used for the overhang

a wooden panel and some bolts. This way a

connection.

73


4.4.2

DISCUSSION We analysed the model house and (scaled) social house thoroughly to optimize the design of the social house. Most of the topics resulted in constructional improvements. However, with some topics we were not able to conclude what is best for the (new) design of the social house. With the following questions we summarized these design challenges.

Elevated or on the ground • Is it possible to provide enough ventilation in the house if it is constructed on the ground? • How can you provide enough ventilation as well as obtaining privacy and safety? • What effect will this have on the price of the social house? Does this also count for hilly areas? • Is levelling ground an option? Toilet inside or outside • How do you combine wet or dry toilets with the design of the house? • How can you obtain a hygienically safe house? • Is it possible to lower the humidity with a bathroom inside?

74 Replaceable parts • Is decay of bamboo avoidable? How? • When decay occurs, what is the solution? • Is it possible to construct the house with bamboo culms that can be replaced over time? Design priorities What are the design priorities regarding safety, functionality, sustainability, costs and the principles of Bambú Social? 1. Share knowledge and skills 2. Use local resources 3. Create local systems 4. Make it environmentally prospering 5. Dare to play, dare to discover


4.5

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

• © Cedar Lake Ventures Inc. (2012). Average Weather For Bluefields, Nicaragua. Retrieved from https://weatherspark.com/averages/32615/Bluefields-Autonomous-Region-of-the-Southern-Atlantic-Nicaragua • BambúSocial. (2014). Project Report Bambú Social. El Rama: Shortsighted Architecture. • Borgstein, H. (2015, 12). Evaluation Construction Model House 2014. (T. Hebbink, Interviewer) • Herrera, O. A. (2015, 12). Evaluation Construction Model House 2014. (V. M. Reyes, Interviewer) • Newman, C.R.; Forciniti, D. (2001). “Modeling the Ultraviolet Photodegradation of Rigid Polyurethane Foams”. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 40 (15): 3336–3352. • Rafael, J. (2015, 12). Evaluation Construction Model House 2014. (M.-L. Greijmans, Interviewer) • Schröder, S. (2010, January 25). Bamboo Species, Dendrocalamus Asper. Retrieved from http:// www.guaduabamboo.com/species/dendrocalamus-asper • Schröder, S. (2012, November 16). Bamboo preservation. Retrieved from Guadua Bamboo: http:// www.guaduabamboo.com/preservation/how-to-remove-bamboo-mold • Schröder, S. (2014, December 3). Bamboo Species, Gigantochloa Apus. Retrieved from http://www. guaduabamboo.com/species/?tag=Gigantochloa+apus • Strathclyde, U. o. (n.d.). Waste Management. Retrieved from Low Energy Building Design http:// www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EnvEng/Web_sites/05-6/Hotel_exemplar/waste_management.html • Gutierrez, A.T. (2015, 12). Evaluation Construction Model House 2014. (M.-L. Greijmans, Interviewer) • Wei, D., Schmidt, O., & Liese, W. (2013, July 26). Method to test fungal degradation of bamboo and wood using vermiculite as reservoir for moisture and nutrients. Maderas. Ciencia y tecnología. • WHO. (1992). Operation and maintenance of on-site sanitation. • Panel foundation (2005). Development of On-site Sanitation. Retreived from http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jwh09ge/4.2.html

75


5

SOCIAL ANALYSIS


5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................. 78 5.2. THE SOCIAL HOUSE ............................................ 80 5.3 TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS ................................... 84

5.3.1 The target group ............................ 84

5.3.2 Homevisits ...................................... 84

5.3.3 Current situation ............................ 87

5.3.4 The dreamhouse ........................... 96

5.3.5 Financial situation ......................... 98

5.3.6 Target group conclusion ................ 101

5.4 SOCIAL HOUSING ANALYSIS ............................... 102

5.2.1 The system ...................................... 102

5.2.2 The reality ....................................... 104

5.4.3 Social housing conclusion ............ 106

5.5 DESIGN SUGGESTIONS ....................................... 108

5.5.1 Dynamic durability .......................... 108

5.5.2 Prefabrication ................................. 109

5.5.3 Improvement conclusion .............. 109

5.5.4 reflection on first design ................ 111

5.6 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................. 114


5.1

INTRODUCTION Since 2013, BambĂş Social does research on local building materials and opportunities in Nicaragua, resulting in the design and construction of a bamboo model house on site. This model house intends to show the various qualities of bamboo and to help improve the image of bamboo as a construction material. The construction of the model house also served as an experiment on constructing with bamboo in a local, sustainable and cost efficient way in Nicaragua. Based on the model house a first draft of a social house was designed, taking all previous lessons into account. Because the aim is to make a design that is easily applicable on a larger scale, the social house has to be an affordable, easy-to-build house of good quality that is matched perfectly to the needs of the target group. In this research, the first design of the social house was analysed, as well as the target group. The information was gathered by means of interviews, home visits and

78

gatherings with the local people. Their needs and wishes were matched with the features of the social house, as can be read in the following chapters. However, more factors influence the possibility to apply the design on a larger scale. One of them has to do with the social housing legislation and opportunities in Nicaragua. Therefore, a brief social housing analysis was made, aiming not only to summarize how laws and regulations work, but also how they are applied in reality. The result of this report consists of a list of improvement suggestions regarding the functional design of the bamboo social house.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

79


5.2

THE SOCIAL HOUSE Bambú Social intends to improve the quality,

on these five principles. A brief explanation

price and durability of bamboo social

of every principle can be found on the next

housing. In order to do so, it is important

page.

to understand the reasoning behind the design, so in this chapter the most important

THE USE OF BAMBOO

design choices will be explained.

The main challenge of the design is a result of the first principle of Bambú Social; the

THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF BAMBÚ SOCIAL

use of local resources. Since bamboo can

The Bambú Social foundation works

be found everywhere in Nicaragua, the

according the following five principles. It is

main resource of the design was set to be

important that these appear in every practice

bamboo. Apart from the fact it is local,

of the project.

bamboo also has a lot of other advantages. It is incredibly strong, grows extremely fast,

80

1.

Use local resources

2.

Support the environment

3.

Create local systems

4.

Share knowledge and skills

5.

Play, explore and discover

only needs few nutrients and helps prevent deforestation of the rainforest. Also, the growth prevents soil erosion and has a high CO2 absorption, so by using bamboo also the second principle of Bambú Social is compiled (Janssen, 2001).

Both the design of the model house and

Not only bamboo, but also all other

the design of the social house are based

materials should be easy to obtain locally.

FIRST DRAFT OF THE SOCIAL HOUSE (BAMBÚ SOCIAL, 2014)


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

In the selection of connections and ways of construction this first principle played a major role, as described elaborately in the constructional analysis.

A COMFORTABLE CLIMATE Another important challenge in the design was the humid tropical climate, states

Fig 1. Ventilation flow through sectional view of the social house

Max Verhoeven, co-founder of the Bambú Social foundation. The majority of the

Therefore, a comfortable interior climate is

houses in Nicaragua is built out of concrete

essential to create a successful design.

blocks combined with a zinc roof. Perfect for heating up rapidly during the day,

After narrowing down the possible

and staying warm during the night. In the

solutions with Andy van den Dobbelsteen,

tropical climate, these houses could easily

Professor of Climate Design and

pass as human ovens.

Sustainability and head of the Architectural Engineering department of TU Delft,

With an average annual temperature of 27

Bambú Social concluded that the best

degrees Celsius and an average relative

solution to create a pleasant climate within

humidity of 85 per cent, the heat and

the house is by cooling through ventilation.

humidity are unavoidable during all twelve

This is the reason why the design process

months of the year (WetherSpark, 2015).

started in a sectional view.

81


USE LOCAL RESOURCES

1 2 3 4 5

The use of local resources and values is the

basis of sustainable architecture. This method reduces not only the environmental impact, waste and costs, but also, by including the

interests of the local people, creates design

solutions that suit the needs and desires of the

To stimulate the passive ventilation, the roof

user.

contains an open ridge. Warm air can escape

SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT

on the wind, the shape of the roof creates a natural airflow out of the house, so new fresh air will be sucked in.

Not only is it important to be less harmfull to

In order to stimulate the airflow even more, and

nature, but also to stimulate the environment.

inspired by the architecture of the indigenous

After years of descruction, Bambú Social

people of Nicaragua, the model house was built

believes that the only way to be good, is when

on pillars. However, the fundaments turned out

the environment benefits from our practice.

to be significantly more expensive so the social

CREATE LOCAL SYSTEMS 82

and in combination with the correct orientation

house is designed to be positioned on ground level (Bambú Social, 2014). For the same reason, the social house has only one level, located directly on the ground.

Decentralized systems can be used to

A FUNCTIONAL FLOORPLAN

avoid dependance on often unreliable

Another challenge was designing a floor plan

centralized systems (water, electricity, sewage).

that suited the needs and desires of the local

Decentralization makes the user more

people. Prior to the design process, Bambú

independant and responsible for collection and

Social interviewed five families and visited their

disposal of his own resources.

houses. From this they could conclude that, in

SHARE KNOWLEDGE

It is a common thought that people can

have more if they are willing to share. To

contribute to this thought, all results of the

work and research of Bambú Social are open for public use (Creative Commons).

PLAY EXPLORE AND DISCOVER

As a young and dynamic team, Bambú Social preserves curiosity and the urge to discover, because the only way to innovation is by learning from our own mistakes.

Nicaragua, many people spend a lot of time in front of their house, so the porch became the most important area of the design. A small living room is located directly behind the porch, because it is the least private area of the house. Also the living room was assumed to be less important because people spend most of their time outside. The bathroom, on the contrary, is said to be the most private area, and for that reason located in the back of the house. The kitchen is placed next to the bathroom to combine wet areas as much as possible.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

The remaining space is filled by two bedrooms,

the heavy rainfall is easily made, so with help

both with just enough space for a two person’s

of blueEnergy a rooftop rainwater harvesting

bed and a small closet. Because in Nicaragua

system was integrated in the design.

it is common to sleep with many people in the same room, the wall that separates the two

The dry toilet is also a result of the absence of a

bedrooms can be removed. The total surface of

centralized water system and the desire to have

the house is 47 square meters.

a toilet inside the house.

DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS

ESTIMATED COSTS

The rainwater and dry toilet system, created in

According to the calculations of Bambú Social,

the model house, are included in the design

this house will cost 7400 USD. To bring the

for the social house to fulfill the aim of using

price down, different versions of the house

local systems, as described in the third principle

were designed. The cheapest version leaves out

of Bambú Social. El Rama doesn’t have a

the rain gutter, the water tank, the kitchen and

centralized water system, but does have a heavy

bathroom equipment and interior walls. Also,

rainy season (of nine months) and an average

the future users of the house have to help in the

annual rainfall of 4318 mm (WetherSprak, 2015).

building process. This version has an estimated

The link between the lack of water system and

price of 4800 USD (Bambú Social, 2014).

bedroom

bedroom

living porch

room

kitchen shower

Fig 2. First draft of the social house (Bambú Social, 2014)

toilet

83


5.3

TARGET GROUP ANALYSIS When Bambú Social was founded, the

questions; (1) what are they used to? (2)

intended target group was the bottom layer

what do they wish for? and (3) what are their

of society, the poorest of people who lived

financial possibilities? By comparing the

in nothing more than a small shed. But soon,

answers to these questions we can conclude

it turned out that these people were more

what their needs and wishes are. In the final

difficult to reach than expected. They build

chapter will be described how they can be

their houses out of a few pieces of plastic,

applied on the design for the social house.

zinc and other construction waste. Their homes rarely cost more than a few hundred

The analysis is based on the research carried

dollars. The availability of funds or financial

out by team Bambú Social 2.0, during their

aid for them is not sufficient to be able to

three months in El Rama, Nicaragua (2015-

pay a higher price and even by the use of

2016). The analysis will start with a brief

bamboo, it is impossible to build a decent

description of the target group in general,

house in this price range.

followed by the results of 50 conducted home visits. These will discuss the current

84

However, the definition of a decent house

situation, the dream house and the financial

differs for each person, dependent on what

possibilities of the target group. The analysis

they are used to, what they wish for and what

will conclude in a description of a decent

their possibilities are.

house.

A good and functional design should match

5.3.1

THE TARGET GROUP

perfectly to the needs and wishes of the

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in

target group, so a target group analysis

Central America. There is a great shortage

is of great importance for the project.

of housing and the existing houses have

For this reason, the main question of this

many qualitative shortcomings. This makes

analysis is about the criteria for a decent

that 78% of the population is homeless

house, according to the target group. This

or lives in very poor conditions (Room for

main question can be divided in three sub

Development, 2012). Speaking generally, these 4,8 million people are in need of a better house and can be seen as the target group of Bambú Social. Together they cover the main part of the pyramid of society, as shown in the figure below. Some of them may have access to more resources than others.

78%

5.3.2

HOMEVISITS To get a realistic image of the needs of the target group, a cross sectional survey was composed, concerning their social and

Fig 3. The target group as a part of the pyramid of society


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

on the most outstanding differences in the drawings, but also to set the respondents at ease and trigger their imagination. The complete survey can be found in appendix C (Spanish). All participants were interviewed personally. In this way we had the opportunity to elaborate on certain topics and we had more control on the proper understanding of the questions. This was important because of the language barrier and the high rate economic environment. The participants

of illiteracy among the respondents. The

were asked to draw their current house and

participants were informed about the

the house of their dreams, and explain their

purpose of the interview after the last

drawings led by our questions. We used

question, to prevent their answers being

this method to be able to get into detail

biased.

ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS DRAWING HER CURRENT HOUSE


GUESTS ARE WELCOME IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

By visiting the participants in their homes, an

The percentage of women among the

observation of their daily environment could

respondents was 84%. This high rate can

be added to the information obtained from

probably be explained by the fact that the

the interview. An impression of the six most

houses were visited during the day, when

inspiring families and their houses can be

most men were working, but also because

found in appendix D.

a great amount of the interviewed families existed of single mothers with their children.

PARTICIPANTS The surveys were conducted at a sample of

5.3.3

CURRENT SITUATION

50 families. They were selected based on

At first, it is remarkable that the front of

their neighbourhood and the appearance of

most houses looks way better than the back

their house. All families were selected in the

or the inside. Often, even the higher class

municipality of El Rama, a rural town in the

houses are only painted or decorated on the

RACCS region in Nicaragua.

front side. On the other sides, the (decayed)

Barrio Nuevo

o

Es

co

nd

id

o

Es

n co

di

do

o

Río Rama

Fig 4. Visited houses in the map of El Rama, Nicaragua

100 m


Área1

concrete is clearly visible. From this fact, 16%

we assume that the image of a house is

11% 9%

more important for the ‘public’ than for the residents themselves.

Área1

PORCH AND LIVING ROOM In almost all cases, the transition between private and public happens gradually, even 11% 16% in the poorest areas, plastic chairs are ready to welcome friends, neighbours or strangers 9% for a coffee on the porch/terrain in front of

7%

Patio Patio Kitchen Cocina Porch Porche Corridor Corredor Bedroom Habitaciones Living room Sala Everything Todas

4% 51%

Fig 5. Most important area of the house among the respondents

the house. Also the image of the streets of El Rama gives the impression7% that people spend most of their time on the porch. 4% However, only 7% of the respondents rate 2% the porch as the most important area of their 51% house. The living room, on the other hand,

88

2%

eats. In addition to this, other respondents point out that eating (and especially what is eaten) is private so it is unlikely to see someone eat their meal on the porch.

is said to be most important by 51% of the respondents. Perhaps, this contradiction

KITCHEN

could be explained by the fact that a large

During our homevisits we noticed that meals

majority of the houses have little to no

are not eaten together, and sometimes not

ventilation (71%) and therefore have a warm

even at a table. Everyone comes and goes

and uncomfortable temperature in their

and eats whenever they want, resulting in

living room. Some respondents explained

the gas/wood stove running overtime.

that because of the climate, they prefer to sit outside. They see the living room as the

In the poorest families among the

place where the family comes together and

interviewed, the two pit stove is located in

Fig 6. Examples of the most commonly seen kitchens


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

AN EXTENDED WET AREA IN THE KITCHEN

a corner of the (living) room. Pots and pans

added to the back of the house (separate

hanging on the wall, but a sink is nowhere

construction). Some even have a completely

to be found. “El Rama doesn’t have a water

separated or shared kitchen. The last option

system”, explaines Albertina Gomez, one

is most frequently seen in the more rural

of the respondents. “All water comes from

areas of El Rama.

the well, so it’s more easy to do the dishes outside... also better because water causes rotting and fungus in your kitchen.” Most women agree with Albertina and don’t consider the kitchen as a wet area. Others built an easily replaceable wet area extended from their wall, so the dishwater

TOILET

can drain out and doesn’t stay in the house.

To come across a separate toilet is way

However, some of the less poor families

more common. In fact, only four out of 50

have a kitchen with an integrated pump and

people had a toilet inside of their house; the

running (grey) water. Others, mostly bigger

same houses that had an integrated water

families, have a more spacious cooking place

system. A toilet with a flushing system is a


toilet. It is the difference between clean and unclean, as explained by Albertina Gomez. For the same reason, the shower gets often combined with the washing area, next to the well. In most cases, the shower has space for one person and a bucket. Of course it also needs some privacy. Mostly obtained by a plastic sheet or canvas stretched between four poles, as can be seen in the on the next luxury, also because a septic tank is needed.

page. Also the interviewed families on the

Due to the absence of a sewage, the

south side of the Río Rama, who do have

predominant sanitation system in El Rama is

running water, only use the faucet to fill their

the latrine. “Here in El Rama, everyone has

bucket, as can been seen in the first picture.

their bathroom outside. It would be really

90

unhygienic to have it in your house. How

As explained in more detail on page 94,

would you be able to empty it?” questions

the World Bank attempted to give El Rama

Petrona Lopez, while holding up the plastic

a water system, working up from the more

sheet to give us a glimpse of her toilet. She

rural areas in the south. But they stranded at

is right, the hole in the ground is visible next

the riverside. In the near future, the prospect

to the wooden toilet seat, and the smell isn’t

of a well-functioning water system at the

too fresh either...

north side of the river is still not in sight (El Nuevo Diario, 2013).

SHOWER According to our observations, there seems

BEDROOM

to be no direct connection between the

As mentioned before, the living room is the

shower and the toilet. In the shower you

place where the family comes together. Yet,

use water, you get clean. A toilet is just a

the bedrooms shouldn’t be underestimated.

Fig 7. Different verions of a latrine, the most commonly seen toilet


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Fig 8. Different versions of the most commonly seen shower

Usually bedrooms are shared with at least

income goes up. Families with a little more

half and sometimes even the whole family.

wealth not only have more rooms, but also less children, generally speaking.

This brings us to the average family size, or rather, the number of people living

Like Jusnielca, we noticed that more young

in a house. To the greater part of the

people who do have an income tend to

respondents this number was difficult to

move out and build their own house/

say, or even questionable, because the

room on the plot of their parents. Sharing

word family has a broad meaning. Some

bathroom, washing place and sometimes

people live in the house only part-time. Most

kitchen makes privacy more affordable.

houses are the home to parents, children, grandchildren, (second) cousins, in-laws and

One of the elaborated home visits in the

an orphan or two.

appendix tells the story of Yanina, one of three sistes who bought a plot together,

The number of people in the interviewed

share their bathroom but have their own

families varies from 1 to 19 and the average

little house and kitchen.

number of bedrooms is 1.8. It seems that personal privacy is a rare thing, confirmed

A frequently seen solution among the

by Jusnielca del Carmen. She explained us

houses of the respondents, is the addition of

that before she built her own house at the plot of her parents, at night only drapes and mosquito nets formed the barrier between beds. However, our data tells us that the number of people per room goes down as soon as the

91


one or two little bedrooms to the back or the

by the sun, resulting in a warm inner climate.

side of the house. The construction might be

Also, due to the humid climate in El Rama,

completely decayed, but they do have some

the durability of zinc is questionable, as

privacy and they still live under the same

corrosion makes its way through the material

(zinc) roof.

within a few years.

ROOFS

WALLS

By far the most common construction

In a few houses even the walls are made

material in El Rama and the rest of

out of zinc sheets. But in the center of El

Nicaragua are sheets of corrugated steel

Rama, where most shops are located and the Paredes1

(mostly called zinc). Used as roof covering it is an all-time favourite, but zinc can also be used as a material for walls, fences or doors.

7%

The biggest advantage of these sheets is

92

Also, you can it 2% apply it to the roof in no 4%

time. This7% made that a full hundred per cent of the visited families used this material to 9%

construct their roof. However, zinc also has 49% up easily its disadvantages. The zinc heats 29%

BEDS ARE SEPERATED BY DRAPES OR MOSQUITO NETS

2%

9%

the price; 250 c贸rdobas (9 euros) will buy you a new and shiny sheetParedes1 of 3 by 1 meters.

4%

49%

Madera wood Minifalda minifalda wood and zinc Madera y zinc concrete Concreto zinc Zinc wood and Madera y bamboo bamb煤 Fig 9. Wall construction material

29%


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

wealthier people seem to live, the majority of the buildings have walls built of concrete. As soon as you get to the areas just outside the center, tropical hard wood slightly takes over as a construction material. First, this is done in the shape of the so called minifalda construction, as shown in the pictures on the right. The term minifalda (= miniskirt) refers to the walls, which consist of concrete blocks in the lower part, while the upper part is made of wood. Many minifalda houses were donated after a hurricane destroyed El Rama in 1987. In the outskirts of El Rama, more and more houses can be found that have the walls

93

constructed out of wood completely. In general, it could be said that the more rural the area, the more wood is used. Half of the homevisits took place in a house completely constructed out of wood, while 30% was a combination of wood and concrete (minifalda). Our data indicates that the material used for walls is also strongly related to the income of the household. Only 7% of the houses in the interviewed group is built out of concrete; we observed that the wealthier the family, the more concrete was used in the construction. Untreated bamboo and zinc were more present in the poorest families.

FLOORS Also in the material used for floors we observed differences between location and wealth. In location, the biggest differences were seen between houses in urban (more

MINIFALDA CONSTRCUTIONS WITH ZINC ROOFING


resulted in a water system for around 1000 households. According to official data in El Nuevo Diario the municipality of El Rama has a rural population of over 36.5 thousand people, plus the 21.5 thousand living in urban areas. This means that out of the 58 thousand inhabitants of El Rama, only 1.7% than 1000 people per square mile) and rural

is connected to a water network. However,

(less than 1000 people per square mile) areas

especially in the summer, this network does

(Census Bueau, 2015). The floor of most

not function as desired (El Nuevo Diario,

urban homes is mostly made of concrete,

2013).

although the less poor families usually have a tiled floor. In the rural homes around El

The electricity network does function on

Rama an (elevated) wooden floor or a dirt

the north side of RĂ­o Rama, although many

floor is more commonly seen.

households installed their own connections and the power cuts off regularly, as we were

94

In the table below, the target group is

told. The south side of the river, like most

roughly devided in an urban and a rural

other rural areas, does not have access to

group. But also in three groups of wealth,

electricity at all.

according to their saving capacity. The really poor families, who have difficulties in

LIFESPAN

covering their basic needs, the poor families,

Regardless of the age of the respondent,

who just cover their basic needs and the less

78% of them thought it was obvious that

poor, who have (little) savings capacity. The

they were going to live in their current house

predominant type of floor is shown for each

forever; siempre (=always) was by far the

group.

most common answer. Only 22% thought of moving to a place of their own, but mostly

Floors

Rural

Urban

Less poor

concrete

tiled

Poor

wood (elevated)

concrete

Lelys Leiba, who inherited his house from

dirt

his parents, explained that most people are

Really poor dirt

on the same plot of their parents.

born in the house where they live the rest of

WATER AND ELECTRICITY

their life. Houses, if they last longer than one

Most citizens of El Rama rely on their

generation, are passed on to the next one.

(poorly) digged wells, though some of them invented a way to collect rainwater. At

VALUE

the south side of the river, a project of the

During the homevisits we observed that

World Bank in collaboration with Enacal, the

most people didn’t buy their house.

Nicaraguan Aqueduct and Sewer enterprise,

Instead, they inherited it or but built it over


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

time. Because of this, little to none of the

donated materials. Therefore, the obtained

respondents had a clue about the value

data about the value of the visited houses

of their current house. Another important

says little about the true value.

reason for this lack of knowledge is the donation of houses after the hurricane

CONCLUSION

that destroyed El Rama in 1987. Many

Regarding the current situation we conclude

families were supplied of a new home, only

that, generally, even within the target group

having to pay for the working hours of the

exist great differences based on wealth and

construction, explaines MarĂ­a Vargas.

location.

In addition, some interviewed families

Especially construction materials depend on

were given a plot by the government for an

these variables, but even though the front of

extremely low price, live on a plot without

the house can look really good, the facilities

ownership or built their houses out of

in the back mostly lack in basic living

ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS DRAWING THEIR CURRENT HOUSE


standards (privacy, safety, security, hygiene,

Among the interviewd houses, all roofs are

comfort, etc.). The most important findings

made of corrugated steel (zinc), which causes

and observations for all individual topics are

an uncomfortable climate in the house. The

listed below.

material used for walls is strongly related to the income of the household; the wealthier

About the porch and living room can be

the family, the more concrete used. The

said that the transition between private and

floors show great differences between rural

public is very important to all households.

and urban areas, in which respectively dirt

In the poorest ones, the transition is really

and concrete are the most common.

gradual while the less poor houses have a more abrupt transition from private to public,

At the north side of the river, water is

so more fences and less openness. The

only accesible through digged wells, but

kitchen doesn’t necessarily need water but

electricity is available for everyone. At the

a two pit stove is essential. Toilets have to

south side of the river the opposite facilities

be as far from the house as possible, unless

are available.

they are flushable, but this is only reserved

96

for the less poor people within the target

The durability of a house is really important

group. Showers and wash place are located

since it is passed on generation to

next to the well. Bedrooms are generally

generation, and for this reason (amongst

overcrowded and most respondents report a

others) the value of a house is difficult to say.

lack in privacy. But more income goes hand in hand with less persons per room.

5.3.4

THE DREAM HOUSE After drawing their current situation, we asked the respondents to draw their dream house, as explained in paragraph 3.2 (p. 85). The topics below follow the order in which most respondents described their drawings, since we assume this says a lot about the importance of the characteristics. All the respondents told more or less the same story while describing their dream house. After all, you can dream as wealthy as you want, regardless of your income or location. However, it is remarkable how modest most dream houses are...

SIZE The majority started to describe their dream house as a one story building, small but


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

could be beautiful.. very beautiful!” says Lina, like 76% of the respondents. “What I like about bamboo? It looks pretty, and I think it is really fresh.” But also, like many others, Lina is not fully convinced yet about the advantages of bamboo. More about the image of bamboo can be found in the Impact Analysis in the Project Report of Bambú Social 2.0.

FACILITIES Most people we interviewed dream of comfortable. They wish for a number of

having all necessary facilities inside. A

bedrooms that suits their family; couples

kitchen with running water, a bathroom

together and one for each child. According

with shower inside and a baño hygiénico,

to most respondents, privacy is the thing

(= a toilet with a flushing system) within

that lacks most in their current situation. It

their house. But without water, the toilet

is the first thing they mention about their

should be far away from all other facilities.

dream house.

Functionality, especially in terms of hygiene, is what most respondent dream of when it

MATERIALS

comes to facilities. The shower should be

The second characteristic described is the

easy to reach for everyone without lugging

material. Most respondents would like to

around with buckets of water, and have

have concrete walls. Ramón Isidro explains that this is because it gives people a safe and secure feeling. Not only against burglary or violence, but also against the weather and natural disasters. “I would love to have at least a minifalda construction, to prevent that the water comes in during the rainy season” says Ramón. Also as a floor covering, concrete is the most popular choice. It is easy to clean, and bare concrete is relatively cheap. When asked, a clear majority of the respondents smiles when they think about living in a house made of bamboo, but they don’t bring it up themselves. “That

97


enough privacy. Also the kitchen should be

couple of hundred córdobas per month

easy to clean, and the stove should be in

from a family member. Jesmi and her sister

sight, while keeping an eye on the activities

work in a daycare on ‘voluntairy basis’. Both

in the rest of the house.

get a compensation of 2000 córdobas (70 euros) a month. If it weren’t for them, the 17

CONCLUSION

members of their household would only rely

Enough privacy, safety, security, hygiene and

on the fluctuating income of their brother in

comfort is the modest dream of the target

law.

group. If they start dreaming a little further, running water would be lovely to have

“Aquí en Nicaragua no hay trabajo”. Here

(especially to flush the toilet). Functionality

in Nicaragua are no jobs, is how most

is what the respondents like. Their dream

respondents explain their situation. The ones

house is simple, comfortable and easy to use

that do have jobs, found them in education,

and construct.

construction work or took over the farm of their family. Most of them have difficulties

5.3.5

98

FINCANCIAL SITUATION

to cover their basic needs, or just manage

Poor, poorer, poorest. Within the 78% of

to cover them. Some of them even have

the Nicaraguan citizens that are in need of

little saving capacity, but they run into other

a better house there are great differences

difficulties; most of them do not have any

in financial situation. Some of the poorest

trust in the banking system.

rely on governmental aid, consisting of an amount of rice, beans and oil. Others get a

One of the reasons for this distrust could be the result of the financial crisis of 2001, when the banking system of Nicaragua was virtually bankrupt, explains Borgstein. The country had 15 times less banking resources than its neighbours, with only six commercial bank branches compared to the average of 107 per country in Central America (Foundation for Sustainable Development, 2007). Since Nicaragua didn’t have a law to protect bank clients, these bankruptcies were desastrous for people who had their money on the bank. Only after the crisis a client protection law was approved, under which the Deposit Guarantee Fund (FOGADE) was created to reduce the fiscal impact when a


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

99


Interest Interest Rate Active Rate Active / Passive / Passive

bank would go bankrupt. In spite of these

Cumulative Inflation Rate Active / Passive Fig 11. Interest

15 %

15 %

Source: Central Bank of Nicaragua

15 %

regulations, the faith in banks is far from

8%

what it once was.

12.5 %

8%

12.5 %

12.5 %

Active Active 2014 Active Passive Passive 2013 Passive

6%

revolution, when the new government

4%

4%

7.5 7.5 % % 2%

5%

5%

2.5 %

2.5 %

devaluated the córdoba by 50.9 percent

6%

2012

Percent

7.5 %

10 % 10 %

Percent

happend right after the Nicaraguan

Percent Percent

Another incident that is still not forgotten

Percent

10 %

2%

5%

0 % 2.5 %

against the dollar in state-controlled exchange houses. According to the New

0%

York Times, this devaluation aimed at

-2 %

0%

0% Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

making the exchange houses competitive with black-market rates (New York Times,

the other hand, is extremely expensive”,

1990). Of course, this skyrocketing inflation

he explains. Official active interest rates

rate was a tragedy for all Nicaraguan citizens

around 15% are usual (Central Bank of

who had saved an amount of money.

Nicaragua, 2015) but can get up to 25% after reading the fine print, says Rudys

100

At this moment, the córdoba has a

Miranda of CEPRODEL, the Center for

fixed exchange rate to the dollar of 5%

Promotion of Local Development. These

devaluation per year (Rogers, 2014).

percentages are fatal for those who try to

Nevertheless, during our homevistits, we

climb the ladder of society. “In 2014, the

noticed that saving money is still known to

government approved amendment to the

be unreliable.

Housing Act and provided a subsidy of 2.5% in the interest rate for mortgage loans that

“When people save their money, it could

are not greater than $32,000” states Ricardo

Cumulative be worth half of it the next day”, is how Inflation Melendez, president of the Chamber of Source: Central Bank of Nicaragua

8%

Fernando Echeverria, viceconsul of Equador,

Builders in El Nuevo Diario (ElNuevoDiario,

puts it into words “Lending money, on

2014). Some banks offer accesible loans, but

8%

Cumulative Cumulative Inflation Inflation none of them really help for those who need Cumulative Inflation

Source: Source: Central Central Bank of Nicaragua Bank of Nicaragua it the

6%

2014Source: Central Bank of Nicaragua Fig 10. Cumulative Inflation

88%%

Source:2013 Central Bank of Nicaragua 2012

8%

8%

4%

0%

0%

0% -2 %

-2 % Jan

Mar Feb

-2 %

Jan

May Jul Sep Nov 12 14 16 18 20 22 Apr Jan Aug Oct Dec 13 15 17 19 21

Jan

Mar

Feb Feb -2 -2%%

2% % 4

4%

CONCLUSION 2%

Percent

2%

2%

4%

Percent

Percent

Percent

ensure that they have repayment capacity.

2012 2012

2 02% %%

4%

6%

6% 6% make a big difference for those who can

6%

Percent

Percent Percent

4%

2014 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 2012

Percent

Percent

4%

2014 2013 2012

24% %% 4

00%%

8%

Percent

6%

-2 %

8%

If the situation is favourable, they could

4%

6 6%% 6%

2%

6% most. Companies like CEPRODEL and

8% INVUR (p.102-103) have a more social input.

8%

Sep -2 %Oct

0 % Jan Mar May 14 2015 16 18 20 22 2014 2015 Jul 2015 Sep2015Nov201512 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 Dec Jan Dec Apr Feb Jan Jan Mar Feb Mar May Apr 13Jun May15 Jul Jun Aug Jul Sep Aug Oct Sep Oct Feb Aug Apr Oct Dec 17 19 21 2014 2015 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

From the results of our research we can 2% 2 0% % conclude0 %that the target group can be divided in0three different segments: those % 0% -2 %

-2 % May Jul Sep Nov 12 14 16 18 20 22 May Jul Sep Nov 12 14 16 18 20 22 Apr Jan AugAugOct Oct Dec 15 1317 15 19 21 Apr Jan Dec 13 19 21 17

Mar

-2 % Jan Jan Mar Mar MayMayJul Jul Sep Nov Sep 12 Nov 14 12 16 14 18 20 16 2218 20 22 Feb Feb AprApr Jan Jan Aug Aug Oct Dec Oct 13Dec 15 1317 15 19 21 17 19 21

-2 %


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

who have difficulties to cover their basic needs (segment A), those who are able to

A

cover them (segment B) and those who have saving capacity (segment C). Together the subgroups can be seen as one huge ‘bottom of the pyramid’, in which segment C is on its

B

way to climb the social ladder to the middle class. With an average income of 11000 córdobas, the people of segment C could

C

be eligible for some of the more socially orientated loans.

Fig 13. Average income of the target group segments

Segment B earns 6000 córdobas a month, on average. For them, this is just enough

Analysis). After all, these options are

to cover their basic needs. Without saving

essential for reaching all segments of the

capacity it is impossible to pay back loans

target group.

with a high interest rate, let alone to give any security for the payment of the debts.

5.3.6

TARGET GROUP CONCLUSION

Therefore, in terms of living situation, this

The main question of this analysis is about

group completely relies on donations of

the criteria for a decent house, taking the

(inter)national projects.

needs, wishes and especially the possibilities of the target group into account.

For segment A, with an average income of 2500 córdobas monthly, the same applies.

Based on their financial situation, the target

The different possibilities are discussed in

group can be divided in three segments

more detail on page 102 (Social Housing

(p. 98). We believe that, to reach all three segments, the design for the social house should be accessible for the poorest, while adaptable to the needs and wishes of the entire target group. Only then, the social house can be called a decent house. Based on the current situation, the dream

C

house and the financial situation in combination with the first draft of the social

B

house and the results of the social housing

A

analysis, this report will conclude in design

Fig 12. The target group-segments in the pyramid of society

suggestions on the functional design of the social house (chapter 5).

101


SOCIAL HOUSING

5.4

Nicaragua has one of the highest housing deficits in Central America. The deficit is both qualitative and quantitative. Aside of the need for 20,000 new houses per year, the country also lacks infrastructure for more than 50 per cent of its existing houses. According to the Central Bank of Nicaragua, there is “..a

housing which offer really basic houses. The

housing deficit of over 900,000 new houses

main purpose of these programs is to provide

and home improvements and only 50 per

accommodation that is affordable to people

cent of the total need is covered between the

on low or moderate incomes.

private and public sectors” (Inter-American Development Bank, 2014). The other half is to

INVUR

be filled by social housing.

One of the government programs is the Institute of Urban and Rural Housing (INVUR)

5.4.1

102

THE SYSTEM

who offers subsidies in which the interest

The term ‘social housing’ commonly refers to

rate is lower in case you want to build a

rental housing owned and managed by the

social house. These subsidies are requested

local authorities, by non-profit organizations,

through financial institutions for Nicaraguan

or by a combination of the two. Homes

citizens.

should be built using a single criterium – lowest cost– but also with consideration of

The mission of INVUR is to restore the right

comfort, beauty, sustainability and cultural

to decent housing to Nicaraguan families,

continuity.

following the new law on low income housing (INVUR, 2015). The recent modification of this

At present, the government of Nicaragua

law (no. 667) raises the ceiling for subsides

has different policies and programs on social

for mortgages. The maximum value of the house goes from 19 thousand to 32 thousand US dollar. According to Ricardo Melendez, President of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Developers, that would enable developers to construct 1000 more low-cost houses above the 4000 projected for 2014. (Nicaragua Network, 2014) The government subsidy, funded by the Social Security Institute, cuts off 2 to 3.5% of the interest charged by banks, with the greater reduction going to the most affordable homes. Expanding the subsidy will

Fig 14. Families that live in poor quality houses (IDB, 2012)


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

create more demand and on its turn, more

there is a fairly high percentage arrears

demand will create more jobs and reinforce

(delayed payments). The goal is not to

the housing industry even further, states the

expropriate homes but cancel the debts. In

superior council of private enterprise Jose

January they expect to start financing for

Adan Aguerri in El Nuevo Diario (El Nuevo

the construction of new homes and home

Diario, 2014)

improvements (Rudys Miranda, 2015).

CEPRODEL INVUR also has alliances with other foundations or institutions, for example, with the Center for Promotion of Local Development (CEPRODEL). This microfinance foundation supports social housing for the people of Nicaragua. They

This housing finance is provided to families

currently offer the lowest market interest rate

with a minimum household income between

(from 13 to 18%), which can vary a lot during

7000 to 10000 córdobas monthly. That is,

one month of time (Rudys Miranda, 2015).

between 250 to 350 US dollar. If families run out of those resources, the national

CEPRODEL funds come from an American

government in coordination with INVUR can

NGO (DGHI) who has a portfolio of 8 or 9

subsidize a portion of the housing finance as

million córdobas. Unfortunately, this year

a donation, as for example 2000 US dollar for

they suspended funding in El Rama because

a total of 6000 US dollar.

A SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT BY INVUR

103


ALTERNATIVES Other government policies for social housing possibilities are exceptions or reductions of tax (15%) on construction materials and negotiate lower prices with some companies. Another possible alternative is the advance of the liquidation of an employee who has accumulated

Fig 15. GDP of Nicaragua and Honduras between 1960 and 2010

incentives and wants to pay a premium for building a house.

5.4.2

104

THE REALITY

The amount of housing construction projects

Like the GDP, employment has shown a

Nicaragua receives from other countries

positive growth throughout the decade,

decreases over the years. Many bilateral

closely following the growth of the total

European aids do not longer support

labour force. However, productivity and

Nicaragua, because numbers show that the

real earnings have stagnated, states

gross domestic product (GDP) is growing

Celestia Gonzalez of the World Bank.

rapidly. However, some countries keep

Self-employment (with lower average

donating zinc roofing through Plan Techo

earnings) has grown, which brings the

every year (Techo, 2015).

official unemployment rate to only 5.3%.

Fig 16. Housing statistics in Latin America (IDB, 2012)


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

The average annual income per capita stays 430 US dollar. At the same time, the unemployment rate for educated youth is around 30%, three times higher than the average youth unemployment (The World Bank, 2012). Even if people have a job, covering

Fig 17. Exchange rate Nicaraguan córdobas and US dollar in 2015

the costs of their basic needs is far but guaranteed. “Minimum wages in Nicaragua differ by sector” explains Henky Borgstein,

family needs an average income of 12,223

sociologist who has been living in Nicaragua

córdobas (420 USD) monthly to cover their

since 1987. According to the Ministry of

basic needs like rent, electricity, food and

Labour, the minimum salary for the industry

clothes (INIDE, 2015). Therefore, not only

sector is 4594 córdobas (160 USD) per month

people without employment, but also those

(WageIndicator, 2015). As a comparison,

who do have a job have to cut on these basic

in the industry sector, a monthly salary

necessities.

105

of more than 6000 córdobas (205 USD) is considered well paid. However, according

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,

to the Instituto Nacional del Desarrollo, a

even within the basic needs, the necessities


decent house, by saving money on their plot. However, 83% of the respondents living in Barrio Nuevo, reported that they still don’t Fig 18. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Rosen, 2011)

have saving capacity and therefore they are not eligible for any fund or other financial

like food and water need to be covered

aid. Examples of houses in Barrio Nuevo can

first. To help the people also cover their

be found on the next page.

safety needs like housing, the municipality of El Rama started the Barrio Nuevo (= new

5.4.3

SOCIAL HOUSING CONCLUSION

neighbourhood). In this area the municipality

It is true that Nicaragua is growing

permits occupation of land by families to

economically but most of the capital stays in

keep them from living on the street.

large enterprises, states Borgstein. The fact that the GDP is growing rapidly and laws are

To get the official document of permission,

being improved, does not necessarily mean

they have to pay 1400 córdobas once, says

that families earn significantly more money

Fusto Espinosa Alemán while showing

or live in better circumstances.

the documents he received recently. The

106

program aims to give the poorest people

Although social housing funds in Nicaragua

of El Rama the opportunity to build a more

do exist, many are still unreachable for the

THE DOCUMENTS AND THE HOUSE AND KITCHEN OF A RESPONDENT LIVING IN BARRIO NUEVO


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

concerning families. The fact that applying for these funds is only possible if your income is above minimum proves that the families who need it the most are not included in the programs of national housing organizations. We can conclude that Bambú Social is unable to provide affordable housing to the people of segment A and B of the target group. If people have difficulties to cover their basic needs and are not eligible for any subsidy, it seems impossible to build a house within their budget. So to be able to reach the entire target group, including segment A and B, Bambú Social would have to look for ways to provide financial aid, apart from

107

delivering a decent design. One of the possibilities might be setting up or working together with an existing microfinance organization which focuses on social housing, so Nicaraguan families will be able to construct their own houses with (foreign) aid provided on micro level. In this case, even though the aid may be foreign, the chain of local entrepreneurship and employment will be stimulated while, at the same time, the demand for (bamboo) housing will increase. Bambú Social can start with building bamboo houses for the higher segment within the target group (segment C) by working together with the existing national organizations, which definitely has an added value in the first step of the implementation.

HOUSES IN BARRIO NUEVO


DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

5.5

The series of design suggestions on the

Our research has revealed that a house in

functional design of the social house is based

Nicaragua usually stays with the same family

on the target group analysis and the social

for generations (p. 94). Therefore we believe

housing analysis. These suggestions aim for

the social house should be dynamic (i.e.

a design that is affordable, easy-to-build, of

flexible, adaptable) and able to grow along

good quality and matched perfectly to the

with its residents in order to be durable.

needs of the target group. The most important aspect of a dynamic According to the target group analysis, the

house is that it is easy to expand or adjust

design should be accessible for the poorest,

after construction. We believe the easiest way

while adaptable to the needs and wishes of

to do this, is by a modular design. A modular

the entire target group (segment A, B and C).

design is made out of components that, by the use of a grid, can be assembled in a variety of

From the social housing analysis can be

arrangements.

concluded that making it accessible for

108 108

segment A (the poorest) depends on the

Among the interviewed households the

financial aid of external parties. But surely, a

number of residents had a great variety (p.

lower price of the house increases the financial

80). Of course also the budget can be quite

accesibility.

different from family to family (p. 98). With just one modular design, different families

5.5.1

DYNAMIC DURABILITY

can choose how many rooms they want,

The first principle of BambĂş Social is the use

dependent on the size and the income of the

of local resources as the basis of sustainable

family. The size of the house adapts easily to

architecture to, among other reasons, reduce

the needs of the user.

environmental impact, waste and costs (p. 82). In order to be sustainable, a house should

Also, living in a dynamic house means that the

benefit from the lifespan of materials as long

birth of a new child or a relative moving in,

as possible (durability). After all, the longer

doesn’t necessarily mean a decrease in privacy.

materials can be used, the less waste and costs

The house can grow simultaneously with the

are made.

family. As shown in the target group analysis, for most respondents privacy is the most important aspect of their dream house (p. 97). A dynamic house can not only grow simultaneously with the size, but also with the saving capacity of the family. This resolves the problem of unreliable savings and harmful loans, as explained in the target group analysis (p. 98). Because as soon as a family saved a


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

relatively small amount of money, they can

to be outside (p. 25). But also, a different

invest it in a new part of the house.

little toilet unit could give interesting opportunities in sharing with neighbours or

5.5.2

PREFABRICATION

relatives on the same plot.

Combining a modular design with a prefabrication process makes it even more

The same applies to a seperate shower

easy to change the house (dynamic). Also,

and/or washing place (wet area) next to the

it can drastically reduce the working hours

well or even a seperate kitchen. In the most

on the construction site, which can reduce

simple version of the design however, the

the price. On top of that, the construction of

kitchen could be just a two pit gas stove in

the house is not limited to the only three dry

the corner of the living room (p. 16).

months (in El Rama), and the construction on site fastens up. In this way the risk of the

MATERIALS

bamboo getting wet during constructing can

The first draft of the social house uses a

be reduced.

minifalda construction with concrete and bamboo. This construction will make use

Prefabrication could also have a huge

of a local resource (first principle of Bambú

impact on the implementation. The barrier

Social) while satisfying the wishes of the

of knowledge transfer gets reduced to the

target group, concerning hygiene and

craftsmen, who can make bamboo their

security (p. 96). Also, in case of the more

speciality. Specialization, on its turn, also has

rural areas, concrete columns could be easily

a positive effect on the working hours and

used to elevate the minifalda construction

thus the price of the elements.

and level even the most uneven plot.

FACILITIES

In this minifalda construction, the upper

We believe that not only the space should

part of the construction (skeleton) is made

be adaptable/expandable, but also the

out of bamboo, but the material of the wall

facilities of the house. A young couple, for

elements has not yet been determined. We

example, could have the wish for their own

believe that a very basic but safe and secure

little house. They might have the budget

(prefab bamboo) wall element, which later

for a basic house with enough rooms, but

can be finished-off with more layers, would

can’t afford their own water collection

be the perfect solution. In this case, even the

and purification system yet. The design

wall elements are adaptable to the budget

should be made in a way that even (a few

of the family at first, and easy to expand later

years) after the house is built, a water and

on.

electricity system can be added. What makes it slightly more difficult, is that the

5.5.3

CONCLUSION

preferred type of toilet and kitchen depends

The overarching suggestion for the design

on the water system. A dry toilet is preferred

of the social house is to make it a highly

109


dynamic building, so it is sustainable and

safety, security, hygiene, privacy and comfort

can last for years, decades and generations.

into account. The first ‘stage’ should be

Based on our results, we suggest to start

both the smallest and the most basic house

with the design of an extremely basic house

available.

that is accessible for the poorest, and make it expandable to fulfill the dreams of the

• lowest possible price

entire target group.

• minifalda construction (bamboo) • easy to close off

This could be achieved by making a modular

• concrete floor

design that can be arranged according to

• good ventilation

the wishes of the family. We believe that,

• living room is most important

in order to prevent losing the overview of

• gradual transition private to public

possibilities, the most important part of this

• interior basic kitchen

design should be the grid. Also, to keep it

• exterior toilet

simple, the amount of modular elements

• exterior wet area

shouldn’t be excessive and the most basic house should be expandable without taking

110

important parts down.

ADD-ONS For the intermediate options, it is important

An other option is making a series of

to remember that size and comfort/luxury

consecutive designs. In this case the house

are not necessarily related. The first stage is

can be expanded step by step. Even

both the smallest as the most basic house.

before the construction of the first stage,

But the next stages can be either bigger,

the possible extentions can be taken into

extra comfortable or both. The house should

account. In this case, we can imagine a (one-

be able to grow in size without having to

page) menu that summarizes all different

become extra comfortable, but also be able

options, with a ‘shopping list’ that specifies

to extand in comfort without growing in

all necessary (prefabricated) elements for

size. That is why, apart from growing in size,

each option.

it should be possible to add the following elements.

CRITERIA BASIC HOUSE The criteria for the most basic house are

• integrated water system

based on the current situation (needs),

• (interior) flushable toilet

combined with the dreams (wishes) of

• (interior) kitchen with wet place

segment A of the target group. Based on

• integrated electricity system (e.g. solar)

the results of our reseach, we weighted

• hinged interior doors

the needs and wishes against each other,

• wall finishing (stucco/color)

resulting in a list of criteria that make it as

• floor finishing (tiles)

financially accesible as possible, while taking


MODULARITY We believe that BAMBÚ theSOCIAL beauty 2.0of- modular PROJECT REPORT architecture is the possibility to add or remove any component (module) without a lot of effort. Making a good and functional modular design, unfortunately, isn’t that easy. Each solution brings up new questions which must be taken into account. The construction is important, of course; in every stage the design should be stable and strong, and the added roof shoudn’t leak, for example. But also other functional aspects are of great importance. The house should be adaptable to its surroundings, in order to have the right orientation on the road, the sun and

CRITERIA EXTENDED HOUSE

the wind. But also the direction in which the

The criteria for the most extensive design

house will expand should be kept in mind; is it

of the house are based on the needs and

adaptable to different plot sizes? and how is the

wishes of segment C of the target group.

accessiblility managed?

This house should be affordable, pay attention to safety, security and hygiene, and in particular to privacy and comfort. • lowest possible price • minifalda construction (bamboo) • easy to close off • concrete floor • good ventilation • living room is most important • gradual transition private to public • private bedrooms • porch • integrated water system • (interior) flushable toilet • (interior) kitchen with wet place • integrated electricity system (solar) • real hinged interior doors • wall finishing (stucco/color) • floor finishing (ceramic)

5.5.4

REFLECTION ON FIRST DESIGN The first draft of the social house meets almost all criteria for the extended house, as summed up in the box on this page. The estimated costs for this house are 7400 USD.

111


A cheaper design was made by leaving

Apart from this conceptual suggestion, we

expensive parts out. In this way the costs can

would like to reflect on the main differences

be brought down to 4800 USD, as explained

between our findings and the design

on page 11. In short, the first draft of the

solutions of the first draft of the social house.

social house is adaptable to a different budget of the customer.

PORCH AND LIVING ROOM The designed floorplan of the social house

However, because the first principle of

is based on the assumption that the porch

Bambú Social is about sustainability, we

is the most important area of the house,

suggest a small but important change in

because people spend most of their time

concept.

outside. However, in our research, the living room is said to be most important

112

Based on this target group analysis, we

by 51% of the respondents. On page 88,

suggest to design a house that isn’t only

we explain this difference by the fact that a

adaptable at first, but more importantly, able

large majority of the houses have little to no

to grow along with the family and its needs

ventilation (71%) and therefore have a warm

and wishes over the years. We think that

and uncomfortable temperature in their

focussing on the flexibility/modularity of the

living room.

house is the best way to make it durable and sustainable (p. 108).

Since the first design of the social house has a well functioning ventilation system

Also, in case Bambú Social aims to reach

the interior climate of the house will be very

the entire target group (including segment

comfortable (Constructional Analysis, 2016).

A and B), we suggest to start the designing

In this case, we assume, the porch could

process with an extremely basic house. In

have less priority in the design.

our opinion, this basic house should be as financially accesible as possible, but

BEDROOMS AND PRIVACY

expandable to fulfil the dreams of the entire

The order of privacy-sensitive areas of the

target group, instead of the other way

design corresponds with our observations.

around.

Only the social house has just one or two bedrooms. As confirmed by our data, bedrooms in Nicaragua have a high occupancy. However, most respondents wish for a number of bedrooms that suits their family; couples together and one for each child. Since some households are quite big (p. 90) this would mean that the possibility to add more (small) rooms is recommendable.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

BATHROOM

combine this first principle with the needs of

In the social house, the dry toilet is placed

the target group, extra attention should be

inside, next to the shower and the kitchen.

payed to the secure feeling and the ability to

From our research we conclude that people

close-off the house.

would love to have a toilet inside, as long as it is flushable. A dry toilet, on the other

DESIGN PRIORITIES

hand, is not desired inside the house.

After all, where to set priorities regarding safety, security, hygiene, privacy, comfort,

SAFETY AND SECURITY

functionality, sustainability and costs is very

Most respondents attach great value to

important. In the first draft of the social

safety and security. Not only against burglary

house these priorities are mainly based on

or violence, but also against the weather

the five principles of Bambú Social.

and natural disasters. They said to prefer concrete as a building material to give

With this social analysis, we hope to provide

them a safe feeling. However, based on the

insight into the priorities of the entire target

first principle of Bambú Social, the social

group, so the social house can also be

house is made mainly out of bamboo. To

matched perfectly to their needs and wishes.

113

ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS DRAWING THEIR CURRENT HOUSE


5.6

BIBLIOGRAPHY • Bambú Social (2014). Project Report Bambú Social 2014. El Rama: Shortsighted Architecture. • Balmaceda, J. (2015, 12). Governmentnal aid. Personal interview. • Borgstein, H. (2015, 12). Social Housing opportunities. Personal interview. • Census Bureau (2015). Urban and Rural. Retreived from http://cber.cba.ua.edu/asdc/urban_rural.html • Central Bank of Nicaragua (2015). Economics Indicators. Retreived from http://www.bcn.gob.ni/en/ • Inter-American Development Bank (2014). Preferential Interest Rate for Housing loans. Retrieved from http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Nicaragua_Preferential_Interest_Rate_Housing • ElNuevoDiario (2014). Créditos hipotecarios serán más accesibles. Retrieved from http://www.elnuevodiario. com.ni/nacionales/319808-creditos-hipotecarios-seran-mas-accesibles/ • Foundation for Sustainable Development (2007). Micro-enterprise/Microfinance Issues in Nicaragua. Received from http://www.fsdinternational.org/country/nicaragua/mfissues • INVUR (2015). Misión. Retreived from http://www.invur.gob.ni/index.php/invur/mision

114

• INIDE (2015). Poverty results 2015. Retreived from http://www.inide.gob.ni/Emnv/Emnv14/Poverty%20 Results%202014.pdf • Janssen, J. (2001). Designing and building with bamboo. Retreived from http://www.inbar.int/ publications/?did=58 • Rogers, T. (2014). Nicaragua seeks to de-dollarize economy. Retreived from http://nicaraguadispatch. com/2014/05/nicaragua-seeks-to-de-dollarize-economy/ • New York Times (1990). Nicaragua Devaluation. Retreived from http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/28/ business/nicaragua-devaluation.html • Nicaragua Network (2014). Nicaragua News Bulletin (April 8, 2014). Retreived from http://www.nicanet. org/?page=blog&id=25898


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

• Miranda, R. (2015,12). Social Housing opportunities. Personal interview. • Techo (2015). Qué es Techo. Retreived from http://www.techo.org/paises/nicaragua/techo/ • WageIndicator (2015) Salarios mínimos en Nicaragua. Retreived from http://www.tusalario.org/nicaragua/ portada/derecho-laboral • WetherSpark (2015). Average Weather For Bluefields, Nicaragua. Retreived from https://weatherspark.com/ averages/32615/Bluefields-Autonomous-Region-of-the-Southern-Atlantic-Nicaragua • World Bank (2012). Better jobs in Nicaragua: the role of human capital. Retreived from http://www. worldbank.org/en/country/nicaragua/publication/better-jobs-in-nicaragua • World Bank (2015). Unemployment, total (% of total labor force). Retreived from http://data.worldbank.org/ indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS

¡Gracias por su contribución! Bambú Social 2.0 wants to thank all the respondents of the homevisits for their contribution to the project: Lilliam Henriquez

Jesmi

Lina

Fusto Espinosa Alemán

María Vargas

Carlos

Robin Ballesteros

Dácil

Inginia Holez Calderón

Irasel

Melisa

Fuana Pastora García

Lelys Antonio Leiba

Alba Humphreys

Sofía Ruiz

María Elena

Vargas

Dora Isabel Soto

Miriam Rejuez

Pedro

Ramón Isidro Ocón

Luisa

Antonia

María

Claudia

Albertina Gomez

Edelina

Nubia

Louisa Campos

Jusnielca del Carmen

Petrona Claudia López

Esther

Yanina Morales

Alicia Pulido

Catalina López

Llurisma

Marina Antonia

Sheila

Mercedes Machado

Giovanny

Nuvia Navas

María Isabel

Yanina

María Fajadro

Haytalina

Dominga

115


6

IMPACT ANALYSIS


6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................... 118 6.2. AWARENESS OF BAMBÚ SOCIAL ............................ 120

6.2.1 Model house .................................. 121

6.2.2 Bambú Recicla.................................. 122

6.2.3 Environmental impact ..................... 123

6.3 IMAGE OF BAMBOO ............................................. 124

6.3.1 Bamboo as a constr. material ...... 125

6.4 IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS .......................... 128

6.4.1 Four groups of focus ...................... 128

6.4.2 Conclusion ...................................... 131


6.1

INTRODUCTION The Bambú Social foundation has been sharing knowledge and expertise about the use of local resources for sustainable and affordable social housing, aiming to contribute to a solution for the housing problem in Nicaragua. Until now, this resulted in eleven subprojects that all can be seen as steps in the direction of the main goal. The involvement of the locals, students and experts who were working with Bambú Social and the transition of this involvement to other people is essential for the implementation of the project. Not only on local and national, but also on international level, great effort is done to keep people involved in the project. Simultaneously, Bambú Social is looking for ways to continue delivering to their main goal in the future. For the continuation of Bambú Social in the coming years, it is important to know what the social impact of the project has been until now. Therefore, the the awareness of Bambú Social will be the first topic in this analysis. According to the Bambú Social foundation, stimulating the acceptance of bamboo as a

118

construction material is the first step of implementation. “We want to share knowledge with locals and stimulate the acceptance of bamboo as a construction material”. To get an image of the impact of the project, it is also important to analyse the current image of bamboo (as a construction material) among the people of Nicaragua. We’ve organised an introduction meeting where opinions of involved people were captured, followed by interviews with the municipality and local and national bamboo experts. Also during the home visits the people of El Rama shared their opinion about the project Bambú Social and about bamboo as a construction material. With the gathered information, we looked for ways Bambú Social could continue living up to the main goal. By focusing on how to do this, this analysis concludes in implementation suggestions.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT


6.2

120

AWARENESS OF BAMBÚ SOCIAL The exchange of knowledge and expertise

Great effort has been made and an

with local craftsmen and students has been

important element has been injected in El

a main objective of Bambú Social. They also

Rama: the construction material bamboo

involved public (municipality, BICU, UCA)

has been re-invented and new building

and private entities and many other citizens

techniques discovered. Now, the question

(future beneficiaries). The construction of

arises what has become of the activities after

the model house was one of the eleven

the team of Bambú Social left Nicaragua.

projects done in 2014. By the help of many

What has become of the impact of Bambú

people that participated in the project they

Social and the aim to create and share

delivered to the result either passively or

knowledge of bamboo construction? In

actively. The eleven projects of Bambú Social

this analysis we’ve focused on two visible

in 2014 in chronological order can be found

projects: the model house (point 2 and 5)

in the scheme below.

and the recycle waste bins (point 9).

1. Organise workshops and lectures with the community of El Rama and local farmers to promote sustainable construction, the use of bamboo as a construction material. 2. Design a model house of bamboo in collaboration with the local community. 3. Develop and integrate of a decentralized water collection and purification system in collaboration with blueEnergy. 4. Set up a bamboo infrastructure for cutting, treating, cleaning and transporting. 5. Constructing the model house with local craftsmen and students. 6. Design and develop a permaculture garden in collaboration with students from BICU. 7. Organise the course ‘construcción sostenible’ in collaboration with the BICU with local students and craftsmen. 8. Facilitate the course ‘artesania con bambú’, initiated by the municipality for the community of Esperanza. 9. Develop bamboo wastebins for the community of El Rama. 10. Design a social house as a more affordable version of the model house. 11. Guide further development of bamboo structures in collaboration by the Universidad Centroamericana.


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

6.2.1

MODEL HOUSE A contract has been signed by the BICU and the municipality which describes the parameters for the freedom. The function of the model house has to be public and thus open for visitors. Until November 2015 the house has functioned as a university library. Recently, the BICU choose to change its

yes no Do you know the BambĂş Social foundation?

function, as the inner climate of the house was too humid for the books (Constructional

We doubt the accessibility and the public

Analysis). Also the library was not visited

function of the house which may have

often anymore and the computers with

affected the social impact.

internet not used as much as before, stated the librarian.

During the home visits, families were asked whether they know the model house.

During our time in El Rama we found the

The existence is evident in El Rama. We

house often closed-off and we had to

concluded that a great majority of the

contact the principal to open up the house.

people interviewed, at least knew of the

PRESENTATION DURING THE INTRODUCTION MEETING IN EL RAMA

121


very high Alto high bien alto Más medium Más bien bajo low Bajo

existence of the model house next to the local university, the BICU. However, none of the interviewed people entered the house.

Alto Más bien alto Más bien bajo Bajo 2% 2%

20%

Many explain us that they didn’t know the 2% has a public function and is open for 2% house visitors.

76%

The officials of the municipality explained 20%

during the introduction meeting, that one of the results of the model house was that

What is your first imporession of the model house?

the bamboo construction triggered local

122

curiosity within the community. Via multiple

Rafael Acevedo, principal of the BICU.

information and communication channels

The homevisits confirm that respondents

the construction and existence of the house

don’t bring up a bamboo dreamhouse by

has been spread. They also explained that

themselves. But when asked, a clear majority

foreigners (from outside El Rama) came to

of the respondents smiles when they think

visit the house. 76%

about living in a house made of bamboo.

Although many people have been curious

Apparently, the model house is not

to see the house, the introduction meeting

accessible enough for the local families.

explains us that there is a missing link

Whether this has to do with the

between the ‘real’ families (the target

implementation, the function of the building,

group) and the model house. “The families

or the appearance, is something we cannot

need to be able to touch the house and

draw any conclusions of, but it is important

see other families live in it, in order to start

that this is not going to result in the feeling

dreaming of a bamboo house” explaines

that bamboo housing in general doesn’t lie within their reach.

6.2.2

“BAMBÚ RECICLA” Another project conducted by Bambú Social was the design of a recycle wastebin made of bamboo as a part of the recycling campaign being undertaken by the municipality of El Rama. The task to produce fifty recycle bamboo wastebins was appointed to Don Samuel, a local craftsman who has spent many years working

FAMILIES IN THE MODEL HOUSE (FINAL EVENT)

with bamboo and has a technical bamboo certificate. Contrary to expectations after

Page 1


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

two years only thirteen of those wastebins

of bamboo has improved but also the

have been finished, due to a mistake in

awareness of Bambú Social.

the estimated budget (Samuel, 2015), (Balmaceda, 2015).

6.2.3

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The impact of all these projects isn’t only

However, unlike the model house, these

limited to a social conscience, but also

wastebins are distributed throughout the

consists of an environmental aspects. We

community. Some of them are located in

believe that the model house and the

popular areas such as the local municipality,

wastebins have a positive impact on the

the BICU campus, the Central Park, etc.

environment of El Rama, thanks to their

allowing people to, literally, get in touch with

functionality.

bamboo. In the model house, the used water is “People have to touch bamboo” explains

cleaned by the ‘Bananeras’ and re-used for

Ines Ortega. As we concluded from the

irrigation (p. 57). Also, as said during the

introduction meeting, having real life

introduction meeting, people really use the

contact by touching bamboo contributes

recycle wastebins. This motivates the people

to its image and its possible potentials as

of El Rama to contribute to a cleaner city

a building material. Not only to the image

and recycling.

ONE OF THE RECICLE WASTEBINS IN EL RAMA


6.3

IMAGE OF BAMBOO In all projects by Bambú Social, bamboo

HANDCRAFTS

has been (re-)introduced as a construction

INTA (Instituto Nicaragüense Tecnología

material. The (general) image of bamboo is a

Agropecuaria), the farm at El Recreo, is

crucial factor for the project.

currently exporting bamboo to Masaya, a city in Nicaragua, where a lot of handcraft is

The tradition to construct with natural

made of bamboo. “In Nicaragua only certain

materials (like bamboo) has been lost over

sectors of the economy fully realise the

the years. Michael Campbell, representative

usefulness of bamboo. The foreigners who

of CEDEHCA, explained that this has to do

voice the appreciation of the material and

with the foreign influences that affected the

are expression their willingness to buy crafts

construction culture and mind-set about

made from bamboo” said Don Samuel.

using local resources, which has had a major effect on the image of bamboo.

GOOD EXAMPLES Appreciation for bamboo grows worldwide

124

“Nowadays bamboo is seen as a material

repidly. EcoPlanet Bamboo is a good

for the poor”, said Javier Balmaceda,

example. This is a multinational organisation

corroborated by many others. Bamboo is

that recently invested extensively in the

used to cover houses or sheds. The rest of

bamboo industry in Nicaragua (see chapter

the houses often exist of wooden poles, zinc

8). EcoPlanet Bamboo owns a bamboo

sheets and plastic (Social Analysis). It is clear

farm stretching from El Rama along the Rio

that these people do not know about the

Escondido to La Fonseca (1100 acres). The

benefits of bamboo. From our observations

local impact is hard to put a finger on, but it

we can state that bamboo is often neglected

seems that the appearance of this bamboo

as a qualitative construction material, but

company contributes to the local image of

seen as a cheap alternative to provide some

bamboo, by showing the recogniton of the

extra space instead.

material.

TOURISTIC TRADEMARK It appears that the image of bamboo changed among all parties in the project, from the administrative part at the mayor’s office (municipality) to the potential beneficiaries. In fact, the local municipality has made plans to exploit bamboo as a tourist attraction. They want to distinguish from other towns in Nicaragua and use bamboo as a trademark. They wany El Rama to be identified as a bamboo city. “We think that bamboo can be a trademark because


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

6.3.1

it is originally from the area which is not

families were investigated for the Social

the case in many other municipalities in

Analysis. Also their opinion about bamboo

Nicaragua”, affirmed the director of urban

as a material for construction and about the

planning in El Rama, Javier Balmaceda.

built model house were asked.

BAMBOO AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

A clear majority of the survey respondents

To get an idea of the acceptance of bamboo

smiles when they think about living in a

as construction material we combined

bamboo house, but they do not bring it

both the current situation of local families,

up themselves. “That could be beautiful,

their view on bamboo and the vision of

very beautiful!” said Lina, like most other

Emma Grun, a representative of the UCA.

respondents who have seen the model

Concluding from this, we came up with

house before (76%). Compared to the

suggestions that might contribute to the

people that didn’t know about the model

image of bamboo.

house or never heard of Bambú Social before, who more often disliked the material.

LOCAL FAMILIES

“What I like about bamboo? It looks pretty,

During fifty home visits, the current housing

and I think it is really fresh.” But also, like

situation and dream houses of the local

many others, Lina thinks the process of

DON SAMUEL AND THE BAMBOO TABLE HE MADE


Si

Si

Si No 9%

of bamboo and the material is seen as a knows100% Bambú Social

100%

fall-back solution for the poorest. But even

does not know Bambú Social

though 25% of the respondents state that

91%

they don’t have a really high impression of yes Si no No

bamboo as a construction material, 83% does imagine their dream house be built out of

Would you like to live in a bamboo house?

bamboo, and 97% said they would like to live in a bamboo house.

curing bamboo is difficult and expensive. “It must be for a reason that so many bamboo houses rot away fast...”

Page 17

Page 17

Page 18

From the people that said they already knew the model house, hundred percent stated that they could imagine themselves living

Most bamboo that is used as a construction

in a bamboo house. While of the people

material in Nicaragua is untreated, and

that didn’t know Bambú Social before, ten

thus, falls apart easily within a few years.

procent stated that a bamboo house was

For that reason, people like Lina are not

not an option for their family. Even though

fully convinced yet about the advantages

it is a small percentage, it indicates that

Page 18

THE MODEL HOUSE BY THE BAMBÚ SOCIAL FOUNDATION


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Bambú Social did make a difference in the

natural resources. This implies that we must

perception of bamboo as a construction

radically change our methods of design and

material. The positive aspects we heard

construction; from the choice of materials to

most ofthen during the homevisits have

the amount of waste and lack of reuse.”

something to do with the economical advantage, or that bamboo is more beautiful

Students do get educated about the use of

than wood and concrete. Also qualitative

alternative materials. Emma thinks bamboo

characteristics are recognised. People like

is one of many alternative materials that

that it’s durable and, if it is treated well, they

must be explored in the region, and is

say it doesn’t seem to deteriorate. They call

proven itself on structural strength and

bamboo fresh, comfortable and affordable.

architectural quality.

The most commonly heard negative aspect

At the moment the UCA does not have a

is that the process seems difficult, or they

study specialisation or specified courses

don’t know how to use it in the right way.

in which students learn about bamboo as

Also, some say, its seems expensive.

a construction material, yet. Students do have the opportunity to specialise through

UNIVERSIDAD CENTROAMERICANA

internships and their thesis.

During an urbanism project of the UCA in El Rama, students and urbanism lecturer Emma Grun had the opportunity to visit the model house. “The model house is aesthetically beautiful, structurally strong and very thought thorough with details”, stated Emma.

In Emma’s courses about urbanism, there is a focus on sustainability and mitigating environmental risks, e.g. to reduce the extraction of fossil fuels and CO2 emission by lowering the energy consumption. “We have to find a balance in the use of renewable

COMMONLY SEEN USE OF BAMBOO


IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

6.4

We can state that Bambú Social gave

and their wish for maintenance, expansion

an enormous boost to the awareness of

or a new house. During the home visits, the

bamboo inside and outside of El Rama. A

interviewees were very positive about the

few examples are the involvement of local

appearance of the bamboo house. However,

craftsmen and students and the UCA in

direct contact between well-constructed

Managua and the sudden interest of the

bamboo and the families is missing. The

municipality in the exploitation of bamboo

most essential concern for the target group

as a touristic attraction.

is to (literally) get in touch with bamboo; this will promote its image.

As stated before, the success depends on

128

long term processes like constructional

According to the introduction meeting it

continuity and research continuity (source

will contribute to the demand if people

Projectplan Bambú Social 2.0). Based on the

see a family living in a bamboo house. Also

brief impact analysis, we can conclude that

organising meetings in which the families

there is a significant awareness of Bambú

get actively invited will promote bamboo

Social. At this point the image of bamboo

as a construction material. By sharing

and especially the opinion of the local

information and feeling welcome, we

families about bamboo as a construction

believe that the families will feel involved

material need to be focused on.

in the project and will be open to bamboo housing.

6.4.1

FOUR GROUPS OF FOCUS To do this, we distinguished four groups

Also, the effect of distributed, minor projects

which Bambú Social should involve.

(like the bamboo wastebins) also seems to

The bullets conclude in implementation

have effect to the image of bamboo.

suggestions. • Organise meetings with local families to

TARGET GROUP

promote bamboo

To improve the image of bamboo, families

• Invest in minor projects

have to be convinced of the reliability and durability that bamboo could have. After all, they are the future beneficiaries. For

LOCAL CRAFTSMEN AND ENTREPRENEURS

them the benefits of using bamboo should

If the families are convinced and interested

be clear and there needs to be a demand

in constructing with bamboo, knowledge

for housing. If this is not the case, the

must be available and distributed among the

construction and implementation of bamboo

people. Information about bamboo (how to

houses will not have a prolonged effect.

cut it, treat it and prepare it for construction) must be available. Bambú Social is working

In most interviews, the families told us

on a construction manual explaining how to

about their precarious housing situation

construct a bamboo house. If this manual


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

is accessible for the target group it seems

craftsmen. This way, local bamboo experts

to us a solution for approachable bamboo

are created and bamboo construction can

construction.

get more accessible for the families. These craftsmen can become entrepreneurs who

After all, to promote the bamboo image,

set up (local) companies that for example

more bamboo constructions have to be built

produce prefab bamboo elements. In

and therefore the craftsmen must know how

the business plan Bambú Bueno more

to construct with bamboo, explained Lester

entrepreneurial opportunities are described.

Antonio Bermúdez a local craftsman. In this

Specialisation also has a positive effect on

process of sharing information started by

the working hours and thus the price of

Bambú Social, craftsmen are closely involved

the elements. As it adds to the image and

by exchange experience and knowledge, to

accessibility of bamboo, Bambú Social can

create applicable techniques.

support these kinds of initiatives.

By outsourcing the bamboo techniques

• Share education about bamboo

and by making prefabricated (prefab)

construction

construction elements, the barrier of

• Support local bamboo companies

knowledge transfer gets reduced to the


STUDENTS We must be aware of the fact that the target group’s families often do not have resources to cover their basic needs. There are families dependent of national or international housing projects as described in the Social

THE TARGETGROUP

Analysis. In these projects, which are centrally tendered, architects are involved. Architecture and engineering students are the designers and builders of the future. For bamboo to be a country’s next standard construction material, students have to get educated and gain experience of the use of bamboo. Bambú Social could help and promote the process of including the bamboo courses in the architecture and civil

130 LOCAL CRAFTSMEN

engineering curriculum. Besides this, the involvement of students through internships and theses, contributes to both experience and knowledge of the students and of Bambú Social. • Promote bamboo courses at universities • Organise internships and thesis projects

SUPPLIERS, CLIENTS AND ENTREPRENEURS All over the world bamboo is an upcoming material. The beneficial characteristics of

STUDENTS

bamboo are being discovered and new techniques for this multi-functional material are explored every day. The environmental revolution also has influence on entities and results in greater investments of renewable natural resources (Online, 2015). Bambú Social can use this positive development to anticipate on local as

SUPPLIERS AND CLIENTS


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

international initiatives. There are projects

group, local craftsmen and entrepreneurs,

throughout the country who want to invest in

students and bamboo suppliers, clients and

the use of natural resources, for example a

entrepreneurs.

national organisation CEDEHCA. This could be a way to promote and improve the image

By involving these parties as described

of bamboo.

above, the process of up scaling and upgrading can improve and will contribute

If Bambú Social wants to anticipate on

to the success of the project. So it is

these kinds of projects, there has to be a

important that this is continuous during the

bamboo supplier. Also for housing projects,

whole project. Therefore these groups must

a functioning bamboo infrastructure is

be involved in every step of the project. We

necessary.

call this direct implementation.

Bambú Social does not have to set up this

TO BE CONTINUED

infrastructure itself, but can collaborate with

With the implementation suggestions,

(local) bamboo farms to supply bamboo for

the constructional and functional design

future projects. This is possible through local

suggestions, we can continue with the direct

farm owners and with international invested

implementation. In the next chapters will be

farms, like EcoPlanet Bamboo.

described how we did this as team Bambú Social 2.0 and how this could be continued

Not only suppliers, but also constructors are necessary for housing projects. A construction infrastructure is needed which includes a prefab bamboo companies (mentioned in Local craftsmen and entrepreneurs). It is important that these companies match the scope of tendered projects. Bambú Social can support these (local) companies during the process of up scaling and upgrading. • Anticipate on future projects • Collaborate with (local) bamboo suppliers • Collaborate and support (local) prefab bamboo companies.

6.4.2

CONCLUSION To optimize te impact of the project, Bambú Social can focus on families of the target

in the future.

131


7

DESIGN & CONSTRUCT


7.1 DESIGN WITH STUDENTS ..................................... 134

7.1.1 Gaining knowledge ....................... 134

7.1.2 The internship ................................ 136

7.1.3 Concept design phase .................. 136

7.1.4 Functional design phase ............... 138

7.1.5 Constructional design phase ........ 139

7.1.6 The design ..................................... 140

7.2 CONSTRUCT WITH CRAFTSMEN ............................ 146

7.2.1 Natural treatment ......................... 146

7.2.2 Points of improvement .................. 149

7.2.3 Experiment Techito ....................... 150

7.2.4 Recommendations ......................... 153

7.2.5 Points of imrpovement .................. 153

7.2.6 Feedback on the connections ...... 154

7.2.7 Experiment continued ................... 155

7.2.8 Involvement of craftsmen .............. 156

7.3 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................... 158


DESIGN WITH STUDENTS

7.1

Architecture and engineering students are the future constructors of the country. Experiences and knowledge gained during

BAMBÚ SOCIAL

your study, inspires ones future occupation.

REPENTINA

REPENTIN

Bambú Social aims to share knowledge and

18 DE NOVIEMBRE

18 DE NOVIEMB

expertise about the use of local resources for

TALLER S2 UCA

TALLER S2 UC

sustainable and affordable social housing. We do that by the involvement of students. Our aim is to improve the design of the social house, by suggesting a second design of a social house. Combining both Nicaraguan as Dutch expertise can result in

134

an enhanced / a profound design method.

the designing method and values of

This resulted in an extensive design of a

architecture students. We organised a

bamboo social house, which Bambú Social

design case (repentina) for the architecture

can either use as an improved design, or as

students of Universidad Centroamericana

an alternative design.

(UCA) in Managua, capital of Nicaragua. This repentina was organised together

7.1.1

BAMBÚ SOCIA

GAINING KNOWLEDGE

with Emma Grun, urbanism teacher at the

In order to share knowledge and combine

UCA. Thirty energetic third and fourth year

expertise, it is important to understand

architecture students participated.

One of the results of the UCA design case


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

After three hours of intense brainstorming, drawing and constructing, six groups of students presented their ideas of how bamboo could be matched with social housing. Through drawings and ‘maquetas’ (scaled models) they explained what aspects of social housing are important and how bamboo can be used. The design case was to design a social house with the following criteria: • attractive appearance • bamboo as main construction material • social character, affordable to low-income families

135

• good ventilation All students were eager about the use of bamboo, as it enhanced their designs. Constructing with bamboo was also interpreted as the social character. The designs were inspiring. Some interesting ideas are presented below: • prefabrication by a fold-up design • one design demonstrably at every angle • reversed roof for a central water retention • hexagon shape to obtain maximum surface area with the least perimeter • a standard of 7 m2 per person In appendix B, all designs are presented with a small summary. During the design case we had the opportunity to get to know the work style

THE UCA DESIGN CASE


and mental steps. We did not experience

7.1.2

THE INTERNSHIP

any major differences in the designing

The design case with UCA was an

method and thought it was comparable

opportunity to learn from future architecture

to architecture at the Delft University of

of Nicaragua. It also served as an opportunity

Technology (DUT).

to get in contact with them and involve them in the designing stage of the project. Many

The involvement of these students would

of the students showed interest to do an

definitely contribute to Bambú Social.

internship with Bambú Social, of wich we

We were able to share a design case

selected five that were available within our

about natural construction materials, the

time in Nicaragua. Others are recommended

opportunity for a bamboo design case. The

for in a later period.

mission of Bambú Social was shared and

We set up a three week programme for

spread around the architecture faculty. But

the internship; one week in December and

Bambú Social also benefits from the input of

in two weeks in January. The aim was be

the students as they contribute to the design

to involve them in making an alternative

of a bamboo social house.

design of a bamboo social house. In december, we introduced them to the

136

The students had the opportunity to sign-up

project and the results of the social analysis

for a possible internship with Bambú Social.

and constructional analysis. In this way

Five of the students volunteered to join the

our reseach could form a basis for the

Bambú Social during December 2015 and

new design. In this forst week we turned

January 2016. Although it is not an official

challenges into solutions and put together a programme of requirements (PoR) and and a concept design for a bamboo social house. After the christmas break, the design process was contunued, resulting in a detailed design. The students could present this design on our final event.

7.1.3

CONCEPT DESIGN PHASE Four students were introduced to El Rama and Bambú Social. We presented the social analysis by showing them the actual housing situation in Barrio Nuevo and at the south

internship, the base for a future official

side of the river, and illustrating the report by

internship has been made, by establishing

real life examples. By explaining the physical

this contact. More information about the

aspects of the model house and showing

possibilities for future internships can be

the scaled model of the social house, the

found in the continuation chapter.

constructional report was presented.


Armando Manzanares, 21, Matagalpa Originally from Matagalpa and I study architecture at the UCA. I’m interested in community work, arts and crafts. I hope to develop in the 2.0 specialties BAMBÚ SOCIAL - PROJECTas: REPORT bioclimatic architecture, social architecture and urbanism. With these practices I want to improve the quality of lives of people of Nicaragua. Connecting with the families fills me with passion.

BSc. Beatriz Rueda, 21, Managua I have worked in the design of two multi-families houses and have worked for over a year now with PRODEMEX, a Mexican construction company. I worked on tasks as calculating costs and budgets, as an architectural craftsman and as a designer. My experience working with Bambú Social has been one of the best. It is interesting to share my opinion and my personality as an architect with colleagues from my country and abroad, such as the Bambú Social team. Not only as architects but as people who have the same vision, the same goal which is to help provide and solve a problem that is latent in all of Nicaragua. There is a housing shortage and lack of income to have a decent home, wich we all are entitled to have. It’s nice to share and combine different opinions. It’s great to be part of Bambú Social 2.0!

Katherine Obando, 22, Managua I am a fifth year architecture student at the UCA. I am fascinated by natural landscapes. My field of interest in architecture is the social part. Involving people, learning about their culture, traditions and lifestyles and see how this influences the design is the most interesting part.

Dania Parrales, 22, Managua I’m in my last year of architecture at the UCA. I love nature, photography, voluntary work and blogs. I am passionate about social architecture. With my work, either architecture or other, I want to look for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives. The last two years I have focused on this mission by working with Raleigh Nicaragua (2014) on a voluntary based natural resource management in a rural community in Nicaragua. During the internship at Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua (2015) I worked on (new) designs. From 2015 until now I volunteered at the rehabilitation of building heritage with Nicaraguan Associated Constructors CONIASA (2015-present).

Nilda Rodríguez, 22, Chinandega I’m a lover of life itself, art and design. I’m a feminist and have free spirit. My life is to explore, to volunteer, to devote to the architecture and be happy in the process from the little things that usually go unnoticed but which I fill my life. My focus is the social architecture, what my country needs the most.

137


With a brainstorm, the new information was

7.1.4

FUNCTIONAL DESIGN PHASE

put together and resulted in a list of criteria

In December, both students and the project

for the social house. By arranging the criteria

team gave their input for possible solution.

in topics and combining these, some design

During January the students returned

discussions were created. In teams of two

to El Rama and had the opportunity to

solutions were searched for these topics,

elaborate on the concept design. Together

resulting in the list of criteria and the design

we discussed the design dilemmas and

topics as can be found on the next page.

added some aspects. The students had the opportunity to finalise the functional design

The next step was the set-up for a concept

themselves.

of the social house: one progressive design accessible for each target group segment.

CHALLENGES

This consists of 3x3 m modules, with

• How to make each construction phase as

prefabricated elements and expandable to

comfortable as affordable for each target

meet with the requirements of the families.

group segment? The initial four construction phases were extended with a cheaper and

With the new impressions and ideas, the

138

more expensive version.

conceptual design was made. The final PoR is defined in the next chapter, where the

• What are the transition possibilities from a

final result of the bamboo social house is

dry toilet outside towards a wet toilet inside?

presented.

LIST OF CRITERIA: • price and material use: easy to produce, low costs, local material and lasting materials • security: resist burglars • adaptable functions and designs before construction: modular • adaptable functions after construction: multi-functional areas, progressive, modular, sustainable areas (investment for life) • adaptable construction: replaceable parts • hygiene and toilet: dry toilet, separate kitchen and washing place, easy to construct and to clean • sustainability: independent of central systems, self-supportive, water collection, organic filter • atmosphere and inner climate: natural lighting, fits to climate, ventilation in every room, floor isolation (moist) • room functions: comfort and privacy, porch included, ≥ 2 rooms, safe and private, storage area, semi-open kitchen, shared functions (kitchen and dining room) • environmental safety: resist forces of nature • implementation and education: implementation eco-latrine (dry toilet) includes education programmes of use


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

DESIGN TOPICS: • adaptable functions and construction:

o modules: combined areas (kitchen and dining room, storage in bedroom under the roof),

3x3 with the basic needs, connected kitchen, living room and dining room, privacy is more

important than space

o walls: use of unsupportive walls are easy to remove, distinction of basic and finished walls

• hygiene and sustainability

o ‘dirty’ areas at sun side

o rain water collection through gutters and tank

o well water

o permaculture garden to clean used water

o re-use of water (e.g. flushing the toilet)

o water tank constructed at certain height to obtain water flow (pressure) without a pump

o basic design with dry toilet outside, expensive design with wet toilet inside

o wet area together (wet toilet, shower, washroom)

• inner climate and security

o roof inclination of 45° where struts can transfer the load towards foundation

o mobile inners walls of bamboo mats or cellular bamboo

o openings at bottom (and top) for ventilation

o transparent roof sheets, roof shutters

o single roof eave, instead of two

o use of decoration blocks (open) for ‘minifalda’ (social analysis)

o orientation of roof adaptable to wind and sun direction

• ‘bueno, bonito y barato’ (good, nice and cheap)

7.1.5

o durable and safe, attractive, cheap and little maintenance

o prefabrication lowers the costs, expertise improves appearance nd provides maintenance

o decent and cheap is the basic, as people climb the ladder of society, they climb towards a

nicer and extra comfortable home

o façade is most important for appearance

o bed rooms have a high privacy rate, kitchen and bathroom could be shared

o minimum amount of outer walls

CONSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PHASE

and companies. The field experience of

Also during this phase we were able to

our local supervisor, Henky Borgstein,

exchange knowledge and experience. The

also added a lot to the final design as well

students have a lot of knowledge about

as the earlier constructional suggestions

construction materials used in Nicaragua

(Constructional Analysis).

due to work experience with other projects

139


CHALLENGES:

house. The target group is described in

• How to isolate the floor from the ground?

detail in the social analysis by Bambú Social 2.0. We made a corresponding

• Whether to use bamboo in some elements

programme of requirements with which we

or not?

want to improve the most precarious living conditions.

With the constructional design the costs were estimated by the students. Despite the

Part of our motivation to contribute to the

consulted experience and local research,

project is the involvement of local families

the budget estimation was a real challenge,

in both design and construction. By their

especially with the calculation of the working

drawings in the social analysis we learned

hours.

about their basic needs. It became clear what their current situation is and what

7.1.6

140

THE DESIGN

they would like to change. The people

During December and January, the students,

want to move forward. This is our constant

the team and our local supervisor worked on

motivation to provide solutions for the

this optimized design of the social house.

needs of these families.

In the following paragraphs the design will be explained by the students involved in the

Social housing projects in Nicaragua

internship.

are getting sober and the amount of (international) projects decrease. It turns

INTRODUCTION

out that there’s a lack in execution of the

People might think that architecture is a

reformed ‘Special Law for the Promotion

luxury and that it is only for the people

of Housing Construction and Access to

who can afford it. We think it should be

Affordable Housing’. Furthermore, social

accessible for everybody.

houses have become unattractive for these families, as the only aim is to save on

As architects, our challenge and

construction materials. By sacrificing the

professional ethic is to innovate and

quality of materials, lives of families can be

provide solutions for those in need. The

at risk.

best satisfaction is the feeling that our contribution can help these families and to

In our opinion, even in social housing

see how even little things can change their

we are required to meet with building

lives.

standards established in our country. Therefore, we prefer to reduce the surface

Our design is a proposed solution for

area and maximise the characteristics of

families who do not have the sufficient

available construction materials. Large

resources to buy or construct a (big) house.

scale housing production has always

It is the design of a progressive social

been a challenge and many times caused


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

problems. We think a lot can be improved in the research and management of these projects. For Bambú Social our assignment is to create a multifunctional design for progressive social housing, accessible for the poorest while adaptable to the needs and wishes of the entire target group. We hope by this we can contribute to solution for the housing deficit of Nicaragua.

CONCEPT The concept of our design is based on adaptable functions and construction. The social house must be transformable and have multi-functional areas. This brings us to three criteria. Within each criteria is explained how this is applied on the design of the social house. Affordable: choice of material (bamboo, lumber, concrete, Plycem*) • minimum dimensions • (re-)use of recourses as water, bamboo, sun, wood and air Sustainable: • natural lighting • cross-ventilation Progressive: • transformable and expandable along with the necessities and income of the families • clear definition of areas (public and private, multi-purpose areas) • 3x3 m modules

141


*Fibrocement Plycem: an existing

• The design of the house consists of

technology for over 51 years which is

3x3 m modules. INVUR uses an area of

patented by the company Plycem. The

36 m2 for social housing. This is used as

cement is a totally versatile, modular,

a reference. By a modular design, the

lightweight and durable and is comparable

social house is expandable up to 70.5

to materials like cement. It provides

m2. Families can expand at any stage,

resistance to impact like moist, pests and

depending on their income.

fungi. In addition, it is fireproof and has a

• Multi-purpose spaces are used for

high durability and life (Plycem).

public areas of the house, this way public and private areas are divided.

With these characteristics we hope to

• The design contains a wet module

fit the design to the Nicaraguan phrase:

outside the social house, where the toilet,

‘bueno, barato, bonito’, which aims for a

shower and laundry area available.

decent, cheap but beautiful design. We

• Group C is based on an average

think it is....

monthly income of 11,000 córdobas.

• …good when people have a safe and

142

secure feeling.

The proposed design is based on applying

• …cheap if it is built with local

the needs and wishes of the target group

materials, because you safe on transport.

taking into account the materials, exterior

Prefabricated elements also lower the

as interior ability to close off, in situ

costs, and makes the house easy to

recourses and durability, resulting in an

construct.

inexpensive social house for the people of

• …beautiful if the target group considers

El Rama.

the house as a progress and if they would love to live in it.

A ‘minifalda’ construction is used. The masonry prevents water from entering

GUIDELINES AND DESIGN CHOICES

during the rainy season. The concrete

• Some design elements are the same as

floor was popular among the families,

the model house built in 2014.

because it is easy to clean and relatively

1. Proper use of natural lighting and

inexpensive. People also have the ability

ventilation (cross-ventilation) as a way to

to tile the floor.

avoid moisture inside the home and avoid deterioration of materials.

The house was designed on ground level

2. The use of bamboo as a structural part

and not on piles, mainly because of the

of columns and beams.

concrete ‘minifalda’ structure. This is

• To provide progressiveness the

cheaper if it is constructed on ground level

design was made in a grid. This way an

and also easier to construct. However,

arrangement of areas fits with each target

the design can be adapted based on the

group segment.

terrain location (e.g. hilly areas).


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Using a fairly steep roof with wide eaves and allows protection of the materials and elements to provide durability (e.g. bamboo, wall elements). Also for the installed rainwater collection system, the large eaves are beneficial.

7.1.7

ONE DESIGN, SIX PHASES Below the 3D impression of the first phase of the social house is shown. This is the smallest, most simple version of the house. All six phases of the design are shown on the next two pages. Illustrated by UCA students Armando and Dania during their internship with BambĂş Social.

143


PHASE 1

PHASE 2

144

PHASE 3


PHASE 4

PHASE 5

145

PHASE 6


CONSTRUCT WITH CRAFTSMEN

7.2

In the evaluation stage, the constructed

documentation about the results and

model house and the first design of

experience can be found. We will use a

the social house were investigated on

natural treatment; a traditional Columbian

constructional aspects. The constructional

technique that has minimal impact on

analysis concluded in design suggestions

the environment and uses no chemical

that could improve the design of the

treatments. The bamboo is cut at a farm in

social house. To test these suggestions

La Fonseca (two hours driving from El Rama

we constructed and experimented these

along the river Río Kama).

techniques. The aim is to deliver to bamboo development of which the constructional

CUTTING THE BAMBOO

aspects of the social house can benefit. The

The treatment starts with the cutting of

constructional aspects include the whole

bamboo. The knowledge was gained in the

process of preparation and constructing.

preparation phase, through an interview with Fernando Echeverría, vice-consul

146

7.2.1

The first experiment has to do with the

of Ecuador and expert on bamboo. The

harvest of bamboo. The second experiment

bamboo we cut is Guadua Amplexifolia.

is the construction of the Techito (little roof

Mature bamboo (three to four years) is ideal

in Spanish), in which all new connectiona

to use for construction. If the culms are too

are used. Both experiments are carried

young or too old, the amount of fungi and

out together with local craftsmen and the

insects inside the bamboo is harmful for the

students of the UCA.

material.

NATURAL TREATMENT

Bamboo is a natural material, so we have

As with regular wood, most bamboo

to take the rules of nature into account.

species have low resistance against insects

With full moon and new moon, the bamboo

and other biological degrading organisms

culms contain a lot of water due to the

once they are cut. Without any protective

gravitational forces of the sun and moon.

treatment, most bamboo species have

The water itself and the fact that it attracts

an average durability of less than 2 years

even more fungi and insects are harmful

(GuaduaBamboo, 2015). The most common

for the material. Six to eight days after full

way to treat the bamboo is in by submerging

moon the bamboo is ideal to cut, as shown

the poles in large tanks with non-toxic boron

in the illustration on page 149. Due to the

preservatives. The same technique was used

trouble in finding a farmer, we had to cut the

during the construction of the model house

bamboo only four days after full moon.

in 2014. When the bamboo is cut, the stumps (lower Bambú Social 2.0 experiments with

part of culm with roots) have to be cut in an

another natural technique. Even though

angle just above the node. This way (rain)

it is an ancient technique, little to no

water that enters the stump can flow away


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

MOTOSIERRISTA JULIAN

LESTER

FARMER JUAN BALLESTER


so it doesn’t affect and kill the roots. With machetes the thorns of the bamboo were removed, so that the culms were accessible for the ‘motorsierrista’ (man with the chainsaw) to separate the bamboo culm from its roots.

NATURAL DRYING REACTION According to the columbian technique, the culm has to be placed back on the stump so it does not touch the ground, after the bamboo is cut. The water transport from the roots to the leaves is obstructed, while the leaves continue to evaporate water. This means that the leaves start to evaporate the remaining water that is stored within the culm and slowly the culm dries itself out. During this drying process the sugar that is stored in the bamboo is transformed into alcohol. This alcohol functions as a natural insecticide that protects the bamboo against termites and other insects. This process takes three weeks.

COLLECTING THE BAMBOO Two and a half week later we returned to the farm to collect the bamboo. During these weeks it has rained a lot (due to the prolonged rainy season). The culms were covered with mud up to a significant height as the water level of the river raised above the river bank. This indicates that the lower open parts of the cut culm has been in contact with water, which is fatal for the drying reaction of the bamboo. Drying bamboo turns yellow in the process. However, the bamboo culms we cut were still green. Also, while pulling the bamboo out of the bush and cutting it in pieces of


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

approximately three meters, water got out of

DURING CONSTRUCTION

the cavities in the bamboo.

Before constructing, the bamboo was scrubbed and washed to remove all

Because of these bad circumstances, this

superficial traces of fungus and dirt. It was

method did not work for us and we cannot

clearly visible that places where the bamboo

conclude if it has been effective or not.

was covered with mud were further with its

We can say that it is important to take the

drying process because of the clear yellow

location of the bamboo, and the wether

colour (mud extracts water).

prospections in mind for a good harvest. During the construction it was unavoidable

DRYING CONTINUED

to protect the bamboo from the sun. By

A total of fifty culms have been cut, resulting

direct sunlight, the drying process of the

in over a hundred three meter pieces. These

bamboo goes too fast and in an irregular

were stored for three weeks in the Bambú

way. Rapid shrinkage was visible and some

Social workshop protected from the sun

cracks appeared.

with the presence of ventilation, ideal for a further drying process. The (hopefully)

7.2.2

POINTS OF IMPROVEMENT

sufficient alcohol will kill the remained

• Due to a tight planning we did not have

biological organisms.

enough tolerance in time to and cutting opportunities. It took a while to find a farm

Three weeks later, the colour of the bamboo

with the right bamboo in the right condition.

changed significantly, but the present green

In the end we only had one choice left to cut

layer still indicated that the drying process

the bamboo before construction.

has not been finished yet.

Phases of the moon in relation to the water circulation in plants

149


• Apart from visible observations also

design of the roof we used the column

measurements should have been done.

and connection that we suggested in the

For example investigate the shrinkage over

constructional analysis. You can find a

time could say something about the drying

detailed drawing of this connection. For the

process, even though the experiment was not

gravel we used a mixture with the following

optimal.

ratio´s cement:sand:gravel = 1:2:3. After the concrete was poured it had to harden for a

• When we started the construction, the

couple of weeks.

drying process didn’t finish yet and in

150

fact the bamboo culms were not ready

Day 20: bamboo selection

to be constructed with. This means the

After two weeks the concrete was hardened

construction will deteriorate faster than

and we started with constructing the

hoped-for. However, we decided to continue

scaffolding and preparing the bamboo

with the experiment.The detoriation time

elements. In the Bambú Social workshop we

doesn’t affect the rest of the experiment and

selected the best bamboo pieces for the

in this way the new connections could be

construction. For the columns we used the

tested. The owner of the techito will replace

strongest culms which had a small distance

the culms if they start to deteriorate.

between the nodes. The smaller node distance gives the bamboo more strength

7.2.3

EXPERIMENT TECHITO

(because of its ability to transfer more shear

The construction of the roof had as

forces). As described in the constructional

purpose to test the new connections that

analysis, the culms that we used had to be

we suggested in the constructional report.

straight. Because we cut more bamboo

By constructing these connections their

than needed, we had plenty of choice.The

functionality and reliability can be tested.

straightest pieces were used for the beams.

After the construction we analyse and give

Because every beam is constructed out of

feedback on the constructed connections so

two culms it is important to find two pieces

they can be used in the design of the social

that are a good fit together.

house or in other future projects. Day 22: prefabrication

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Before we started with the construction we

To sketch the construction process, a day

prepared all the elements that we needed

to day documentation was done. The

in the workplace. For making the dowels we

construction began in the third week of

used the equipment shown on the next page.

December.

The beams were drilled and connected with several dowels. After the preparations we

Day 1: pouring concrete

transported all the prefabricated elements

The construction of the roof started with

to the construction site. There the first three

pouring the concrete columns. For the

bamboo culms were placed on the concrete.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT


Day 23: placing the columns The next day the other columns were placed. The construction of these columns was relatively easy. The most difficult part was to place the columns straight. However, during the construction it was possible to straighten out small deflections or bends because the bamboo was not entirely dry. When drying process of the bamboo is completed, it is more difficult to do that. Day 24: placing the cross-beam After that the columns were constructed the cross-beam was placed. The next step was preparing the struts. These struts took a little more work because they had to be connected to the already existing building.

152

Because this connection is not used in the social house, it is not suggested in the constructional analysis. Day 25: placing the rafters The next step was placing the rafters. The rafters are placed onto the cross-beam and the middle high column. For stability the strut is connected to the highest column. We will refer to this connection as a Rietveld connection as the bamboo culms come together in x, y and z direction, as can be seen on the next page. After the rafters were placed the battens were constructed. These battens were suggested in the constructional analysis. They enable the constructors to straighten out any irregularities in the rafters which make placing the zinc sheets a lot easier. In the constructional analysis you can find a more elaborated description of these battens and their purpose.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Day 26: placing the struts

and on a large scale. Using such tool could

The skeleton of the construction was

save money on labour costs and speed up

standing. Now we started to give it more

the construction process.

stability. We placed two wooden struts which are connected to the Rietveld connection

• When constructing with bamboo it is ideal

and the existing structure. The last step was

to finish every bamboo beam or column

placing the zinc sheets onto the battens.

at a node because it closes off the culm for insects. Because the required length

Day 27: placing the zinc sheets

doesn’t always correspond to the distance

We continued placing the final sheets the

between nods, this is not always possible.

next day, as it took more time than expected

Therefore, we decided to close off the open

to fit them to the shape of the existing

culms with a very dry cement-sand mixture.

building.

It is preferable to apply this mixture when the bamboo is completely dry because the

7.2.4

RECOMMENDATIONS

shrinkage of the bamboo can crush the

During the constructions we made some

mixture.

decisions which had a positive effect on the process and the final result. We would like

7.2.5

POINTS OF IMPROVEMENT

to share these so future projects have the

During the construction we encountered

possibility to use them to their advantage.

several problems and difficulties. We would like to share these difficulties and our

• During the construction we had the

proposed solutions so future projects won’t

possibility to choose from a very large

encounter the same problems.

amount of bamboo. Because we cut more bamboo then we needed we could select

• Start constructing with dry bamboo and

the best parts and create very straight beams

keep the bamboo out of the sun as much

and columns. Since the price of bamboo is

as possible. During the construction of

relatively low we believe it is a good idea for

the Techito some elements were already

future project to buy 20-30% more bamboo

constructed in place and could not be

as needed so you can select the best pieces.

protected from the sun. The exposure to

The remaining bamboo culms can be used

the sun made the bamboo dry to fast which

to make dowels, wall elements or bamboo

resulted in some cracks.

mats, for instance. • Sharpen the drills at a regular basis. When • We used a special tool to make dowels

making the beams we noticed that the drills

(see pictures on the left), instead of using

blunt very fast due to the high concentration

only a machette. By hitting a piece of

of silicon in the bamboo. In some cases the

bamboo through the holes, starting with the

blunt drills caused the bamboo to crack or

biggest hole you can produce dowels fast

split while drilling it. We tried to prevent

153


the bamboo from splitting by drilling with

7.2.6

FEEDBACK ON THE CONNECTIONS

a very high RPM and use less force but this

COLUMN CONNECTION

did not guarantee that it wouldn’t split. We

This first connection can be found in the

encountered the same problem in the model

constructional analysis. It connects the

house. By sharpening the drills at a regular

bamboo culms to the concrete column.

basis this might be prevented.

To construct this connection we used an iron angular gusset that connects all the

• Try to make a good estimation of

three bamboo culms together. The gusset

the needed materials, to speed up the

is poured into the concrete where it is

constructing process. Going to the shop

connected to the steel reinforcement. The

many times took us a lot of time and delayed

strength of this connection is that it not

the process.

only connects the culms to the concrete but it also connects the culms to each other

154

• For the concrete columns use gravel

what provides more strength and stability.

with a maximum size of 20 mm. The gravel

In our opinion this connection is a major

we used was too big which was difficult in

recommendation because it is relatively easy

combination with the iron reinforcement.

to construct and the result is very strong

After removing the wooden mould we

and stable. We did experience that it can

encountered several gravel pockets that had

be difficult to drill through the two bamboo

to be filled up after the mold was removed.

culms and the predrilled hole in the gusset


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

at the same time. Therefore we suggest fixing the bamboo culms into place with several clamps.

RIETVELD CONNECTION This second connection connects the column, cross-beam and rafter (as shown on the next page). We experienced that this connection is very easy to construct because it allows you to place the three elements step by step. This gives you the opportunity to straighten out any irregularities in the bamboo before placing the next element. The result is a very strong connection that also provides a lot of stability to the overall structure. We think that the use of this connection can be a huge improvement to bamboo structures and we really recommend it.

BATTENS The battens that support the zinc sheeting we suggested in the constructional report are also tested. It turned out that these battens gave us the opportunity to create an even levelled roof onto which we could place the zinc sheets. See the constructional analysis for a more detailed explanation of these battens.

7.2.7

EXPERIMENT CONTINUED The Techito experiment is an on-going project at the moment of writing. The fact that natural treated bamboo is used and currently exposed to sun, rain and other natural conditions, means that it has to be checked every year. Also, the bamboo that is left over will be used for future experiments. Experiments

155


like prefab wall elements with windows or shutters can be tested in the structure of the techito as well. Earlier invested money (see page 164) will be used to buy Bambusa Múltiplex and Guadua Inermis to experiment with struts for the Techito and for lightweight structures.

7.2.7

INVOLVEMENT OF CRAFTSMEN In the design chapter, the involvement of the students has been the main objective. In this chapter the involvement of local craftsmen has been less than we wished for. The scope of the experiment was mainly about testing the earlier mentioned connections in the constructional analysis. In this analysis, recommendations of the interviewees were

156

taken into account, but these did not result in new connections. In the process of bamboo cutting we got help from a local craftsman (Lester), the ‘motorsierrista’ (man with the chainsaw) and the students of the UCA. Although none of us had experience with cutting bamboo beforehand, we made a great and effective team, learning from eachother. When the bamboo has to be collected and transported to El Rama, the students of the UCA also had the opportunity to work with bamboo for the first time. Simultaneously with the construction of the Techito, the students were working on an alternative design of a social house. This resulted that the students were tightly involved with the experiment and they could use the gained knowledge directly in the


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

design. Because of their field experience

COLLABORATION EXPERIENCE

(see Design chapter), they could show

We see the students as future architects of

us how to make concrete as it is done in

Nicaragua and the craftsmen as potential

Nicaragua.

bamboo experts and entrepreneurs. Interaction between these two groups

Further on in the construction, the students

could be very promising. We found that the

helped in every step. Also Theodoro,

opportunity where the students and local

previously involved in the construction of the

craftsmen met in the field was of a significant

model house, came to work with us.

importance of the project. We hope by documenting all our findings and reflections

During the whole process of harvesting

this knowledge adds to Bambú Social and to

bamboo until the final step of the

the development of bamboo constructions.

experiment, our local supervisor has

Furthermore, we hope that the interaction

played an important role. Henky’s lifetime

between students and craftsmen pays off

experience as a professional carpenter, also

by inspiring both groups to work together

locally practised in El Rama, was of a major

on the development of bamboo as a

value to the exchange of knowledge.

construction material in Nicaragua.

THE TECHITO


7.3

BIBLIOGRAPHY • GuaduaBamboo. (n.d.). Bamboo Poles. Retrieved from Guadua Bamboo: http://www. guaduabamboo.com/bamboo-poles/ • Plycem. (n.d.). Technología. Retrieved from Plycem: http://www.plycem.com/contenido/ tecnologia/ • BambúSocial. (2014). Project Report Bambú Social. El Rama: Shortsighted Architecture. • BambúSocial. (2015). Project Plan Bambú Social 2.0. The Netherlands.

158


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

159


8

CONTINUATION


8.1 DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION .................................... 162

8.1.1 Four groups of focus ....................... 162

8.1.2 Bringing them together ................. 163

8.1.3 Continuation processes ................. 163

8.2 CONSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY ............................ 164

8.2.1 Bamboo suppliers ......................... 164

8.2.2 Bamboo clients .............................. 165

8.2.3 Bamboo prefab company ............ 167

8.3 RESEARCH CONTINUITY .........................,............. 168

8.3.1 Universidad Centroamericana ....... 168

8.4 CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT ........................ 170

8.4.1 Development through business .... 170

8.4.2 Business minded foundation ......... 171

8.4.3 From project to development ....... 172


DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION

8.1

The goal of Bambú Social Foundation is to

opportunity to build a personal connection

improve the housing conditions in Nicaragua

and actively invite them all to our final event.

by sharing knowledge and expertise about

By sharing information and feeling welcome,

the use of local resources for sustainable

we believe that the fifty families feel more

and affordable social housing. Throughout

involved in the project and might be more

our project we concluded that direct

open to bamboo housing in the future.

implementation is most needed to get to this goal. In the Impact Analysis four groups

STUDENTS

of focused are defined. As for our project,

Since the execution phase, students have

we already tried to focus on all four groups.

been involved during the designing process.

The activities with and involvement of the

Among thirty architecture students we

four groups of focus are summarised below.

shared our thoughts about bamboo housing during the UCA Design Case. Later five UCA

8.1.1

FOUR GROUPS OF FOCUS

students actively contributed to the bamboo

TARGET GROUP

development by finalising the design of an

During the home visits there was a

alternative social house. This house can now

direct contact with the target group and

be integrated in the future plans of Bambú

Bambú Social. Because of this we had the

Social.

THE FINAL EVENT IN THE MODEL HOUSE


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

CRAFTSMEN

results of the last three months including the

Through interviews, local craftsmen helped

two designs of a social house. The families

us with the constructional analysis. With this

saw that their opinion was of great value in

input, we came up with recommendations

our research, which put a smile on their face.

and new connections. These were tested in

At the end of the presentation, all visitors had

experiment Techito which was built with the

the opportunity to experience the bamboo

help experienced bamboo constructors, and

house. For many of them, it was the first

of which the bamboo was cut with the help of

time they have been in a (well-constructed)

craftsmen.

bamboo house.

BAMBOO SUPPLIERS

By bringing all parties together, we brought

In our search for bamboo we explored where

all parties into contact with each other, a

we could find the right bamboo and on what

first step towards collaboration with each

farms. During business meetings we learned

other. As described in the Method and

about future collaboration opportunities for

implementation, the goal for Bambú Social is

Bambú Social, with both bamboo supplier

to eventually let go of the groups of focus, so

and future clients.

they can develop themselves independently of external help. By sharing our findings and

8.1.2

BRINGING THEM TOGETHER

the two designs, we hope that little by little

According to the introduction meeting it will

bamboo housing becomes more accessible

contribute to the demand if people see a

to all people of Nicaragua.

family living in a bamboo house. This is not possible yet, as the design of the social house

8.1.3

CONTINUATION PROCESSES

is not final yet. But, by organising meetings

In the project plan (2015) we defined two

in which the families get actively invited will

processes of continuation: the constructional

promote bamboo as a construction material.

continuity and research continuity. The

By sharing information and feeling welcome,

students contribute to future research,

we believe that the families will feel involved

and the craftsmen and bamboo suppliers

in the project and will be open to bamboo

contribute to the constructional continuity.

housing. In the coming chapters, further During the last week of our stay in El Rama,

implementation steps are suggested. These

we organised the final event of Bambú Social

are ordered by the continuity process

2.0. The interviewed families, students of the

of which Bambú Social can focus. In the

UCA, craftsmen, the local government and

final chapter these processes are brought

partners were invited in the model house

together in the national innovation system for

constructed by Bambú Social in 2014. In this

Nicaragua.

final event, we presented our progress and

163


CONSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY

8.2

The constructional continuity includes all

durable compared to the Guadua species

opportunity in the chain of bamboo, from

(see Constructional Analysis).

harvesting the bamboo to the construction itself. In the process of constructional

When we arranged the bamboo cutting,

continuity collaboration opportunities with

it was cancelled by the farm, because the

eventual bamboo suppliers and clients are

right tools were missing. Because of a tight

discussed. In the final part the business

planning and reckoning with the moon,

model of a bamboo prefabrication company

we start looking at other possibilities. We

(Bambú Bueno) is presented.

also understood that the farm currently focuses more on experimenting than on

8.2.1

BAMBOO SUPPLIERS

selling agricultural products. On page 32 is

In 2014 Bambú Social experienced for the first

described how the invested money will be

time the process of harvesting bamboo. At

used.

the end of the project, it was recommended

164

to buy the bamboo that we needed at a

The second option was a farm in Magnolia

farm owned and run by INTA (Instituto

along the river of Río Escondido (one hour

Nicaragüense Tecnología Agropecuaria) in El

driving from El Rama). When we contacted

Recreo (thirty minutes by car from El Rama).

the farmer to arrange a meeting, we found out that the bamboo was burned down from

Before our arrival in El Rama a prepayment

the river banks, as the very fertile soil was

has been transferred for a total of fifty

more useful for other crops.

bamboo culms of Guadua Amplexifolia. In November, this bamboo was in very bad

The third option was a farm at La Fonseca

condition and little amount. A species where

along the river of Río Kama (two and a half

we looked at was Dendrocalamus Asper,

hour driving form El Rama). We met with the

with a significantly bigger diameter and less

farm owner Juan and he was cooperative and excited as his bamboo on his farm was never bought before. In two following trips to La Fonseca, the bamboo was cut and collected. For our experiment Techito, the amount of fifty cut culms was enough. For future project where more bamboo culms are necessary, some further exploration of bamboo farms must be done.

ECOPLANET BAMBOO MEETING ECOPLANET BAMBOO

This is a worldwide organisation that recently has invested extensively in the


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

bamboo industry. They are focusing on the production of pulp and paper, textiles, bioenergy and engineered timber. For like this it is important to maintain their local image. In November 2015 we met with the general manager, financial manager and other board members. They own a bamboo farm stretching from

MEETING CEDEHCA

El Rama along the river to La Fonseca (1100 acres). For Bambú Social it would be interesting to partner up with EcoPlanet

For EcoPlanet Bamboo we need a business

Bamboo. In the process of up scaling Bambú

contract. The company benefits from us,

Social needs a farm that can guarantee to

because of their good local image, and

have enough bamboo.

Bambú Social can benefit from them because of a fixed low bamboo price. Keep

Right now (end of 2015) they’re focusing on

in mind that for this company, the profit over

producing charcoal/active coal and pallets.

processed bamboo is higher than over raw

They will start harvesting in 2017 until now

material.

they’re experimenting with the productions. At the moment they have about 1100

8.2.2

BAMBOO CLIENTS

acres, and they will keep expanding each

For Bambú Social it is very interesting

year with about 25% until 2022. On their

to cooperate with local businesses and

property they have Guadua Aculiata and

foundations because of their knowledge

Guadua Amplexifolia available. They are also

of the country and culture Nicaragua. By

planning to plant Guadua Angustifolia, but

partnering up, we hope to collaborate with

this species is flowering at the moment.

parties who could help us to stimulate the social acceptance of bamboo.

They have this principle: not only getting revenues but also socially correct. In South-

CEDEHCA

Africa (for example) they’re investing in

CEDEHCA stands for Centro de Derechos

education and health of their employers.

Humanos, Ciudadanos y Autonómicos

After March 2016 the world-wide board will

and its mission is to contribute to the

decide how to invest their funds in 2017.

empowerment of indigenous people, Afro-

Therefore during February/March we have

descendants and Misquitus at the Caribbean

to deliver a draft plan of the project and the

Coast of Nicaragua through education

demand of the coming years.

and defence of Human and Autonomous

165


Rights and influencing public policies that

very strong, local and durable construction

strengthen their cultural identity.

material that could be used on a large scale. Bambú Social is interested in constructing

We visited the farm in Bluefields where

several houses on the farm because it helps

they set up an agriculture program for

the foundation to scale up the project and

young people in the region. Together with

promote the use of bamboo.

the program PREVENIR, Prevención de la Violencia Juvenil en Centroamérica, courses

We believe that the farm is a very good

are provided for vulnerable youth to secure a

match because of the importance of

better future. Last year the first group arrived

education for both parties. Bambú Social

and got an official degree in agriculture of

puts a lot of effort is exchanging knowledge

INATEC (Instituto Nacional Tecnológico).

with local students and craftsman. Sharing knowledge is a really imported step towards

166

Coming years more students will arrive so

the implementation and acceptance of

that they are empowered to be able to start

bamboo. The construction process on the

their own small business in agriculture and

farm could even be used as an educational

farming. Michael Campbell, representative

process so the youth (potentials for the

of CEDEHCA, explained that the housing

future) gets involved in this ‘new’ kind of

conditions on the farm should be improved

material and introduces it into society.

so they are able to facilitate the educational

Michael mentioned that creole people

program. By using bamboo as main

are used to working with bamboo, but the

construction material, CEDEHCA could send

knowledge has been lost over the years.

a good message for sustainability. The farm

It would be nice if this knowledge could

could become a model farm, an example for

be reintroduced and add to the living

small producers. Furthermore, bamboo is a

standards. For further collaboration it is important that CEDEHCA sets up terms of reference for the buildings on the farm so Bambu Social can see how they can help. During our meeting CEDEHCA wishes the farm to be ready next year January – March 2016 to receive the students. However, before the construction on the farm there should be an analysis of the area. In combination with the Program

MEETING CEDEHCA

of Requirements designs can be made. The construction itself process (including


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

During our stay, we did not notice any entrepreneurial activities focused on bamboo. We think this has to do with the harvesting and treating the bamboo) would

current image that bamboo has. “The image

at least take six months. We concluded that

will improve, if people start working with

the construction is not feasible in 2016.

bamboo. I have never heard of the idea to offer prefabricated construction elements,

It would be possible to supply a course on

but it sounds attractive as it saves time and

bamboo (and sustainable construction) as

money”, explained Lester, local craftsman.

a first introduction of bamboo. During the course the students could get practical

“I think that a modular prefabricated

education by working in a workshop and

construction system is a pragmatic process

making prefabricated construction parts that

that could contribute the housing projects.

could be later used for the construction of

Each family or applicant can control the

the buildings on the farm.

stages and complexity of construction. The costs however, have to be kept low, so it will

For Bambú Social it is important to discuss

be accessible for social housing programs”

what we can deliver, taking into account the

says Emma Grun.

supply of bamboo and the availability of skilled people. We are very content about

In October 2015 a business plan for a prefab

the meeting, and we believe that CEDEHCA

bamboo elements producer was written.

is an important partner for the future.

This prefab company, named BambúBueno, is an important factor for achieving the

8.2.3

BAMBOO PREFAB COMPANY

mission of Bambú Social, to improve the

As explained earlier, Bambú Social is working

housing conditions in Nicaragua by creating

on a manual for an affordable prefabricated

a sustainable, affordable and comfortable

social house. The manual will explain step

house. This company is needed for the

by step how to connect the prefab elements

continuative process of up scaling and

and how to build the social house. The

upgrading. In the chapter Contribution to

distribution of the manual enables craftsmen

development is described how Bambú Social

in Nicaragua to build their own house or for

and this prefab bamboo company can work

other families. These craftsmen can become

together.

entrepreneurs who set up (local) companies that can for example produce prefab

The business model canvas is based on The

bamboo elements. Specialisation has a

Startup Owners Manual (Blank, 2004) by

positive effect on the working hours and thus

Steve Blank. This is presented in appendix E.

the price of the elements. As it adds to the image and accessibility of bamboo, Bambú Social can support these kinds of initiatives.

167


RESEARCH CONTINUITY

8.3

The research continuity consists of

and thesis topics, but also with workshop,

everything that has to do with the

forums and many other ideas.”

development and innovation of bamboo construction.

By supplying official internships, Bambú Social contributes to the curriculum of

8.3.1

UNIVERSIDAD CENTROAMERICANA

architecture and civil engineering students.

Architecture and engineering students are

Like this more students gain experience

the designers and builders of the future. The

and knowledge about the use of bamboo in

involvement of students is very important for

constructions, so they can be inspired to use

Bambú Social (see chapter 7.1: Designing

it in their future work as well.

with Students). The internship during December 2015 to

168

“Knowing that there are organisations

January 2016 was not officially recognised

Bambú Social who are willing to contribute

by the university. Bambú Social did provide

to the expertise of students, to improve

recommendation letters. In the future,

sustainable construction processes, is

official internships and thesis projects are

amazing”, said Emma Grun. “We must

a nice opportunity to contribute to the

continue to explore how to take advantage

research continuity.

of opportunities, not only like internships

STUDENTS PRESENTING THEIR IDEAS ON BAMBOO HOUSING


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT


CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT

8.4

As described in the Method and

Until now, this process of upgrading resulted

implementation, the ultimate goal for Bambú

in two possible designs for an affordable and

Social is to eventually let go of the groups

sustainable social house.

of focus, so they can develop themselves and the bamboo industry in Nicaragua

1. Entrepreneurial Activities

independently.

2. Creation of adaptive capacity 3. Knowledge diffusion through networks

We have described the groups of focus and

4. Demand articulation

how Bambú Social can work together with

5. Market formation

these groups to get to their goal. In this

6. Resources mobilization

chapter these groups of focus are discussed

7. Creation of legitimacy

in the bigger picture with one goal in mind: to

8. Infrastructure networks

contribute to the development in Nicaragua.

170

We do that by the help of functions of

In the Impact Analysis is concluded

Innovation Systems by Van Alphen (Project

that Bambú Social can stimulate local

Plan, 2015). For the overview a scheme with

entrepreneurs. However, to comply with

the social housing components of national

a constant creation of adaptive capacity

innovation systems of Nicaragua (Arnold and

(improving the image of bamboo), it is

Bell 2001) is presented.

important to anticipate on big projects, for example like the CEDEHCA project in

8.4.1

DEVELOPMENT THROUGH BUSINESS

Bluefields. In these projects, the product

In this paragraph is investigated how

(social bamboo housing) fits with the demand.

Bambú Social can anticipate on a country’s

We think that, to continue enhancing this

innovation.

demand, Bambú Social has to be able to live up to the size of these projects, in

FUNCTIONS OF INNOVATION

other words, to scale up. For this, a market

Bambú Social is an educational construction

infrastructure is needed, in which the whole

project with the vision to share knowledge

chain of bamboo construction is included.

and expertise about the use of local resources for sustainable and affordable social housing.

In the next paragraphs, these functions are combined in the innovation system of

If we look at the functions of Innovation

Nicaragua.

Systems, we can conclude that Bambú Social’s main focus has been the knowledge

To make the loop complete, to bring change

diffusion through networks. This has been

in the components, Bambú Social should also

done through courses, workshops, etc. where

focus on the business system: entrepreneurial

knowledge has been exchanged. While doing

activities, demand articulation and market

so the project also started creating adaptive

formation.

capacity: improving the image of bamboo.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

We have divided two different processes: the

Knowing that the demand is increasing,

constructional continuity and the research

the Business System has to grow. In the

continuity. With the research continuity,

Constructional Continuity, we have sketched

Bambú Social can focus on the Education

the current situation of the bamboo

and Research System. In the constructional

suppliers and prefab bamboo company

continuity the bamboo prefab company

(which does not exist yet).

and the bamboo suppliers can be reached

8.4.2

through the Business System, while the bamboo clients fit in the Demand.

BUSINESS MINDED FOUNDATION We think that in the near future, it would be useful if Bambú Social focusses on the

Until now Bambú Social has functioned as

Business System. Through a prefab bamboo

an intermediate organisation, influencing

company, projects can be executed which

the Education and Research System and

improves the image of bamboo, and like this

stimulating the Business System. However,

knowledge creates (local) experts specialised

for the Business System to fit the Demand, it

in the use of local resources for construction.

has to function well.

Bambú Social components of national innovation system of Nicaragua Demand Individual families with low income ($2000/year) to high income Public housing (public government investment) Contractors (private investment)

Business System Education and research system

(prefab) Bamboo companies Bamboo farmers - employment - safety

Intermediate organizations Bambú Social foundation

- health - environmental

Local education (BICU) Central education (UCA) (international)

awareness

Research network

Microfinance

Infrastructure

Diffusing through

Subsidies for bamboo research

Subsidies for bamboo

participation groups

(Universities and students)

investements (contractors)

Banking loan support


The aim of this company is to let the

knowledge with local craftsmen, so that

bamboo construction industry become

families will not get dependent on the

a self-supporting market. It delivers to

company.

the demand (social housing projects, individual families and private projects) and

As an official company, Bambú Social could

education and research systems (exchanges

also apply for governmental subsidies and

knowledge and stimulates innovation). By

banking loan support (Infrastructure) and is

combining these processes of up scaling and

not only limited to sponsor aid. This money

upgrading, we think Bambú Social can live

will be invested as initial capital to start

up to their goal.

up the company. A more continues money stream can be created by partnering up with

This company could fit within the Bambú

a microfinance company.

Social foundation. The objective is not to

172

make profit out of social housing, but the

So by sharing knowledge and expertise, an

company should be self-supporting. Over

innovative self-supporting company can be

private projects a higher margin of profit

created, which articulates on the housing

can be made, which supports social housing

demands.

projects, by selling construction elements with a lower price. The revenues could be

A complete business plan is presented in the

reinvested in innovation and education to

appendix and expands on all the business

offer an affordable and sustainable social

components.

house for the people of Nicaragua. By running such a company, awareness about

8.4.3

FROM PROJECT TO DEVELOPMENT

the use of local resources and the benefits of

The final question is how the project Bambú

constructing with bamboo, will increase.

Social contributes to the development of Nicaragua. The development of a

If, over time, Bambú Social changes

country is a very extensive definition,

its function in the national innovation

which components are all related (housing,

system of Nicaragua from an Intermediate

education, health, safety, etc.).

Organisation towards a Business System, it can act directly on all other components. It

In this chapter we defined two processes

enables Bambú Social to anticipate through

on which Bambú Social should focus to

the market so it can serve directly to the

continue living up to their goal:

target group (up scaling). The exchange of

• Upgrading through the research continuity

knowledge and expertise will not get lost,

• Up scaling through the constructional

because this can still be the main principle

continuity

of the company. It can continue stimulating bamboo education in within the Education

We concluded that it is better if Bambú

and Research System and continue sharing

Social takes part in the Business System,


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

instead of only supporting entrepreneurs.

which Bambú Social haa a great contribution

Like this Bambú Social can anticipate

to the development of Nicaragua.

directly on new innovations and increasing demand, which both support affordable and

BAMBÚ SOCIAL 3.0

sustainable social housing.

We hope that by our research and results during November 2015 until January 2016,

The goal is to stimulate a self-supporting

we got one step closer to affordable, easy-

bamboo housing market, focused on social

to-build housing of good quality that is

housing. This means that it should be

matched perfectly to the various needs of

independent of an organisation like Bambú

the residents of Nicaragua. Our work has

Social. This does not mean that Bambú

mainly focused on the upgrading process.

Social should not start this business, because it will stimulate entrepreneurial activities and

We think the next step for Bambú Social is to

innovation in the bamboo market, especially

focus on up scaling through entrepreneurs.

when it is done in collaboration with local

This can be done, for example, by getting

craftsmen. So eventually, the company will

one step closer to a prefab bamboo

run independently of the help of Bambú

company. More reseach is needed to

Social in a self-supporting bamboo housing

investigate the business culture and

market.

opportunities in El Rama.

This company’s product is composed of local

Finally, entrepreneurial activities can be

as international expertise, and revenues are

stimulated in a lot of ways. As concluded

reinvested in innovation in a social sense. It

in third part Design & Construct, the

may form an example on how social housing

interaction between craftsmen and students

can be realised and on how a business

can be of significant importance for the

minded company lives up to its social

project. Combining both parties might bring

values. Such a company will contribute to an

a valuable dynamic in the project. So, to the

effective business culture.

next team of Bambú Social we would like to repeat the fifth principle of Bambú Social:

By doing so, the housing deficit in Nicaragua decreases and the knowledge diffusion of an easy-to-build house and the use of local resources increases. This way, safety and health, due to decent housing, and education, due to sharing knowledge and expertise, are stimulated. `Concluding from our findings and experiences, we think this is the best way in

Dare to play, dare to discover!

173


X

APPENDICES


A INTERVIEWS .......................................................... 176 B UCA DESIGN CASE RESULTS .................................. 192 C ENCUESTA ........................................................... 196 D HOMEVISIT STORIES ............................................. 200 E BUISINESS MODEL BAMBÚ BUENO ......................... 212


INTERVIEWS

A

A.1

DON SAMUEL - 03/11/2015

DRYING AND TREATISE

PRODUCTS

El bambú se cura con un producto químico

Artesanía (tejidos) y muebles (archivadores,

ácido que lo quema -> Borax

esquineras, sillones, mesas,…)

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

DON SAMUEL

TRAINING

La única ayuda fue la del proyecto de Bambú

Certificado en técnico de bambú.

Social.

DEMAND

WASTEBIN PROYECT

3ª y 4ª región de Managua. La gente local de

(PART I): Propuesta y diseño.

El Rama no tiene aprecio al bambú, no valora

(PART II): No tuvo beneficios con las primeras

el producto.

trece papeleras.

SELECTION AND CUTTING

IMAGE OF BAMBÚ

Bambú de calidad apto para cortar ->

En todo Nicaragua son pocos sectores los

maduro (casi seco, verde). Cuando la luna va

que aprecian el bambú, no miran la utilidad

bajando no cuando está llena (3/4 días antes

que tiene. El extranjero es el que dice ‘me

o después).

gusta, me encanta’.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

“La gente sólo piensa en cemento, en arena, en piedra o en bloque. No piensan en hacer algo bonito con Bambú”. “La persona de escasos recursos aprecia el bambú, pero otra cosa es que los precios son muy elevados y no pueden comprarlo.” “La madera no en lujosa y hay tipos de madera que son lujosas pero que son carísimas, por ejemplo tenemos la madera

THEODORO

del Kaoba.” “En un tiempo no muy lejano, cuando ya no haya madera, entonces las personas tendrán

TIPOS DE BAMBU MAS GRANDE

que comprar bambú.”

Dendrocalamus asper (columnas). Mas fuerte es el guadua gigantacloa (vigas). Si no es

A.2

THEODORO 12/11/2015

buen guidado no presentación completa. No

“Trabajo en la casa de mi papa en una finca

es un buen desarolla, mas débil. Por falta de

agropecuario, el año pasado me relacione a

desarrollo y cuidado.

trabajo en la casa de Bambú Social. Me gusta la construcción de la vivienda.

En eso puede ver un efecto, se plantio usarse

En Nicaragua hay muchas familias con una

dos bambu de viga, pero el bambu era muy

vivienda no digna. Este cause piloto, es como

débil. Quisas poner tres, enforcar. Porque el

un posible solucion, la falta de viviendas.”

bambu no tiene la sección muy desarollada.

EL USO DE BAMBÚ

LA IDEA DE BAÑO SECO

Bambú es un material que desarrollo muy

Uno de los detalles en el banco no es muy

rápido, no tiene tanto años de crecimento. Es

bien. Es muy cerca de la persona. La persona

muy sostenible. Mientras contruimos la casa,

no logra sentirse comodo. Eso parte se

el bambú crece por reparaciones en el futuro.

quedo muy cerca de su punto de asiento, la distancia no es adecuada. El parte un poco

LO HARIAS DIFERENTE

mas abajo, no puede hay contacto con la

La exigencia de los detalles, mas precición.

persona. Esos son detalles en la construccón,

Ambiente funcional totalmente. Quisas no

quisas el diseño es bien, pero construcción

sacrificar algunas cosas. Bambú: necesita

no, o no plania bien eso punto.

prueba de flexion. Si flexionarse, se guarantisa que la construccion queda en el

Tanque recolector está bajo de tierra. Esta

mismo sitio.

dificulta la extracción que seca para hacerlo

177


organico. Quisas le hizo asi para la parte

de extraer aire, una función aeromica, no

dentra de la casa. Mas bien para hacerlo

holor.

encima de la tierra.

MAS DETALLE Una distancia consiberable para no hay

Las linias del techo, no es en un linia.

contacto ningun momento con el usuario, si

Error en la construccion fue las columnas

no, no sirve. El desiño distancia adecuada.

no quedaron en un linia. Especial esta

Es posible sacar de eso por aquí. Una

columna del parte sur, esta produce mucha

puerta pequeño, puede sacar facilmente.

problema.

Para el urin, un filtro para agua grise. Quisas

La viga de aquí que soporta el techo, a

un poco cerca de la casa, pero en general

corro por acá, esta se elevanta. Porque las

el filtro esta bien. Un poco mas separado

columnas no queda en un linia total.

de la casa es de preferible. Otro opción para usar el urin en filtro tierral porque

Hay que trabajar mas tecnicamente para

tiene potasio.

lograr. Tal vez hay errores porque la mayoria de las personas de los alumnos

178

No le hecho construido en mi casa, creo

no eran personas personal cualificados.

que es un opcion muy efectivo.

Entonces esos resultan en errores de

Tubo metalico, recibir calentamiento, ayudo

construcción.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Bambu tiene mas dificultados, dificultado

DISPONABILIDAD

principal que el bambu no es recto. Quisas

Hay pocos productores de bambu, menos

es muy difícil pero la opcion de este vigas es

accesible por la bajo produción. Si hay

un taco de madera, quedo mas en linia. Se

material local, sale mas barata. Debe que ser

tiene esta tacita de madera, y un vara recta,

un punto de construcción, y un lugar donde

resulta en una mejor vista de la casa.

se pueden acarrearlos (distruibir) el bambu.

Ser mas selectivo para seleccionar las varas. No participé en el corte etc. Organización

EL DISEÑO GENERAL

de la construcción. No mucho orientado, no

Cada persona es diferente, entonces

se elaboro en en tiempo. Poco educación,

no solo un formato de vivienda, varios

necisitó dedicación.

personalisados. Varias casas, hacer diferente diseño, pero que tenga lo mismo

PERSONA A CARGA

sostenibilidad como la ecosistema. Sean

Laurens, Henky en algun momento, Diana en

iguales se función. Ventilación pasiva,

el jardin, no recorda mas.

eluminación.

Me gusta mas construir casas que en

Más diseño, no solo un formato pero

muebles. La construcción de este casa es

siempre la funciona ecologico.Tengo que

primera ves que trabaja de bambú? Sí.

separar zona privada de la zona pública. Separar lo que es mantener lo espacio

Quiere trabajar más con el material bambu?

optimo. Funcialidad de ecológica. La vista

Si, por el posible solución de la problema

de la calle, la fuente de dirección del aire,

de la vivienda, necesito de saber mas. Con

posición del sol.

un precio asequible para los habitantes que puedan pagar los costos, pueden mantener

Todos los necisidades del familia. El

su vivienda digna.

planteado es difícil. Si la sala dega de

179


esta en el norte, y la entrada siempre en

with wood or concrete. I felt motivated

el calle, cocina sol directo (zona humido).

because i never had an experience like this

-- explicación de la casa -- La casa buen

before.

desiñado, todo los funcionas. Cocina al dormitorio, fácil.

Were you agreeing on the decisions made? Yes the person in charge are

Veranda es bastante importante, para una

architects and engineers, therefore I trust

casa pequeña es importante. Zona semi

them on the decisions.

privada. Casas mas grande: sala publica y sala privada.

Were the opinions of the students asked for? With one person from Holland, only his

La gente se gusta la parte privado. Cocina

opinion counted, everything has to been

por sol -> zona húmida, también el baño.

done that way. This had a bad vibe around the team.

House needs to become as cheap as

180

possible, without affecting the basic needs.

Did you feel part of the team? Yes it

The walls for example were expensive.

felt like a family. The whole week I was

Alternative: “electropanel”, cheaper.

collaborating, on Saturdays I was studying.

Design must be simple and cheap, sometimes you must sacrifice the sustainable

Was it useful for your study? Yes of course,

part.

it was a curricular activity and we received an official certificate.

A.3

OCTAVIO 4/12/2015 MOTIVATION

MY RESPONSIBILITY

I wanted to learn and be involved in

Everything. I helped in the garden, cutting

something new, not only in constructions

and treating of bamboo. I did not have a specific area (work field).

GARDEN Huge investment (time and money) but a failure, unfortunately. We came up with the drainage system.

NICE EXPERIENCE That the experience was shared and together you could see how the house was being finished. What the team accomplished

OCTAVIO

is beautiful. I’m proud of my name on the bamboo.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

SUPERVISION The supervision was good and I almost never had to work alone. Most of the members were available. The vibe with Max, Juan and Laurens in charge was good. Afterwards another man came and the ambience changed immediately. He had a strong and serious character.

PREFAB IDEA

JUAN RAFAEL

The workshop was meant for the project. I thought the tools would be given to the students who were involved to continue the experiments, but in the end the workshop

EXPERIMENTS

was closed and we didn’t know where the

There were a lot of experiments. With the

tools went.

faeces and sawdust (baño seco). I doesn’t serve and a lot of money was waisted.

181

FUTURE OF THE HOUSE The thing I knew that it is a library for the

I would like to continue with working with

BICU. The idea of the library was good, but

bamboo.

the internet became more accessible for everyone, so people didn’t have to come to

A.4

JUAN RAFAEL 6/12/2015

the library to get internet. So the idea of the

Perforating columns make them weaker.

new cafeteria is good for the house, more

In general there lacked some coordination

people would visit the house.

from the manager, the time was not used efficiently and the people worked slowly.

What would you have done differently?

He has some comments on the design, but

The roof, second floor is too close to the

he didn’t want to tell them.

roof. With zinc plates absorb a lot of heat, the second floor is therefore unbearable.

(maybe create a more trusted environment

The guy said it was good for the ventilation,

to get feedback from the trabajadores).

but I don’t believe that, it is way too close to

Juan Rafael experienced good coordination,

the floor. The material is good, but it must

every day he had a task and there were

be constructed higher.

meetings in which the changes were discussed. I would like to make the roof

What else? Make it cheaper. Doesn’t fit

higher, so there is space for a balcony. For a

economically. With the economy like this,

social house the roof is too high.

people aren’t able to save money. A good price would be 30.000 – 50.000 C$ (2000$).


A.5

JAVIER BALMACEDA 9/12/2015

y con eso poder pagar una prima para la

Imagínese que usted gana 2000

construcción de una vivienda.

córdobas al mes, ¿podría decirnos qué oportunidades tiene para construir una

¿Y en cuanto a las políticas que

vivienda para usted y su familia?

promueven otras instituciones como

No tendría capacidad para construir una

CEPRODEL (Centro de promoción del

vivienda.

desarrollo local) o el Instituto de la Vivienda Urbana y Rural (INVUR)?

182

A día de hoy, ¿de qué manera puede

Son parte de las políticas de gobierno. En

colaborar el gobierno en proyectos de

el caso de INVUR, ofrece algunos subsidios

viviendas de interés social? ¿qué políticas

o eliminaciones de impuestos. De acuerdo

y prácticas innovadoras está promoviendo

a la demanda de la población, también

para impulsar la construcción de viviendas

hay algunos programas como cooperativas

sociales?

para acceder a algunos recursos propios

En la actualidad, hay subsidios en los que

del gobierno (por ejemplo, un lote de

la tasa de interés es más baja en el caso

cemento). En el caso de CEPRODEL, las

de que se quiera construir una vivienda de

tasas de interés son mucho más bajas para la

carácter social.

construcción de viviendas.

Existen posibilidades de eliminar o

¿Cuáles son los requisitos que se exigen

disminuir el impuesto de los materiales de

a las familias que quieran solicitar esos

construcción o negociar precios más bajos

subsidios?

con algunas empresas. Otra alternativa

Para el tema de financiamiento de viviendas

es el adelanto de la liquidación de una

se exigen familias que tengan unos ingresos

persona trabajadora que tenga incentivos

familiares de entre 3000 a 6000 córdobas

acumulados para una liquidación temprana

como salario mínimo. Es decir, unos ingresos promedios familiares de 8000 córdobas. Si la familia no tiene esos recursos, el gobierno nacional en coordinación con el grupal puede subsidiar una parte de la vivienda, no como financiamiento sino como donación . ¿Qué relación tiene la Alcaldía con La Palma de Kukra y la Palma de San José? ¿Cuál es el plan? En el caso de esas empresas hay donación de servicios o de cobro de impuestos

JAVIER BALMACEDA

sociales. En algunos temas específicos la alcaldía puede utilizar a los trabajadores


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

de La Palma. También hay algunas alianzas en

¿Le hemos oído decir varias veces que

cuanto a algún proyecto social como en el tema

quieren impulsar el bambú como un atractivo

de captación de aguas o capacitación de sus

turístico o señal de identidad de El Rama

trabajadores.

¿cuentan con algún plan estratégico? Es una manera de ir promoviendo El Rama con

¿Cómo es la tradición del uso del bambú en

una marca que lo identifique. Creemos que el

Nicaragua?

bambú puede ser una marca porque es nativo

En Nicaragua la tradición del bambú es poca.

de la zona y no lo tienen en otros municipios

En las regiones donde abunda el bambú,

de Nicaragua. Además ya mucha gente sabe

como en el caso de El Rama, se utiliza para la

usarlo de manera artesanal y puede ser un

construcción como andamios u otros soportes

potencial turístico y comercial.

y en algunos casos para viviendas, cercos, etc. En las zonas del pacífico se usa más para

La idea es organizar un tour por El Rama en el

elaboración de artesanía (canastas, muebles,

que los turistas conozcan las variedades del

etc.) al contrario que en la zona sur.

bambú a través de un recorrido por el río y lleguen al Parque Natural de El Recreo donde

¿Cómo explicaría el potencial del bambú

se encuentra el taller de artesanía en el que

para los próximos años?

podrán comprar souvenirs, muebles o incluso

El bambú es un elemento que puede ser

varas de bambú directamente.

importante para varios temas como la construcción de viviendas, la construcción de

¿Cree que el primer paso se dio con el

muebles y artesanía combinado también con

proyecto de las papeleras de bambú y la

un potencial turístico y comercial. Pero aún

casa modelo?

nos hace falta crear una cultura del bambú.

Claro, son los primeros pasos pero no podemos

Todavía hay mucha gente que asocia el bambú

dejarlo ahí. Debemos de continuar con la

como un material para la gente pobre, no se ha

sensibilización a nivel local y luego fuera de El

divulgado bien el potencial que tiene.

Rama.

¿Cree que puede convertirse en una buena

¿Cómo fue la experiencia de haber trabajado

alternativa para el desarrollo de viviendas

con Bambú Social?

sociales en Nicaragua?

La experiencia fue muy enriquecedora,

Es una buena opción. Teniendo en cuenta

porque además hubo un intercambio de

la experiencia que hemos tenido en algunas

conocimientos, de culturas,…Nosotros a

construcciones, creemos que puede ser una

Bambú Social no lo vemos como un simple

solución no sólo para las familias pobres, que

grupo de jóvenes arquitectos que llegaron

necesitan construir de manera rápida, sencilla

al El Rama para trabajar varios meses. Es un

y de bajo costo. Hay que analizar verdadera

conjunto de personas y sistemas, personas que

sino también para familias Ver el costo de estos

capacitaron, infraestructuras que quedaron…

materiales

todo eso es Bambú Social. El hecho de que

183


personas de otros países vengan a crear

sanitario. A pesar de que la biblioteca

conciencia en la población acerca del

es bonita, ahora con el internet la gente

aprovechamiento del bambú hace que nos

apenas va. Creo que una cafetería le va a

cambie un poco la mentalidad.

dar mayor impulso a la casa y recibirá más

visitas. La idea de ir a tomar un café o un

¿Qué opina del resultado?¿Cuál fue el

refresco atrae más a los habitantes de El

impacto social de ambos proyectos?

Rama.

El impacto social de la casa modelo tuvo más repercusión en el entorno de la BICU y en la población estudiantil. Esperamos

A.6

CEPRODEL 11/12/2015

que con el tiempo sea más atractiva y otras

Este año se han suspendido las

personas tengan conocimiento de la casa

financiaciones debido a que hay un %

modelo, incluso para personas que vengan

de mora bastante alto. El objetivo de

de fuera del municipio.

CEPRODEL no es expropiar las viviendas sino cancelar la deudas.

Las papeleras también tienen su función

184

como algo autóctono, nuevo y turístico

En enero está previsto comenzar a dar

pero hay que darle el uso correcto. Aquí

financiamiento para la construcción de

hay otro consenso con la población, para

nuevas viviendas y el mejoramiento de

que empiecen a reciclar la basura que lleva

viviendas.

en sus manos. CEPRODEL es una micro financiera cuya ¿Por qué a día de hoy sólo se han

sede está en Managua pero que tiene

terminado 13 papeleras y no las que se

oficinas por varias regiones de Nicaragua.

acordaron en un principio (50)?

El director ejecutivo tiene bastante interés

Hemos tenido varias dificultades. No

en El Rama. que se distingue de las demás

se calculó bien el tiempo que se iba a

por su carácter social, no buscan beneficios.

necesitar para elaborar una papelera

Tiene la tasa de interés más baja del

(materiales, tratamiento, construcción,

mercado y son los más flexibles.

etc.). No fue por falta de presupuesto. Todo son experiencias pero creo que se está anunciando la construcción de otras papeleras para completar las 50. En los próximos días la casa modelo se convertirá en una cafetería ¿cuál es su opinión al respecto? Creo que hay cosas que hay que mejorar en cuanto a la casa modelo, como el servicio


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Los fondos de CEPRODEL provienen de

No tendría capacidad para construir una

la DGIH, una ONG americana que cuenta

vivienda. Con 6000 córdobas incluso no da

con una cartera de 8 o 9 millones de

ni para poder estudiar. Una familia necesita

córdobas. También está mancomunada con

de promedio unos 14000 córdobas al mes

el hermanamiento de Maastricht, la cual

para cubrir sus necesidades básicas. A partir

ofrece la asesoría técnica y la formulación

de 6000 córdobas ya se considera un buen

y ejecución del proyecto. CEPRODEL es la

salario y ni con eso se puede ahorrar para

fuente de financiamiento.

construir una vivienda.

Existen alianzas entre CEPRODEL e INVUR

A día de hoy, ¿de qué manera puede

en proyectos de construcción de viviendas

colaborar el gobierno en proyectos de

en los que INVUR destina unos 2000$ por

viviendas de interés social? ¿qué políticas

cada vivienda.

y prácticas innovadoras está promoviendo para impulsar la construcción de viviendas

La capacidad de pago tiene que ser

sociales?

equivalente a un salario de entre 8000 y

Ellos tienen varios programas de viviendas

10000 córdobas mensuales (de 280 a 300 $).

en los que ofrecen varios diseños pero

El salario mínimo es inembargable.

todos muy humildes, no creo incluso que

La tasa de interés actualmente está al 18%

sobrevivan a terremotos. Estas viviendas se

anual con fondos propios (con convenio

conceden en forma de donaciones. Cada

estuvo al 13%) y el periodo de amortización depende de la capacidad de pago de la persona que está solicitando el préstamo. Por ejemplo, si una familia quiere un préstamo de 6000$ a 5 años va a quedar pagando una cuota de 155$ mensuales. Ofrecen financiamiento para viviendas cuyos costes oscilen entre los 1000 a 10000$. A partir de los 2500$ ya se considera hipoteca, no garantía y tiene que estar escriturada.

A.7

HENKY BORGSTEIN

HENKY BORGSTEIN 12/12/2015

año hay un plan techo que consiste en

Imagínese que usted gana 2000

donaciones de otros países sólo de láminas

córdobas al mes, ¿podría decirnos qué

de zinc. Hay una nueva ley en la que se dan

oportunidades tiene para construir una

préstamos súper bajos, exoneración del IVA

vivienda para usted y su familia?

(15%). De fuera ya no hay prácticamente

185


proyectos de construcción de viviendas.

Rural (INVUR)?

Habían muchas ayudas europeas bilaterales

CEPRODEL ¿política de gobierno?-->

que ya no recibe Nicaragua. Muchas

Micro financiera. Parte del financiamiento

embajadas europeas han cerrado.

de CEPRODEL es del hermanamiento de

Ocupación de tierras pertenecientes a la

Maastricht. Prácticamente no dan préstamos.

Alcaldía por parte de familias y permitida

INVUR si es política del gobierno.

por la municipalidad (barrio nuevo). ¿Cuáles son los requisitos que se exigen Es cierto que Nicaragua está creciendo

a las familias que quieran solicitar esos

económicamente pero la mayoría del capital

subsidios?

se queda en las grandes empresas. El hecho

Para el tema de financiamiento de viviendas

de que el producto interior bruto nacional

se exigen familias que tengan unos ingresos

esté creciendo rápidamente no quiere decir

familiares de entre 3000 a 6000 córdobas

que las familias tengan más dinero.

como salario mínimo. Es decir, unos ingresos promedios familiares de 8000 córdobas. Si

¿Qué sabe de las políticas que promueven

la familia no tiene esos recursos, el gobierno

otras instituciones como CEPRODEL

nacional en coordinación con el grupal

(Centro de promoción del desarrollo local)

puede subsidiar una parte de la vivienda, no

o el Instituto de la Vivienda Urbana y

como financiamiento sino como donación.

LESTER ANTONIO BERMUDEZ


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

A.9

LESTER ANTONIO BERMUDEZ 18/01/2016

barriers you can encounter?

¿Qué se necesita para montar un negocio en Nicaragua? What is needed to start a

Quizás no poder encontrar ciertos

business in Nicaragua?

materiales. Tengo pensado trabajar con galletas de madera y eso en El Recreo,

Depende del tipo de negocio y de la

donde yo vivo, no lo encuentro y tendría que

inversión que se vaya a hacer.

salir fuera. En cuestión de competencia no creo que tenga problema.

¿Le gustaría emprender su propio

¿Cómo fue la experiencia de trabajar con

negocio? Would you like to start your own

Bambú Social? How did you experience

business?

working with Bambú Social?

Es algo que tengo en mente desde hace

Excelente. Muy bonita porque conocí

tiempo. El tipo de negocio que yo quiero

a gente nueva, me trataron muy bien y

abrir es para poder vender mi arte, mi

siempre con mucho respeto. Estoy muy

pintura, mis cuadros. En mi caso, la inversión

agradecido por lo que aprendí y por el

no es tan alta ya que podría empezar en

respeto común que hubo mientras trabajé

un pequeño taller y teniendo en cuenta

con Bambú Social.

mi situación económica sería la mejor opción. Aún me falta el equipo completo

¿Le gustaría volver a trabajar con bambú?

(herramientas) pero poco a poco voy a lograr

¿por qué? Would you like to work with

mi meta.

bamboo again? why?

¿Sabe si el gobierno ofrece alguna

Por supuesto, no me lo pensaría porque

subvención para eso?¿de qué tipo? Do

adquiriría más conocimiento y experiencia.

you know if there is any government support

Me gustó mucho trabajar con bambú.

for this? what kind of supports? ¿Qué piensa de la imagen del bambú en No sé si el gobierno ayuda en este tipo

Nicaragua? What do you think about the

de negocios. Sin embargo, sé que a otros

image of bamboo in Nicaragua?

tipos de negocios sí. Por ejemplo, el gobierno ayuda a los pequeños agricultores

En comparación con hace un par de años,

y ganaderos regalándoles la semilla

ahora es que se está trabajando más con

mejorada o dos o tres vaquillas para darles

bambú.

la oportunidad de comenzar. También hay ayudas en el sector de la construcción.

¿Y de la utilización del bambú como material de construcción? And about using

¿Con qué posibles barreras podría encontrarse? Which are the possible

bamboo as a construction material?

187


Es muy importante la manera en que se

una connotación negativa en cuanto a

utiliza y se trabaje el bambú, es un material

diseño.

muy delicado. Pero también es mucho más cómodo y económico que la madera.

Muchos arquitectos y muchas arquitectas

Personalmente a mi me gustaría hacer algún

opinamos que el diseño y construcción de

tipo de construcción con bambú.

viviendas, sea cual sea su tipología, debe de encaminarse hacia un diseño que sea justo

¿Cuál es su opinión acerca de la casa

al concepto de la vivienda entendida como

modelo construida por Bambú Social?

un derecho humano universal. Esto quiere

What do you think about the model house

decir que es necesario alejar el término de

built by Bambú Social?

vivienda, de la categoría de “interés social”, manejada como mercancía. Trascender

Había escuchado hablar de ella en El Recreo

la producción de “viviendas sociales”

pero nunca había tenido la oportunidad de

como un objeto o un producto industrial

conocerla. Me pareció muy bonita. El diseño

terminado, para acercarnos a representar su

me llamó mucho la tención. Me gustaría

característica de bien de uso y de producto

hacer algo parecido para mí en un futuro.

cultural. Es decir, entenderla mas bien como

188

acto de habitar y no como un producto Imagínese una empresa que ofrece

económico escaso. Esto implica que también

paneles de bambú prefabricados, ¿cree

hay que repensar la planificación de nuestras

que sería un buen negocio? ¿por qué?

ciudades, hacia ciudades que promuevan

Imagine a company that offers prefabricated

soluciones que buscan diversidad social e

bamboo panels, do you think it can be a

igualdad de oportunidades; incremente la

good business? why?

variedad de tipologías habitacionales dentro de los barrios; y asegure conectividad de los

Posiblemente. Aquí nunca se ha visto algo

asentamientos a las dinámicas urbanas no

parecido y el facilitarle a la gente paneles

sólo en materia de movilidad sino también

prefabricados de bambú puede ser muy

socialmente.

atractivo. Ahorrarían tiempo y dinero.

A.9

EMMA GRUN 19/01/2016

¿Qué importancia tiene para usted el aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales

¿Qué son las viviendas sociales en

en la construcción? How important is

Nicaragua? What is the social housing in

for you the use of natural resources in

Nicaragua?

construction?

En Nicaragua el término que usamos es

Bueno, hoy en día manejamos que entre

“vivienda de interés social” y tiene una

el agotamiento de recursos y el cambio

connotación en cuanto al costo de la

climático radican los principales desafíos

vivienda en sí. Sin embargo, también tiene

de nuestro siglo, y en líneas generales


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

la prioridad frente a la industria de la construcción es la reducción de las emisiones de CO2 mediante la reducción del consumo de energía. Contestando específicamente la pregunta, para mí la importancia radica en el aprovechamiento razonable y balanceado de los recursos naturales renovables. Hay que buscar el balance, y esto implica que debemos transformar radicalmente nuestros métodos de diseño y construcción; tenemos que revisar de una manera muy crítica el proceso, desde la elección de

reciben concientización sobre la necesidad

materiales hasta la cantidad de desperdicios

de abordar la arquitectura de una manera

y la carencia de su reutilización. En la

holística, preocupada por todos los

medida de lo posible la industria de la

aspectos que la rodean. Como sabemos,

construcción debe de compensar los

todo arquitecto y toda arquitecta debe

daños que genera al medio ambiente; a lo

estar equipado/a con el conocimiento de

mejor transformándose en un agente que

muchas ramas de estudio y variados tipos

impulse la renovación y restauración de

de aprendizaje, por ende, durante la carrera

medios naturales que han sido explotados

esta es la meta. Tengo entendido que aún

irracionalmente por muchas décadas.

no hay especializaciones, como por ejemplo un curso especializado de construcción

¿Inculca la importancia de la arquitectura

con Bambú, pero se da la oportunidad que

sustentable a sus alumnos? ¿Reciben

los/as estudiantes escojan sus intereses y

los alumnos cursos relacionados en la

profundicen en sus prácticas profesionales

universidad? ¿Está la UCA involucrada en

y sus tesis. De igual manera, vale la pena

algún tipo de investigación relacionada

indagar sobre lo que están realizando otras

con el bambú? Do you teach the

carreras dentro de la UCA, aparte de la

importance of sustainable architecture to

de arquitectura. Este tipo de coordinación

your students? Do they receive any courses

multidisciplinar podría aportar mucho al

related at the university? Is the UCA involved

crecimiento de la futura generación de

in bamboo research?

arquitectos/as y complementar los cursos impartidos.

El plan académico de la UCA es bien completo; tiene cursos que profundizan

En los cursos que he logrado impartir

en el uso de materiales alternativos y a

sobre urbanismo he incluido el tema de la

lo largo de la carrera los/as estudiantes

sostenibilidad en la búsqueda de respuestas

189


o soluciones que pongan a prueba el

manera de aprovechar las oportunidades;

modelo actual de desarrollo. He hecho

entre eso está lo que mencionan: pasantías,

hincapié en el carácter multisistémico

temas de tesis, y yo agregaría talleres de

del urbanismo y la necesidad que toda

diseño, foros, intercambios estudiantiles,

acción o intervención sea integral. La meta

entre muchas otras ideas. Creo que por

es que cada estudiante se empodere de

ambas partes existe el entusiasmo, hay que

teorías y buenas prácticas urbanas para

aprovecharlo!

plasmar su postura crítica sobre el modelo de desarrollo urbano actual en soluciones

¿Qué piensa de la imagen del bambú en

innovadoras que, por ejemplo, puedan

Nicaragua? What do you think about the

mitigar riesgos ambientales y a su vez que

image of bamboo in Nicaragua?

reduzcan la extracción de combustibles

No me considero una experta en bambú,

fósiles.

de hecho en estos últimos cinco años de mi vida profesional me he separado

190

¿Qué piensa de la relación que existe

un poco del diseño arquitectónico para

actualmente entre la UCA y Bambú

involucrarme en el urbanismo. No obstante,

Social? ¿De qué manera cree que

he notado que se están rompiendo mitos

podemos continuar con esta relación

sobre el bambú. Esto ha sido algo positivo

en un futuro y de manera oficial? ¿Cree

que ha aumentado la confianza en éste

que Bambú Social es una organización

material como una de las soluciones más

cualificada en la que los estudiantes

obvias para reducir nuestra explotación de

puedan realizar sus prácticas o/y tesis?

materiales no renovables en la industria de

What do you think of the relationship

la construcción.

between the UCA and Bambú Social until now? How do you think we can continue

¿Y de la utilización del bambú como

this relationship in the future and officially?

material de construcción? What do you

Do you think that Bambú Social is a

think about using bamboo as a construction

qualified organization in which students can

material?

do their internship and/or thesis? Así como mencioné anteriormente, creo Me parece que es un libro que apenas se

que el bambú es uno de los muchos

está empezando a escribir. Organizaciones

materiales alternativos que debemos

como Bambú Social son activos que

estar explorando en nuestra región y

las universidades deben aprovechar.

en los que debemos depositarle más

El hecho de conocer personas como

confianza. Además, con este material se ha

ustedes, que están interesadas en aportar

demostrado que se puede tener resistencia

sus conocimientos técnicos en mejorar

estructural a la par de calidad visual y

procesos de construcción sostenible, es

arquitectónica.

increíble. Debemos continuar explorando la


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

¿Cuál es su opinión acerca de la casa

Entiendo el propósito y las ventajas. Me

modelo construida por Bambú Social?

inclino a que además de ser modulares

What do you think about the model house

traigan un componente de fácil ensamblaje,

built by Bambú Social?

por así decirlo, para que la gente pueda ser partícipe en la construcción progresiva de su

La casa modelo la visité por primera vez

vivienda, o por lo menos en la distribución

en el marco de un curso de urbanismo

de los módulos constructivos según sus

que impartí en El Rama. Realmente es

necesidades o gustos. Opino que este

un espectáculo: estéticamente hermosa,

sistema constructivo, por su pragmático

estructuralmente resistente y muy minuciosa

proceso de diseño y construcción, podría

con los detalles. Fue una lástima que en

aportar a la profundización de metodologías

esa oportunidad no hayamos podido entrar

de producción habitacional en donde cada

para poder apreciar la distribución espacial

familia u organización demandante, pueda

interna, pero igual, fue una experiencia

tener mayor control y participación de las

en sí misma, y aprendimos mucho sólo de

fases del proceso de construcción de su

estudiar su exterior. Tengo que agregar que

vivienda o de su conjunto habitacional.

sobresale en un contexto donde el bambú no es un material difícil de adquirir, pero es

Imagínese una empresa que ofrece

la única casa construida casi en su totalidad

paneles de bambú prefabricados, ¿cree

con este material. Además, es interesante

que sería un buen negocio? ¿por qué?

que es de las pocas casas contemporáneas

Imagine a company that offers prefabricated

en El Rama que recupera fielmente la

bamboo panels, do you think it can be a

construcción sobre pilotes, tal como

good business? why?

construían antes en la zona. Es una idea atractiva. Aunque hay que ¿Tiene alguna sugerencia de mejora para

cuidar los costos de venta al público para

el diseño de la casa modelo? Do you have

mantenerla accesible a los programas de

any suggestions to improve the design of

vivienda social, por ejemplo. Toda opción

the model house?

alternativa debe de desarrollarse pensando en lograr un uso generalizado y amplio.

En realidad, no. Creo que fue diseñada como una vivienda unifamiliar, pero su uso actual no cumple con ese propósito. Tal vez si la viera funcionando como tal, tendría algunas sugerencias. ¿Cuál es su opinión acerca del concepto de (vivienda) prefabricada? What is your opinion about prefab (housing) concept?

191


UCA DESIGN CASE RESULTS

B

B.1 CASA RAMA

B.2

CASA 360O

B.3

ECOBOO


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

193


B.4

VIVIENDA ARLASIN

B.5

HEXAGON

B.6

VIVIENDA DE BAMBOO


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT


C

ENCUESTA INTRODUCION Somos estudiantes de arquitectura de Holanda y España y estamos realizando un estudio sobre la vivienda, con el objetivo de conocer las necesidades de los ciudadanos y de mejorar la situación respecto a la vivienda. Por ello, le agradeceríamos que nos respondiera a las siguientes preguntas. La información que nos facilite es confidencial y está sujeta al secreto estadístico.

DATO PERSONALES 1. Nombre: 2. Edad: 3. Sexo:

196

________________________ ______ años Mujer

Hombre

LA VIVIENDA ACTUAL 4. ¿Podría dibujarnos su actual vivienda? 5. Calidad y características de la vivienda actual:

- Cuántos pisos

_________________

- Cuántos habitaciones

- Acceso a electricidad

Si

No

- Patio exterior

Si

No

- Material del techo

- Material de paredes

- Material del suelo

- Baño

Si, interior

Si, exterior

No hay

__________________

- Cocina

Si, interior

Si, exterior

No hay

__________________

- Ventilación

Mucha

Poca

No hay

__________________

- Luz natural

Mucha

Poca

No hay

__________________

- Privacy

Mucha

Poca

No hay

__________________

__________

_______________ ____________

Reaction:

______________

6. ¿Cuál es el área/zona más importante de su vivienda actual? y por qué?

______________

___________________________________________________________________________________ 7. ¿Quién y en qué año construyó su vivienda?

______________________________________


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

8. ¿Cuántas personas viven normalmente en esta vivienda y cuáles son sus edades? _______ 1

6

2

7

3

8

4

9

5

10

9. Esta vivienda es:

De su propiedad.

Alquilada. Prestada.

Otro

_____________________________

10. ¿Cuánto paga/pagó por ella?

_______________________________

11. ¿Por cuánto tiempo le gustaría seguir viviendo en esta casa?

________________

197 12. Situación laboral (de la persona encuestada)

___________________________________

13. Si no tiene ningún inconveniente, ¿cuáles son los ingresos familiares?

________________

LA CASA DE SUS SUEÑOS 14. ¿Podría dibujarnos la casa de sus sueños? 15. Explíquenos su dibujo:

¿Qué destacaría de la casa?

_____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

¿Con qué materiales está construida?

_____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

¿Qué instalaciones tiene?

______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________


16. ¿Cuánto podría pagar por ella?

________________________________________________

17. ¿Se imagina que la casa de sus sueños fuera de bambú?

¿Por qué?

El mejor aspecto

_______________________________________

El peor aspecto

________________________________________

Si

No

________________________________________________________________

18. ¿Conoce la casa de bambú construida por la Fundación Bambú Social?

Si

No

¿Le gustaría conocerla? Si No 19. En términos generales, ¿cuál fue su primera impresión con la casa modelo? Alto

Más bien alto

Más bien bajo

Bajo

198

20. ¿Cree que podría vivir en una casa como esta?

Si

No

¡GRACIAS POR ATENDERNOS Y AYUDARNOS A CONOCER

LAS NECESIDADES RESPECTO A LA VIVIENDA EN NICARAGUA!

Si quiere seguir colaborando con nosotros (entrevista personal) estaremos encantados de contactar con usted.

Nombre

_____________________________________

Teléfono

_____________________________________

Si quiere recibir información acerca de nuestro proyecto, facilítenos su correo electrónico:

E-Mail

______________________________________


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Vivienda actual

Vivienda de sus sueños

199


D

HOMEVISIT STORIES FINANCIAL AID Inginia Holez Calderón was sitting in front of her house, and at first she wasn’t sure if she wanted to contribute to our research. Soon turned out that she has minimum eyesight due to untreated diabetes, so she had to ask her husband to draw for us. While he was looking for a ruler, she started talking. Just like María Vargas, Inginia and her husband live on this piece of land for years without official documents, but until now, no one came to claim their land.

for living expenses. The aid exists of an amount of rice, beans and oil. Just enough

200

When her husband found his ruler he starts

to live. They have no access to water or

drawing fanaticly. Due to an accident many

electricity and they use the bathroom

years ago, his left arm was amputated from

of their neighbours. The wood and zinc

the wrist down. Because of their disabilities,

covered walls are in bad condition and even

the couple receives governmental assistance

though they live in the city center, between


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

shops and concrete buildings, they live on a dirt floor. “Definitely”, she said, they would love to move to a more decent house. Her dreamhouse is elevated so it is positioned slightly higher than the street, and a few steps are needed to get to the entrance. It has two floors and it is made out of concrete and wood. Although, she said, cheap wood doesn’t last long in the climate of Nicaragua, while pointing out a few rotten pieces of wood in her current house. To replace the wood with well treated bamboo would be fantastic. While finishing the interview it gets dark, but that doesn’t keep her from explaining us how they stay healthy, despite their limited diet. The root of a plant in front of their house is the secret. You can make soup out of it, or tea for example. If she had more space, she would love to invite us to taste it one day.

The current situation and the dreamhouse, drawn by Inginia.


All six family members sleep in the same bedroom. The zinc roof is perforated by rust and needs replacement, but the bakery is still in tact. Yet, María is fighting for its existence, since the house is in dispute. When she was thirteen years old, her family expropriated the plot without official documents. After the big hurricane of 1987 they rebuilt the house, and

MARÍA’S BAKERY

it has been used intensively all this time. But

The main part of María Vargas’ living room is

now, the land is claimed back and a big ‘for

filled with a huge oven. María is a hardworking

sale’ sign marks the entrance of the plot.

woman and makes the best bread in El

202

Rama. She lives with her daughter, her three

However, she isn’t looking for a new place

grandchildren and an adopted special-needs

to live. “I don’t have any other option. The

young man, Don Alfi. “Someone came to me

revenue of the bread is my only income, and

and asked if I wanted to take care of him, so I

after all these years here, they can not just

did, and I still do. Because, honestly, who else

send me away”. However, she does dream

is going to do it? The rich people won’t, I am

of a house like the big american ones on tv,

sure about that...” explains María, with tears

she tells us while drawing. “You are architects

in her eyes.

right? Can you design it for me?”


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

The current situation and the dreamhouse, drawn by María.


surrounded by the chaotic traffic of El Rama, and we drifted away by the view. Ramón is a retired, 76 year old man. He lives alone and only needs the minimum: a little sleeping room, small stove, a porch and a chair in every lookout of his house. While showing us around, the love for his house twinkels in his face. He doesn’t want to draw his dreamhouse, he says, because he never learned how to draw. Nevertheless,

ONE MAN’S LIVING

he explains that he doesn’t really need more

While welcoming us on his little veranda,

than he has, but his house definately needs

Ramón Isidro Ocón tells us proudly that he

to be repaired in some places. He recently

built the house all by himself and he has the

bought two planks to fix the broken ones in

best view of El Rama.

his porch. He needs to improve a lot more, he mensions, but his pension just covers

204

His home is small, simple but comfortable

the costs of food and electricity so at the

and is surrounded by lots of banana trees.

moment he doesn’t have the money to do it.

Indeed, he has the most wonderful view on the joining Río Escondido and Río Rama, and

Ramón was really enthusiastic with our visit

nature surrounding him. Also, the breeze

and wanted to know all about Bambú Social.

that goes through the elevated house, gives

His most important advice was to listen

it a nice and comfortable indoor climate.

carefully to the people of El Rama, since

For a moment, we forgot that we were

after all, they are going to be our customers.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

205


MOVING OUT When we walked by, Jusnielca del Carmen was sitting in her doorway, watching her one year old daughter while chatting with her

206

mom. When she got pregnant at 18 years old, she and her boyfriend decided they wanted to move out and raise their child together. However, with their income they couldn’t afford to buy a plot and build their own house. Finally, they used second hand materials to build their own place at the plot of her parents. In this way, they save costs on the land. Also, they don’t have to dig their own well or build their own bathroom and on top of that, once in a while, they can take advantage of the presence of her mom to watch the baby. Their house is small and exists of only one room with a simple stove and wet place in the corner. Nevertheless, they have the privacy and independancy they hoped for. “I do not have work, and my boyfriend is a construction worker. I’m really glad we found a cheap and comfortable way to live and raise our child together.”


BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

The current situation and the dreamhouse, drawn by Jusnielca and her sister.


THREE SISTERS Yanina Morales lives with her husband and her daughter in a simple, three persons living with all that comforts them. They have a concrete floor, as a part of the minifalda construction, and the wood of the walls looks new and fresh. “The house was built recently” she explains, “It still needs to be painted. She works as a teacher and together with her husband they earn 10000 córdobas (345$) monthly. They have enough money to cover their basic needs and have little

208

savings capacity. Together with her two

independance. We can cook what we want

sisters they bought a plot, on which they all

without getting in each others way and we

built their own house. “Because we share

can keep track of our own expenses.”

the bathroom and washplace in the patio, we had more financial possibilities to build a

She doesn’t want to draw the house of her

nice and spacious house.”

dreams, because it is exactly the house she lives in now. “Ofcourse it could also be

They chose to share the bathroom and

made out of bamboo. Like the model house

washplace, but they all wanted their

of Bambú Social. It looks really fresh, but I

own kitchen. “It gives each of us more

prefer a concrete floor.”


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

209


husband works in one of those boats, while she controls the household. To provide all children with food, she explains, they added a seperate kitchen a long time ago. It is constructed out of bamboo and zinc, and over time, all kinds of materials were

ONE BIG FAMILY

added to strengthen the construction. The

At the south side of the river, the notorious

main reason to extend the kitchen from the

Miranda family is well-known. The head of

house was for the smoke, since she cooks

the family, Esther Miranda, had no less than

on a wood fire, but also because the space

nineteen children. Since they all started their

inside the house was needed to sleep

own families and built their houses in the

in. Over the years, they added four little

neighbourhood, Esther can proudly say she

bamboo bedrooms to the back and the side

herself populated the whole area ‘up the

of the house. But still there is only room for

hill’.

7 persons. Especially in former times, many family members had to sleep in hammocks in

The part of El Rama on the south side of

210

the living room.

the river exists of one long, dirt street. Going slightly upwards from the place

Like all other households at the south side

where hollowed trees transport people,

of the river, the World Bank built a toilet for

provisions and cattle across the river. Esther’s

them as a part of their water project (p. 22).

THE BACK SIDE OF THE HOUSE


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

KITCHEN OUTSIDE

KITCHEN INSIDE

WET PLACE KITCHEN

AN ADDED BEDROOM


E

BUSINESS MODEL BAMBÚBUENO INTRODUCTION

to create a sustainable alternative for social

Bambú Social is an educational and

housing. The building that they designed

construction project with the main goal

can be built with local techniques and it

to share knowledge and expertise about

contains an integrated low-tech, natural

the use of local resources for sustainable

water purification and storage system

and affordable social housing. Building

that provides clean drinking water for the

techniques used in subtropical areas are

inhabitants of the house. In 2014 a model

often not adapted to the local environment

house was constructed that forms the base

any more. The construction materials

for the design of an affordable social home

used in El Rama (Nicaragua) create a

and the manual ‘Un manual de construcción

warm and humid interior climate and are

sostenible’, which explains the entire

produced with processes that pollute the

process with step by step drawings. The

natural environment. In addition, the local

model house has been donated to the local

population is dependent on unreliable

university and currently functions as a library.

systems for electricity and clean drinking water. In El Rama, Bambú Social has set up a

This year we continued the Bambú Social

‘Sustainable Construction’ course, together

project and traveled to El Rama. Our

with the local university and the municipality,

assignment was to evaluate and analyse


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

the work done by the previous group and evaluate the impact that the project had. We wrote a constructional report on the current state of the model house containing several improvement suggestions that can be used in the future for a design for a social house. We wrote an second report on the social situation in El Rama. In this report we analysed the current living situation and housing conditions of El Rama by visiting people at their homes. The third report is about the impact of the project on El Rama and its inhabitants. From the improvement

sustainable, affordable and comfortable

suggestions we made in the constructional

house. This company is needed for the up

report we select a couple improvements

scaling and the upgrading of Bambú Social.

which we tested during the construction of a small roof construction made out of

Since this business plan originates from

bamboo.

a developing project, it is a given that BambúBueno should meet the definition of

As explained earlier, Bambú Social is working

a sustainable/social enterprise, in a social

on a manual for an affordable social house.

as well as in an ecological way. But how can

This social house is still being upgraded

sustainable entrepreneurship be defined,

and in the future it will be build up from

and how does it differ from development

prefab elements. The manual will explain

aid or the old colonial relationships that

step by step how to connect the prefab

the West had with developing countries.

elements and how to build the social house.

The book Entrepreneurship, Innovation and

The distribution of the manual enables

Sustainability gives the following definition

everybody in Nicaragua to build their own

of sustainable entrepreneurship: “The

social house.

colonial relationship focused on financial goals, the development aid relationship

This business plan is written for a prefab,

focused on social and/or ecological goals.

bamboo elements producer that produces

Sustainable entrepreneurship tries to

the collection of bamboo elements, needed

combine the strengths of both the 8 colonial

for the construction of the social house.

and the development aid relationship,

This prefab company, named BambúBueno,

aiming to balance financial, social and

is a crucial factor for achieving the mission

ecological goals, therewith creating a

of Bambú Social, to improve the housing

viable alternative for both” (Wagner, 2012).

conditions in Nicaragua by creating a

This definition gives a global idea of the

213


mission of a sustainable enterprise, what can

Another supporter of this entrepreneurial

help during the formation of the business

approach is William Easterly who states in

plan. Besides the definition of sustainable

his book “The white man’s burden”(Easterly,

entrepreneurship, it is important to know what

2006) that the last decades have shown that

makes a sustainable or social entrepreneur.

the governmental and philanthropic aid

Gregory Dees explains the social

programs are less effective as expected.

entrepreneur as follows: “Social entrepreneurs

It has been revealed that the major social

play the role of change agents in the social

sector institutions are often inefficient,

sector, by adopting a mission to create and

unresponsive and ineffective. Instead he

sustain social value (not just private value),

promotes a bottom-up approach that tries to

recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new

offer a solution through entrepreneurship. By

opportunities to serve that mission, engaging

keeping this bottom-up approach in mind, we

in a process of continuous innovation,

hope that BambúBueno can have an impact

adaptation, and learning” (Dees, 1998). These

on the housing problems in Nicaragua.

two quotes tell us that the development aid aspect of BambúBueno should be a very important factor within the company, even if it

214

is at the cost of financial profit.

THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS This Business model canvas is based on The

Gregory Dees also explains that a social/

Startup Owners Manual (Blank, 2004) by Steve

sustainable entrepreneurial approach

Blank. This manual explains the theory behind

to social and developing problems can

the canvas and gives examples of how it can

be a highly effective solution because

be filled in. The Business model canvas can

it combines development aid with the

be found in the attachments. In PART 3 the

possibility of financial profit. This idea is

different blocks of the canvas are explained.

confirmed by Christian Seelosa who states that “social entrepreneurship is a structure

BUSINESS MODEL BLOCKS

that allows individuals to strike their own

We will elaborate on each of the nine blocks.

balance between the desire to make a social contribution and the personal need to

1. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

capture an economic return from professional

Individuals

activity, across a wide range of possible

In Nicaragua there’s a serious need for

ratios” (Seelos, 2004). This entrepreneurial

comfortable and safe homes. Over the

approach towards development problems

past decades, Nicaragua has been hit

is very interesting for BambúBueno but also

by devastating political, economic and

for Bambú Social in general, because it gives

environmental events. This has left the nation

the foundation a good idea of how they can

in a precarious development position for

implement their good intentions in a feasible

this century. 78% of the people in Nicaragua

way.

lives in substandard homes or do not have


Construction

Maintanance

Bamboo treaters

Transport company

Personal assistance Professional assistance (bamboo community)

Prefab elements Construction service Maintenance service

CO2 emission (transport)

Treatment chemicals

Jealousy of competitors

Less deforestation, less soil

erosion, less use of harmful

Employment, education, awareness, safety, health

materials, more CO2 absorbtion

ECOLOGICAL REVENUES

(maintenance)

Construction service

architects or contracters

Professionals

social housing project

who want to set up a

foundations

Government/

sustainable house

who want to build/buy a

Individuals

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

SOCIAL REVENUES

Repair service

Product sales

REVENUE STREAM (FINANCIAL)

Handcraft courses

Newspaper articles

marketing

Word to mouth

Construction manual

CHANNELS

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

Fixed costs (rest, water)

ECOLOGICAL COSTS

Marketing costs

Transportation costs

Production costs

SOCIAL COSTS

Workers (labour costs)

Marketeers

Employees

Transportation

Finance

Equipment

Workshop

Treated bamboo

Material costs

COST STRUCTURE (FINANCIAL)

Micro Finance agency

University of Managua

KEY RESOURCES

Production

Bamboo farmers

Construction company

KEY ACTIVITIES

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

BAMBĂš SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

215


adequate housing. Based on our research we can divide this 78% in three segments, depending on their financial situation. Segment A consists of those who have difficulties to cover their basic needs , those

The different possibilities are discussed in

who are able to cover them (segment B) and

more detail on page 30 (Social Housing

those who have saving capacity (segment

Analysis). After all, these options are

C). Together the subgroups can be seen as

essential for reaching all segments of the

one huge ‘bottom of the pyramid’, in which

target group.

segment C is on its way to climb the social ladder to the middle class. With an average

Bambú Social wants to serve the people in

income of 11000 córdobas, the people of

need of a decent house by offering them an

segment C could be eligible for some of the

affordable alternative for their current house.

more socially orientated loans.

This social mission is the main incentive for

Segment B earns 6000 córdobas a month,

Bambú Social to start BambúBueno.

on average. For them, this is just enough

216

to cover their basic needs. Without saving

An often heard criticism is that the proposed

capacity it is impossible to pay back loans

customer segment of BambúBueno is too

with a high interest rate, let alone to give

poor which makes the business not feasible.

any security for the payment of the debts.

It is true that the income of the proposed

Therefore, in terms of living situation, this

customer segment is poor in comparison to

group completely relies on donations of

Western people but this does not make it

(inter)national projects.

impossible to create products for this group. In fact, the target group of BambúBueno fits in a huge group of customers for who almost no product are produced. This phenomena is very well described the book The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid (Hart, 2002). This book explains that almost all the wealth of the world is owned by a small elite group on which almost all product producers are focused. However, there also is a group of 4 billion people who make less than $1,500 a year, which gets very often ignored by these product producers. So when you come up with an affordable

For segment A, with an average income of

product that fulfils the needs of this ‘poorer’

2500 córdobas monthly, the same applies.

costumer group, you reach a huge market


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

with lots of possibilities. This is exactly the plan we have for BambúBueno, and with the help of microfinance companies like Kivia, BambúBueno can even reach a bigger group of people. Furthermore, Bambú Social has designed a new social house in collaboration with architecture students from the UCA. The design for this social house is adaptable to

construction material. They have a lot of

many different living situations. The design

knowledge about constructing, also on

consists of six phases, in which every higher

a bigger scale. They are hired by bigger

phases is an upgrade of the previous one.

housing companies (or the government) who

The first phase of the design is really simple

do big investments and provide the people

and affordable for even the poorest families.

from entire villages of social homes.

The sixth phase is bigger and more luxurious upgraded version that fulfils the demands

During our stay in Nicaragua we visited

of the richer families. With this new design

some governmental projects with the aim

BambúBueno can reach the whole target

to provide social houses for low-income

group.

families. An example of such a project can be found in Rama Key. This village is

Professionals

famous for its indigenous houses that are

This segment consists of professional

well adapted to the climate. However, the

contractors and architects who are convinced

government started a huge housing project

that social housing can be cheaper and

in the center of this village. The houses

more sustainable by using bamboo as main

build by the government are constructed

217


with cheap materials and the design is not

who consider what we call the edges, the

adapted to the climate. Even though the

places where extreme people live differently,

houses are really bad, the project itself is

think differently and consume differently”.

very hopeful. The project in Rama Key and

(Brown, 2010) Design thinking can be the first

other housing project along the east coast

step to social innovation and by approaching

show that the government is very interested

the housing problem in Nicaragua from

in large scale housing project.

a designer’s point of view; BambúBueno can make a major progress. So, in order

2. VALUE PROPOSITION

to make a difference BambúBueno has to

To be able to tackle this housing problem

come up with a value propositions that

in Nicaragua, BambúBueno has to look for

meets the needs of the costumers, while

work-around, improvise solution and find

taking into account the cultural, social and

ways to incorporate those into the offerings

infrastructural context.

it creates. This process can be described as design thinking which involves: “Designers

To serve the two costumer groups of Nicaragua, the company has three products which form the three value propositions of the business model. 1. Prefab bamboo elements: Customers can buy these prefab elements and build their own house according to the manual. Calculations of Bambú Social show that the prices of these elements are around the $3000. This product is meant both for the families as for the professional contractors and architects: • Individuals: They can buy bamboo elements and a construction manual, with which they can build their own house. The need of housing is then solved on individual level. Microfinance or paying in terms could make this product more accessible. • Professionals: They can buy the construction elements and build the (social) houses for their clients, in order to provide the housing need in Nicaragua. Cooperation between these professionals and the bamboo prefab company is important to


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

scale the project of Bambú Social up. Yet the professionals are the customers because of their need of prefab construction elements. 2. Maintenance of the social house: this service is mostly meant for the individuals who have built their house themselves. These customers aren’t professional and it is likely for errors to occur after the house has been built. The prefab company could be hired by this customer group to do maintenance of the house built. 3. Building service: the individual customer group can also choose to let their house be

product on the website or post reviews in

constructed. If they do not their construction

local magazines. It is also possible to invite

knowledge the prefab bamboo company

possible customers over to a model of the

provides them with the building service. The

house or the workshop so they can inspect

professional building service usually doesn’t

the product.

provide individual constructions, therefore

• A professional service and sales

this building service of the prefab bamboo

department that can answer any questions

company is meant for the individual families.

customers might have. • An after sales department that keeps in

3. CHANNELS

touch with finished projects. By combining

Because bamboo is a new construction

this department with a maintenance service,

material, the company has the task to

BambúBueno can maintain a positive

raise awareness among the people of El

relation with the costumers with is beneficial

Rama about the benefits of constructing

for the images and publicity of the company.

with bamboo. BambúBueno needs several channels in order to reach the customers.

Professionals

The professional customers require a

• Reports and articles in journals and

different channel than the individual

professional trade magazines.

customers.

• Workshop and activities with local contractors about the social house.

Individuals

• Distribution of the construction manual to

• Create awareness through different

architects and contractors.

channels like a professional website, articles

• Cooperation agreements with special

about the products in magazines and

prices for professionals

newspapers and mouth to mouth publicity. • Give the customers the chance to evaluate

4. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

the products by listing finished project and

Both customer segments require a

219


personal and long-term relationship with

and future customers. Furthermore, the

BambúBueno.

professionals have a lot of influence on the image and publicity of BambúBueno,

Personal assistance: For the individuals

therefore it is important to maintain a

because they should always have the

personal and positive relationship. When

possibility to BambúBueno when they have

an architect comes up with a new model,

questions or problems with their house.

the company has to adapt or create more

This means that BambúBueno must always

prefab elements. When more companies are

be ready to visit the customer or help him

involved and when this construction method

with his problems. This is also part of the

is implemented in multiple municipalities, a

maintenance service that the business

bamboo community will arise where topics

provides.

about bamboo as a construction material are discussed. In this community the key

With the professionals it is important

partners are also involved.

to maintain a personal and long-term relationship because they are big current

5. REVENUE STREAMS Financial revenues The prefab bamboo company will mainly gain there revenues with the sale of the bamboo construction elements. The price is established by the variable costs and the fixed costs and the relevance of the piece. The costs of the resources should at least be covered. Therefore is it beneficial for the company to make as many as the same elements as possible. Beside the standard prefab elements that the company will produce, they will also produce custom elements meant for the designs of the architects and contractors. The bigger the order, the cheaper each element gets. This stimulates the contractors to construct as many as possible at once. For the families there’s also the revenue as a result of the maintenance service and the building service. This of course depends on how many working hours are needed.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

Social revenues and ecological revenues

the following social and ecological revenues

While writing this business plan, we have

which can have a major impact of social and

taken in to account the idea of shared

ecological progress.

value, as explained by Porter and Kramer. According to them, shard value is a

The most important social revenue for

solution for the recent increase of social,

Bambú Social, is to create awareness among

environmental and economic problems that

the local people about the benefits of

business cause for their environment. In their

constructing with bamboo. A new culture

paper, creating shared value, they suggest

is created and the most materials that

to address this problem as follows: “The

pollute the most are less and less used.

solution lies in the principle of shared value,

The company creates more employment

which involves creating economic value

for the people of El Rama. Not only will the

in a way that also creates value for society

people gain more salary, they will also be

by addressing its needs and challenges.

educated. They will learn about construction

Businesses must reconnect company success

mechanics, safety and sustainability (taking

with social progress.” (Porter, 2011) This

care of the environment). Because a high

quote is a perfect explanation for the goals

safety level is maintained, health among the

of BambúBueno, this business plan leads to

employees can be assured. Educating them

MADE OF BAMBOO The bamboo plant grows very quickly and while growing it requires little upkeep. Besides bamboo is a product that is easy to work with and in comparison to other construction materials it is relatively cheap. Furthermore, bamboo is available throughout the whole country and people can grow it locally what makes it even cheaper. Quick and easy to build The bamboo elements are prefabricated in a workshop in a controlled environment. This makes the quality of the elements higher and steadier. The elements are designed in such a way that they are easy to connect to one another, this makes the construction of a building easy and quick. Customizable The prefab elements are easy to connect and disconnect. This makes the house adaptable to the changing living requirements of the owner. If an owner wants to change the size of his/her house it is easy to add or remove parts. Sustainable Bamboo is a sustainable building material that grows fast and requires little nutrients and because it is produced locally is requires little transportation. Furthermore, it helps prevent soil erosion and deforestation of the rainforest and it has a high CO2 intake.

221


about the environment should also teach

6. Employees: BambúBueno needs several

them how to handle waste how to reuse

skilled employees who are experts in

materials, and they will pass it on to their

producing these elements. These employees

families.

should also be able to do maintenance work at the costumers place. They first have to

As mentioned above, by using bamboo as

get educated, and will later on be able to

main construction material, awareness about

educate other.

the environment is created. This belongs to

7. Marketers: BambúBueno needs a

the ecological revenues. Because bamboo

marketing strategy. This can help them with

is used the CO2 emission will go down, the

the promotion on their product and reach

absorption of CO2 will go up, deforestation

out to potential customers. This tasks also

will go down, soil erosion will go down, the

includes keeping the bamboo community

use of harmful materials goes down, and

running.

less pollution is created. Using bamboo the environment is being less and less harmed. It

7. KEY ACTIVITIES

is indeed a sustainable construction material.

The main activity of the proposed business is the production of prefab bamboo elements.

222

6. KEY RESOURCES

With these elements a social house can be

In order to conduct these key activities,

built, with help of the construction manual.

BambúBueno needs several key resources.

Customers can buy these prefab elements

The following list sums up these required

from BambúBueno and build their own

resources.

house with use of the manual, which comes

1. Treated Bamboo: This is the main

with the elements.

construction materials and it is needed to produce the prefab elements and to

However, customers can also ask

maintain the social houses already build.

BambúBueno to build the house for them;

2. Workshop: BambúBueno needs a place

this leads us to the second key activity

where they can produce the elements.

constructing the social house.

3. Equipment: Tools and other equipment are needed for the production of the

The third key activity is a maintenance

elements.

service which owners of the social house can

4. Finance: In order to start the business

call if there are some reparations needed.

there needs to be a start capital with which the business can make the needed

8. KEY PARTNERSHIPS

investments.

The key partners provide BambúBueno

5. Transportation: BambúBueno needs

from the key resources needed for the key

a truck to transport the elements to the

activities. The following list shows these key

costumer or to visit the costumer for the

partners and their value.

maintenance of the house.


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

1. Bamboo farmers and treaters: The

process of the company as well as the quality

bamboo farmers produce and cut the

of the product. Furthermore, by involving

bamboo. After the harvesting the bamboo

young students the company can secure

is treated with a solution that gives the

the continuation by delivering new designs.

bamboo more durability and resistance

They could teach apprentices or student the

against the weather. This treatment can

trades of the company after which they can

be done by the farmers or there could

work for the business or start their own. Both

be another party involved that takes care

ways support the use of bamboo.

of the treatment. After the treatment the bamboo needs to dry for several months.

As mentioned before (with the contractors)

The drying process gives the bamboo stems

after a while a community will be created.

more strength and durability. The eventual

This community will be the bamboo platform

products are treated and dried bamboo

in Nicaragua (and maybe further on). For

stems, ready for production.

students this forms a source from which material characteristics and designs are

During our stay in Nicaragua we visited two

spread. During our stay in Nicaragua visited

bamboo farms, El Recreo and EcoPlanet

the UCA for a workshop that we organised

Bamboo. EcoPlanet Bamboo an international

for the architecture students. After this

company that owns thousands of acers

workshop a group of five students applied

of bamboo (Guadua Amplexifolia) in and

to join our project. With the help of these

around El Rama. This bamboo is great for

students designed an alternative version for

construction. However, during a meeting

a social house. The involvement of the UCA

with EcoPlanet we noticed that they are

students was very positive and we believe

more interested in producing products like

that for BambúBueno it is very interesting

charcoal and napkins since the profit margin

to involve the UCA. The students are very

of raw materials too low. Also El Recreo was

interested in social projects, they see it as

not very positive about the idea of selling

a possibility to acquire work experience

bamboo on a large scale. We believe that it

and at the same time contribute to the

is important for BambúBueno to emphasize

development of their country.

on the social aspect of the company since it is not financially interesting for the big

3. Transport Company: The transport

bamboo farmers.

company has to make sure that the bamboo is transported from the farmers to the

2. University of Managua: The University

company in time and safe. By hiring a third

of Managua is an important partner for

party to take care of the transportation,

the company. The student can do research

BambúBueno and the bamboo farmers

on bamboo as a building material and on

can focus on their main activities. For

the production process of bamboo. This

BambúBueno it is a good choice to

research helps to improve the production

outsource the transportation so they do not

223


have to worry about to main side activities.

9. COST STRUCTURES

We experienced that transportation is

When starting the company, some

a big business in El Rama and the rest

investments have to be made. But the

of Nicaragua because major part of the

company will also have to pay in social and

population cannot afford to own their own

ecological sense.

transportation. There are a lot of private transportation services that transport any

Financial costs

material with bicycle, truck or car.

When starting BambúBueno, the most substantial costs are the workshop and the

4. Microfinance Company: A big part of the

machinery. These are two big investments

population of Nicaragua lives on a minimum

and the business will need a start capital

wage or less, for these people it is hard to

to finance them. It is also possible to

pay for the house. Microfinance could offer

implement this business model in an existing

these people a solution by enabling them

workshop, in which case the investment

to pay in installments. It is not a good idea

costs are reduced.

for BambúBueno to offer the microfinance themselves, but instead they should partner

While running BambúBueno there are

with a micro financer like Kiva. By involving

several costs that need to be taken into

a partner who is specialized in microfinance,

account:

the business does not have to deal with

• Fixed production costs: wages, upkeep

defaulters and other risks but instead

machinery

it can focus on their prime activities. A

• Variable production costs: means of

microfinance organization is a very important

production, electricity, water, petrol,

partner because it increases the sales market

transport

drastically.

• Raw materials: treated bamboo • Rent: Bank loans • Marketing costs: articles in magazines or journals, discount for professionals, promotion, community costs • Investments: quality and efficiency improvement Ecological costs These costs can be described as the negative impact that BambúBueno has on the environment and the ecosystem. The cause of these costs is, unfortunately, the production and transport of bamboo elements, but also the impact of the raw


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

materials on the environment is taken

when BambúBueno promotes their products

into account. The following lists sums up

as better and eco friendlier and could result

all the ecological costs that result from

in negative publicity for the competitors. It

the production of the elements, with a

is recommended that the business involves

distinction between direct and in-direct

local competitors instead of squeezing them

costs.

out of the market. In this way, BambúBueno

1. CO2 emission by transport and production

and the whole idea of building with bamboo

of elements.

can spread around the country and grow

2. The usage of bamboo, including the

rapidly.

chemical treatment. 3. Ecological production costs like,

THE CONCLUSION

electricity, water, heat.

By working out this business plan we have developed a better understanding

As the list shows, there are quite a lot

of social entrepreneurship in general but

of ecological cost that result from the

also a better understanding of the specific

production and construction of a social

situation in Nicaragua. We have learned

house. However, when comparing these

that starting up a business requires a lot of

ecological costs to the ecological costs

planning and research but at the same time

produced by the construction of the most

a lot of flexibility. The lean start-up theory

common house in Nicaragua (concrete

has thought us that it is important to be

blocks with aluminum roof sheets), we see

able to pivot your business plan around in

that the costs are significantly reduced.

order to succeed. This could be difficult for

Therefore we can say that even though there

a social entrepreneur because this means

are some ecological costs, the bamboo

that you must be able to alter your mission

social house is environmental friendlier as

and maybe not follow your passion, but it is

most of the current houses in Nicaragua and

important for the success and therefore also

on ecological costs a big improvement.

the impact of the project.

Social costs

While we were in Nicaragua we evaluated

It is possible that the company creates

this business plan and checked if it is

some social costs because it is a new player

realistic. We investigated if the partners

in the housing market, which can result in

that are needed for BambúBueno are

some competition. This competition is of

interested and if the quality of the needed

course a positive result because it forces

infrastructure is sufficient. Furthermore, we

the company and its competitors to keep

checked if there are people interested in

improving. However, this competition

starting BambúBueno. Also practical aspects

could turn into jealousy when the company

were investigated, like the local salaries, the

takes more and more customers from the

costs of the workshop, etc. All these finding

competitors. This jealousy could increase

are documented in the social and impact

225


analysis. We will give a small summary of our

The only obstacle for BambúBueno is the

finding.

constant supply of bamboo, also on a large scale. During our stay we were able to buy

We experienced that the infrastructure in

our bamboo at a small farm near El Rama,

El Rama is sufficient to start BambúBueno.

but these farms do not have the capacity

Transportation is not a problem because

to provide the large amount of bamboo

there are lots of private transportation

that is needed for BambúBueno. The larger

services. Furthermore, there is a reliable

bamboo plantations that we visited (El

electricity network present and in the city

Recreo, EcoPlanet Bamboo) were not very

there are plenty of buildings where such a

optimistic about working together with

small workshop can start. The only problem

a company like BambúBueno. For them

we see is the lack of a functioning water

it is more beneficial to sell final products

system that is needed for the treatment of

like charcoal or napkins because the sale

the bamboo. This can be resolved by using

of raw materials has a low profit margin.

rainwater or using water from the rivers.

Of course it is possible that these bigger plantations are more interested when there

226

We investigated if the partners that we

are more concrete plans for a company like

described in the plan are interested in

BambúBueno.

working together with a company like

We approached several local constructors in

BambúBueno. The UCA in Managua is very

El Rama and they were very positive about

interested because the students see working

our plans for BambúBueno, they think it is a

for a social enterprise as a great way to gain

great idea to experiment with new materials like bamboo. Even though the local contractors are very positive about the idea, they see also some obstacles. Their main concern was the bad image that bamboo still has, most people still see it as an inferior building material. However, from the 50 home visits that we did we could conclude that 79% of the interviewed people could see themselves living in a bamboo house. We believe that the image of bamboo can change very fast if BambúBueno finds ways to show the people that bamboo can be a very reliable material when it is applied and

working experience. Also the transportation

treated correctly.

services are very interested. There is always a truck for rent as we experienced during

The evaluation of this business is part of a

the construction of a small bamboo roof.

new methodology for launching companies,


BAMBÚ SOCIAL 2.0 - PROJECT REPORT

called the “lean start-up”. This methodology

The block of key partners gave us a lot of

was introduced by Steve Bank in his paper,

insight in the complexity of the project. It

Why the lean start-up changes everything.

shows the different partners that are needed

In summary, this new methodology can be

for the business to succeed. Because

explained as follows: “Instead of executing

there are many partners, there are many

business plans, operating in stealth mode,

factors that can disrupt the functioning of

releasing fully functional prototype, young

BambúBueno. Therefore, it is important for

ventures are testing hypotheses, gathering

the business to establish a good relationship

early and frequent customer feedback,

with these partners and make clear

and showing minimum viable products to

agreements.

prospects, This new process recognizes that searching for a business model is

The social costs of this business plan

entirely different from executing against that

needs some further research because the

model” (Blank, 2013). This early evaluation

difference in culture makes it difficult to

enables us to recognize problems and

predict the reaction of the community on this

flaws of BambúBueno, which gives us the

new business plan. It is important that we

opportunity to pivot the business around

get a better definition of these social costs

to a whole new value proposition for which

by for instance interviewing or questioning

there is a profitable future.

the locals.

BIBLIOGRAPHY • Barro, R.J., & Sala-i-Martin, X. (2004). Economic Growth. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. • Blank, S. (2004). The Startup Owners Manual. Stanford: School of Engineering U.C. Berkeley. • Blank, S. (2013). Why the lean start-up changes everything. Cambridge: Harved business review. • Brown, T. (2010). Design thinking for social innovation. Stanford: Stanford social innovation review. • Canning, D., & Pedroni, P. (1999). Infrastructure and long run economic growth. Consulting Assistance on Economic Reform II Discussion Paper, 57. • Dees, J.G. (1998). The Meaning of “Social Entrepreneurship”. Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership. • Easterly, W. (2006). The white man’s burden. Oxford: Oxford University Press. • Hart, S. (2002). The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Philadelphia: Wharton School Publishing. • Porter, M.E. (2011). Creating Shared Value. Cambridge: Harved business review. • Seelosa, C. (2004). Social entrepreneurship: Creating new business models to serve the poor. Bloomington: Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. • Wagner, M. (2012). Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing

227


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.