House Foundations Complete 8 APRIL 2013 OK, so we are over the first hurdle. The foundations have been laid and the family, for the first time, can walk around the footprint of their new home.
‘Katla’ And Concrete Casts 10 APRIL 2013 One of the key messages of this prototype build is to protect the bamboo from water damage particularly the inner culms of split bamboo and open ends. The ‘katla’ (pad foundations) have a number of functions. Their t-shaped profile prevents uplift, whilst offering points of stability across the earthen plinth. They sit approximately two inches above finished floor level, lifting the bamboo posts above possible rising damp. The earthen matrix appears to slide beneath the bamboo structure but it does in fact carry the entire second storey. To achieve this mini bamboo posts are supported on a reinforced concrete cast built into the wall, with a second perforated cast to prevent lateral movement. A new technique...
Bangla New Year 14 APRIL 2013 I had heard rumours that the Bangla New Year celebrations in our market, Bengkali are the talk of the district. When the day arrives the endless dining experiences begin. I will have to pace myself if I want to survive until 9 pm, when the show begins. As we wander through the padi fields, the music gets louder. I have never seen such crowds, and it is difficult to cut through. Women and men are separated, and I find a space. A tall wooden structure, similar to a braced totem pole rises above our heads. It’s dark and my brain is trying to figure out what is about to unfold. A ripple of cheers. I can’t quite see. Then suddenly a man seems to be flying. The rotations get bigger and bigger until he is encircling the crowd, hanging by a huge spike through his back. He is travelling so fast that I’m not entirely certain the structure can take it. I have never seen anything like it. [introduction]
[ch. 1] bangladesh
[ch. 2] shelter provision
[ch. 3] building project
[blog] [footnotes] personal perspective
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