A Frame

Description

Short listed design from the Building Trust Cambodian Housing competition:

Our design is inspired by a sketch we made when discussing the different possibilities of coping with flooding: It showed a house with wings, simply as a metaphor of just taking off and flying away when the water comes, just like a bird would do. Of course this could only serve as a source of inspiration and not as a solution..

We came up with the following ideas to meet all the requirements that were asked for:

Triangles made of wooden beams serve as the basic construction. They can be easily assembled and guarantee a long-lasting and solid frame. They are connected to concrete foundation posts to lift the building off the ground and make sure the wood stays out of the water. The house can then be finished in a common way. Bamboo or wooden floors, palm leafs, zinc or wooden roof and so on.

The metaphorical idea of the wings comes back in the façade: It consists of flexible panels (wooden frame, bamboo finish and hinges) that can be opened and closed to let in light and air, giving shadow and making it possible to use the area around building, too, when the sun shines bright.

The roof (top) has gaps to its sides so that hot air can escape the room while rain cannot get in. This will improve the climate inside and raise the comfort.

The house can be customized in different ways (e.g. storage room under the roof / kitchen extension at the back)