Archives for January 2007

« Previous Entries

Sukumbasi Housing

January 31, 2007
Here is an example of a sukumbasi housing. The style is modern, craftsmanship is exquisite, it is as green as one gets, material is local. Our urban dweller can learn from these displaced people.
 
 
 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Soaking

January 30, 2007

We have tried three different methods of treatment. The first one shown above is the traditional treatment method where bamboo are soaked for 4-12 weeks on a running or muddy stagnant water. Bamboo contains starch solution which is suceptible to bacteria, but since starch is soluble in water, it gets diluted or washed out with this method. Many argue this process does not totally work because the vascular bundles (through which starch travel) is axial the outer layer of bamboo has a thick impegranable silica layer, thus water can not get to the inner cells of bamboo. Nevertheless, this is the one of the most prominent traditional methods of treatment.

 

 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Life of a bamboo

January 28, 2007
Our plant is portable, sleek, inexpensive and available. With this method we have exponentially increased the life of a bamboo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Boucherie Revolution in Nepal

January 25, 2007
Our bamboo plant at work. It is simple. It can be carried by one person. It is environmentally benign, low cost, manually operated and most importantly locally produced. It is Abari's another brain child. All thanks to our research expert Nripal and Ramkrishna (shown in the picture). Once a few technical problems are sorted out, the system will be ready to market soon. This is the first time in Nepal, a low cost treatment plant is developed. Just like the success of biogas plants in Nepal, Abari team is hoping, this plant also will gain prominence. Good bye to timber, steel and iron. Bamboo is here to stay.
 
 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Reddobe

January 23, 2007

This is an example from a house in Panauti, the inner wall is adobe and the outer wall is kiln burnt bricks. Interesting thing about this areas is the use of red mud mortar. Red mud (Rato Mato), in the other parts of the country, is used as plaster but here it is used as mortar. The million dollar question is why is red mud not used to make bricks? 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Bamboo Treatment

January 22, 2007

These days, we have been very busy starting our new bamboo treatment plant. We had to wait till the new moon (aaunsi) to cut the bamboo. We first tried the Vertical Soaking Method. In this method, bamboo were made completely hollow by penetrating the diaphrams (the inner portion of the nodes), except the last one, with a metal rod, which was then filled with a Boron solution. The solution was left in the bamboo for 13 days after which bamboo were supposed to be bugs free.

During this process, we encountered two problems.

First, the bamboo were relatively easier to penetrate when they were straight, but the curved ones were almost impossible.

Secondly a bamboo required 6 liters of chemical, thus 200 bamboo would require 3600 liters, which would cost 36,000Rs. (480$) alone for the chemical. Due to this exuberant price we have stopped the project.

We are now working on a more cost effective method, also known as Boucherie Modified Method. We will keep you updated on that as we progress. 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

A stairway to the Second Floor

January 16, 2007
 
This is an example of a typical nepali staircase. They are usually located right after the entrance.  In the traditional houses, the first floors were used to shelter animals or only to store food because the moisture barrier used to be insufficient  to provide sufficient thermal comfort for the humans.  These stairs used the the wood  agrath and they were as durable as the house. Needless to say the  stairs had a locking system instead of nails.  Its a taboo  in Nepal to  stand under  a  stair case.  Any  thoughts on why it is so?
 
 
 
 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

BAMBUCICLETAS

January 14, 2007
 Photo: American Bamboo Soceity

Flavio Deslandes is the man behind the development of a bicycle made of bamboo. He is Brazilian and he is an industrial designer from the PUC-Rio University.

The bicycle is one of the worlds most brilliant inventions. It is hard to find a disadvantage (to the bicycle) - except the material it is made from. Light bicycles are made from aluminum, which is one of the most resource demanding materials that exist. My bicycles are made of grass, he says. 

Continue Reading Steen Heinsen's article.

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Mud Recipe

January 13, 2007

Try different locations and choose a site that has the most appropriate mud. In Nepal, if the mud does not stick to a brick form, and does not build up cracks, it is considered the most appropriate mix. Usually the mud about 2 feet from the groundlevel work pretty well, since they dont have the organic matters.

Soak the mix in water for at least one night.

Dance on it.

Pour it in a form to make a brick  (you could use the same mix for plaster as well).

It is done!!

Start building or plastering a beautiful adobe house. 

 

  

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

Bare Adobe

January 11, 2007
 
In the Eastern area of Kathmandu, adobe walls are either kept bare, or are plastered with a thin layer of mud, which almost looks like a wash. The tradition says, adobe is not effected when the water hits it in an angle.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!

« Previous Entries