SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE MODEL HOUSE
ACTION!!! El Rama, 16-05-2014 We are proud to share that our engine is running on its full potential! The foundation of the house is completed, bamboos are drying, many pieces are ready to work with; the water tank is under construction, wood-connection-pieces are made. We divided the activities in three groups: BICU, EL RECREO and ATELIER BAMBÚ SOCIAL, and they are happening at the same time, which made the entire process more efficient. During a two week workshop of two professionals, Sherman Tam and Sheila Oroschin, we have been re-organizing and taking the project to a next level. It is very motivating to see the progress and it brings a lot of enthusiasm to all of us. ‘‘BAMBÚ SOCIAL’’ became our name in El Rama, a name that the Ramanese people can connect with and remember. We notice that it sticks very well, even the taxi drivers already know where to go when we mention it. With a new name, we have a new logo:
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
BICU
L OCATIONS
EL RECREO
ATELIER
EL RECREO
EL RECREO IS THE PLACE WERE WE CUT, CLEAN, TREAT AND DRY ALL THE BAMBOO NEEDED FOR THE HOUSE
BICU
THE CONSTRUCTION SITE IS LOCATED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY BICU
ATELIER
AT THE ATELIER - A BEAUTIFUL LOFT PUT TO OUR DISPOSAL BY THE MUNICIPALITY - WE DO NOT ONLY CREATE BAMBOO CONNECTIONS, BUT IT’S ALSO OUR HOME AND THE PLACE WE HAVE ALL OUR INSPIRING BRAINSTORMS.
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
EL E L R E CREO A p e r n
ON THE WAY TO CUT BAMBOO - INTA
EL RECREO INTA, Instituto Nicaragüense de Tecnología Agropecuaria is in El Recreo, located 15km from Rama, is our main bamboo supplier. Next to bamboo, the INTA cultivates amongst others cacao, coconuts and rubber. As we have mentioned before, we are using two different species of bamboo in this project: Dendrocalamus Asper and Bambusa Gigantochloa. Due to their characteristics they are used for different functions in the construction. The process of cutting, treating and preparing for the construction requires different expertises. The Dendrocalamus Asper is known as giant bamboo, it presents 20-30 meters height and the diameter of the bottom part can reach 15-20 centimeter with 2-4 centimeters wall thickness. This means it can be heavy (and sometimes a bit dangerous) to work with it. For the people who are reading well: Send us an email with the approximate weight of one beam of Asper. The answer that’s closest will receive a Shortsighted designed Bamboo amplifyer! Despite the conicity, the specie is highly recommended for construction purpose. This is why we are using the Asper for the structural columms of the house. The left overs are used for division panels with strips and ‘esterillas’ (crushed bamboo mats). The cutting process required four strong men and a chainsaw worker with experience. It grows on clumb and the bars are usually entangled with branches and leaves, which makes it harder to be taken out. The clumbs of which we have cutted Asper were close to the river, so the Nicaraguans taught us how to take advantage of this local resource. They tied the pieces together and made a floating boat to reach the place of cleaning, treating and drying. It was an amazing experience to experience this river journey. To treat the batch we digged two pillas and used a 5% borax and boric acid solution. The bamboos are drying in a protected area, and are transported in parts to El Rama. The Bambusa Gigantochloa has about the same height but the pieces are thinner, which makes it much easier to work with. The bottom part diameter reaches 5-10 cm, with about 2 centimeters wall thickness, which makes it still strong for construction. We use them for beams, rafter and bracing. We have used two methods to treat: capilarity and soaking. The capilarity consists of putting three meter pieces vertically in a barrel with borax and boric acid solution within several hours after cutting, therewith the plant sucks up the solution. It is very simple and easy to do. After drying, the pieces have been transported to Atelier Bambu Social, where the beams are being pre-fabricated.
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
W ORKING WITH DENDR OCAL AMUS ASPER
TREATMENT BATH
SOLUTION
CUTTING
4 men: 1 bamboo Feeling the power of the nature TRANSPORTING
TAKING OUT
CLEANING
TRANSPORTING
BAMBOO
SOAKING
DRYING
DRYING
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
W ORKING WITH B AMBUS A GIGANT OCHL OA
GIGANTOCLHOA
CUTTING
CLEANING
TREATMENT
DRYING
Lighter and easier to work with, but still going strong. TRANSPORT
CAPILARITY
SOAKING
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
TEAM
B ICU
1, 2, 3 - GO
!
WORKING DAY ON THE CONSTRUCTION
BICU - CONS TR UCTION SITE
On the 14th of April we started the construction of the model house. It is settled in the very front of BICU - Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University. The plot has been relocated from the BICU’S farm to the El Rama campus, which brought more visibility to the project and allowed more students and the local community to follow the step by step process of the construction. In order to share knowledge and expertise, Shortsighted Architecture is providing a course named “Curso de Construcción Sostenible” - Sustainable Construction Course. The classes are located at the BICU for a group of BICU students and people of the community of El Rama. The course consists of theoretical and practical classes, in which the participants are able to discuss and understand the relevant aspects of a sustainable house. The execution of the model house is part of the practical classes and it has been a real exchange of experience on the day by day activities. It is a nice opportunity to learn about construction in Nicaragua and it reinforces the friendship with the participants. The execution of the house is taking place as we write and the foundation is successfully completed. We have finished twenty concrete shoes for the house as well as the foundation for the water tank and the floor for the kitchen. We would like to share the first day of pouring concrete, it was an unforgetable experience. It was already late, 16:30, however we decide to do it. At the same time that the machine started to mix the materials, the hearts started to beating faster and all of us started to pulsate on the same rythm: “Agua, Agua, Agua...” one screamed very loud, and so did the others, untill the water reached the place where it was required. Buckets of stones, sand, bags of cement were circulating in a synchronized working rythm. The strengh of the students working mixed with the blood, sweat and happiness contaminated the site with a radiant energy. That day we worked till 22:00.
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
APRIL 14TH, 2014 MAY 16TH, 2014
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
BICU ACTIVITIES
WATER FILTER WORKSHOP
WATER FILTER WORKSHOP
CLEANING
CONCRETE MIX
CONCRETING
LEVEL
FORMALETAS
TEAM
COLUMM
SITE
COURSE FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
The construction has been a real exchange of experience, every day again.
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
AT E LI ER B A M B U S O CI A L
THE FLOOR EXPERIMENT
ATELIE R B AMBU SOCIAL We continue working in and around the house, graced by the sign of Bambu Social. The last few weeks we had a number of small projects taking place here. Floor experiment After the interviews in the community, we noticed that the Ramanese people prefer an ´easy to clean´ floor made of concrete or tiles, over a more open and ´dust retaining´ natural wooden or bamboo floor. Taking this into account we have developed a new floor that includes a bamboo construction topped with a ferro/plastocement mix, which consist of three thin layers of cementsand mixture (1:3) that sandwich a layer of chicken wire and a plastic sheet with small holes. It is the first time that it is done (or at least the first time it is documented well enough to be able to find it on Google). We are waiting eight days for the floor to dry after which we are going to test it with a little party on top. After the party we will make up our mind based on the results! Mold for bamboo beams: Another project that has been going on in Bambu Social is the creation and testing of two molds for making beams of bamboo. Bamboo is very strong material however also flexible. A good property in case of earthquakes, but it might not be interesting to have your floor to bounce up and down when you walk on it. In order to create beams out of bamboo that can hold a concrete or wooden floor without bending too much, we are using double beams. This means we have to connect two bamboo pieces securely together, so that they act as one beam. Because the bamboo is often not completely straight, we made the molds to be able to prefabricate these beams (we need a lot!). A fun fact is they are made completely of the wood that we previously used for the formwork for the foundation. The individual bamboos are connected using only bamboo by connected them with (also homemade) bamboo pegs.
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
ACTIVIT IES AT THE ATELIER B AMBU SOCIAL Experiment: to test the floor piece, we intend to do a small party! COURSE
DESING
FLOOR EXPERIMENT
FLOOR EXPERIMENT
REBAR
REBAR
BAMBOO PEGS
GICANTOCHLOA BEAMS
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
FLOOR EXPERIMENT
REBAR
WATER TANK FOR RAIN WATER STORAGE
Water tank for rainwater storage Last week we worked on the water tank that is going to be used to collect and store rainwater for drinking and cooking. The water tank consists of a bamboo structure with a cement plaster. The design is from INBAR - International Network for Bamboo and Rattan - that we adjusted slightly, because the original design was for a smaller tank. We are proud to share that the bamboo structure and foundation for the tank are ready. We based the design on the INBAR’s guide, but we notice that many details and connections have to be invented on the spot because the guide is not very detailed. For instance, the images showed that it is necessary to have a bamboo dome as the covering for the roof structure, however it does not show the step by step process. We came up with a solution of binding them with iron wire in a similar fashion as making the rebar for the foundation. In this way, we managed to create a bamboo dome. The proof test was that the water tank dome supported Jezabel and Ties on top at the same time! Next week we will start plastering the tank at the construction site to make it stronger and impermeable.
WATER TANK
WATER TANK
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
WATER TANK
SS A TEAM
Max Verhoeven Juan Carlos Gaviria Moreno Laurens van der Wal Ties Temmink Floor van Eijden
Karin Fernanda Schwambach Jezabel Mejias Reyes Diana Jimena Gonzalez Henky Borgstein Sherman Tam Sheila Oroschin
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
S TUDENT S SUS TAINBLE CONS TR UCTION COURSE Ramon Flores Ortega Eddy Manuel Sandoval Alfredo Quijano Javier Antonio Rodrigues Angel Theodoro Giovany Flores Octavio Latinos
Johanna Juan Carlos Ruiz Jamir Raudes Jose Armando Ruiz Jose Antonio Engel Villata Juan Rafael Rosa Moreno Eliel Altamirano SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
SPECIAL THANKS T O HENKY BOR GS TEIN
WOOD PIECE
WORK ON PROGRESS
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
FINAL WOOD CONNECTIONS
CLEANNING BAMBOO
CREDIT S SHORTSIGHTED ARCHITECTURE UPDATE 03 Coordenation Sheila Oroschin of External Communication Marketing Consultant
Sherman Tam
Layout
Max Verhoeven Karin Fernanda Schwambach
Text Karin Fernanda Schwambach Floor van Eijden Max Verhoeven Laurens van der Wal Photos Max Verhoeven Floor van Eijden Jezabel Mejias Reyes Laurens van der Wal Karin Fernanda Schwambach Ties Temmink Period
23/03/2014 - 16/05/2014
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
POURING CONCRETE FOR FOUNDATION
S P ON S O R ED BY
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
WOOD CONNECTION PIECES
L O C A L PA R T N ER S
S U P P O R T E D BY
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
ATELIER BAMBU SOCIAL
GRACI AS POR SU CONTRIBUCIĂ“N! Jack Chen David Kung Roletta Lee Rogier Verhoeven Frank Verhoeven Ardienne Verhoeven Annemarie Verhoeven Jaap van Eijden Rita van Wetering Carla Mollink Wieger van der Wal Therese Oroschin Linnemore Nefdt Mieke Damsma H Hazel Cees Hoefnagels Jochem en Anouk Sheila Oroschin Sherman Tam Brigitte Dreezens Sandra Figueroa Duarte M den Otter Frank Jurgen Wijlens J van Tintelen Rosan Pallada Danielle Pesch Simon de Leeuw JP Boon Robbert Berendsen Veronique Loven MC den Heijer Mikos Pieters Margarita Moreno Rachel Jongen Gloria Elena Moreno Remi op de Woert Jurgo Mouthaan
Kamiel Zeegers Charlotte Meerstadt Jaap Overal Sofia Caycedo Thomas & Lena K Jaeger Tim Prins Andy van den Dobbelsteen Matthias Kroezen M Bakkers-van Dijk Jeanette Oostijen Rico Disco Cees Broos Marion en Toon Kuhne-Prince RT Janissen Glenn Jr. Weisz Paul van Dongen R Sitton J Mycke Rick Muijen Eva van der Zand Willem Drenth Andrea Fitskie Nicholas Emmerson Maya van der Lande Joris de Fiane Jack Lelieveld Bob Visser Jezabel C Bakker M Milo Bo Hu M van Esch Marij Deltrap W Voorhoeve Shira Raber Sara Quesada Suzanne van Heerde
Jill Jongen K.C. Hobbelman Anne van Stijn Nikki Nijsten Renee Schouten Emanuela Voorwinden Arnout Aarts Jasmijn Kok Matourbah Deltrap Annabeth Hidding E van der Kooij Bo van Niekerk E van Dijk C de Mol J de Jong JF Chang J Braun J Mommers A Stovers W Bos S Groenewoud V Trees Mama Eva Jolanda van Wijck Edelman Luisa Maria Gaviria Moreno Marie Seck Maria Provovska Rosa van der Kaaij Roxanne Doyen Belma Hernandez Frances Bart Scheeren Koen Fraijman Logan Brecklin M. van Appeven Martine Duyvis Ingrid Hoeben R shizen
SHORTSIGHTED EL RAMA // UPDATE 03 // 16-05-2014 // INFO@SHORTSIGHTEDARCHITECTURE.COM
Marleen van der Wurff Erik van der Wurff Inge van der Wurff Bart van der Wurff Frans van der Wurff Zac Coleman D van Staveren Guido Bik Remco van Schadewijk David Ramirez Floortje van Sandick Roy Meijer Rosan Pallada Rob Spreekenbrink Jacco Vos Hanna Rusticus Minke Kiers Lizzy Janssen Sophia Wijnekus Gusta Wachter Ravi Mouthaan Koen Hobelman Lourens Aalders Angeline Oei Charlotte Ros Eline Stubert F de Vries Boukje Vastbinder Myrthe Talsma Ivo Joore Jet ten Voorde Felipe Cunha Shira Raber Rinske Hutten