Bamboo as a Sustainable Building Material for Innovative, Low-Cost Housing Construction

Jan Bredenoord*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Bamboo is commonly used as a construction material in low-cost housing projects located in tropical and subtropical countries. This practice is especially prevalent in rural areas where bamboo grows naturally and families have experience working with it. Bamboo can be a sustainable building material for homes, even in cases where houses need to be resistant to earthquakes or storms. The traditional bahareque technology was enhanced in Costa Rica and Colombia to make it earthquake resistant. After the year 2000, this technology was transferred to several other countries in Latin America and Asia, gaining recognition as an innovative building technique. Many successful examples of bamboo housing constructions can be found in various countries, where modern architectural solutions are combined with innovative bamboo methods. Local communities can play a crucial role in bamboo processing, allowing residents to actively participate in the construction of their homes under technical supervision. This emphasizes the social sustainability aspect associated with bamboo. Ensuring the durability of bamboo housing constructions is paramount for the longevity of the houses, highlighting the need for technical assistance for self-builders and resident groups. With proper organization, bamboo housing has the potential to become part of the social production of housing.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number2347
    Pages (from-to)1-20
    Number of pages20
    JournalSustainability (Switzerland)
    Volume16
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2024

    Keywords

    • bamboo housing construction
    • cement bamboo frame technology
    • composite bamboo shear walls
    • engineered bahareque constructions
    • innovations for bamboo construction
    • low-cost bamboo housing

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