Prototype design

Graphic description of the element

In Chong Kneas, floating houses are mostly built with wood, bamboo

and enclosed by weaved palm leaves. The pitched roofs in the vernacular structures are made with corrugated

metal sheets, which trap heat inside the building.

Seeing that bamboo is commonly used as a building material in the area and can be easily obtained by the locals, it

is proposed to be used for building the roof systems in the design.

Inspired by bamboo water fountain devices originated from Japan, bamboo poles will be aligned over the roof and

pivoted to one side of its balance point. When rainwater accumulates at the end of the bamboo pole and eventually past

the centre of gravity point, the tube will eventually rotate and drain out the water. The heavier end will fall back to orginal position and the cycle repeats.

With different lengths of bamboo being used, the roof system will act as an indicator to show the amount of rainfall. This design will also being a

water feature which closely relates to the importance of water in the architecture.

The movement of the roof will also allow airflow into the building.

Japanese water fountain

Precise enunciation of its innovative characteristics

by San-Ai Coporation

by Sanbao Ceramic Institute

by Organic Light Scupltures

by David Trubridge

Bamboo is a green material due to it rapid growth rate and its ease to be obtained. Many of the product designs nowadays choose to use bamboo as material due to its flexibility. The focus in this prototype is to

carve bamboo to change its permeability for light to pass through the roof system and allow light induction into the building.

Relationship with existing industrial product

4-axis CNC technology will be needed to carve on the bamboo poles to change the thickness of the bamboo wall and also its light permeability.