Project Overview

Problem:

As part of an engineering class, three classmates and I were tasked with designing and analyzing an affordable, safe, and expandable housing option for poverty stricken Haitian communities at a cost of $300 or less (part of the $300 house project http://www.300house.com). The assignment entailed making the house resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes, while also ensuring that it was culturally acceptable. As a class, we were told to construct and test a scale model of the design before building a full scale prototype.

Solution:

My team and I decided to construct our house out of bamboo, given its flexibility and affordability. Our design also incorporated a porch, which is a very important component of any Haitian home for cultural reasons. For added protection, the porch roof would be able to fold down vertically and function as a heavy duty collapsible storm shutter during hurricanes and storms. Unlike concrete, which is heavy, brittle, and crumbles during an earthquake, bamboo is flexible and bends in an earthquake without breaking. We focused primarily on the roof of the home and porch, with the intention of eventually constructing the walls out of bamboo as well.

Design Process

"Looks Like" Prototype

To begin our design process, we built a "looks like" prototype out of foam core and cardboard. This allowed us to visualize how the pieces would come together and form a stable house.

"Works Like" Prototype

Once we had a good idea of how we would like the house to appear, we dove into the details of the roof's construction. We cut pipes in half and utilized thin rope to fix the tubes in place.

SolidWorks Models

In conjunction with the physical prototypes, we further fleshed out the idea in SolidWorks. The full-scale house showcases how the front porch awning can swing down to protect the front of the house in the event of a storm. The roof model demonstrates how the "up and under" bamboo pattern leading into a gutter would facilitate delivery of water to the residents.

Final Product

Our final bamboo roof was featured in an exhibit at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth for sustainable building in Haiti, as well as on the Thayer school's website. As the leader and key innovator in my group, my professor asked me to stay… — Our final bamboo roof was featured in an exhibit at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth for sustainable building in Haiti, as well as on the Thayer school's website. As the leader and key innovator in my group, my professor asked me to stay on and continue my research with the bamboo roof as part of an independent study the following term, and figure out a way to efficiently make the bamboo roof without using power tools.

Affordable Bamboo House