A cozy family retreat that is an epitome of sustainability

By |2020-02-19T12:31:23+00:00February 19th, 2020|blog|

Bamboo has been part of construction ever since humans started building shelters. Over the years, the usage of bamboo persisted majorly in the regions of South Asia, South-East Asia, East Asia possibly owing to its cultural relevance in these regions or easy availability. However, the growing concrete jungle is making designers rethink sustainability and construction material choices. And slowly but steadily, bamboo is making its way back to construction and gaining popularity among people who are conscious about the earth and ecosystem.

Let’s take a look at one such bamboo hut made for a family who wanted to build a gathering place for their huge joint family. The initial idea proposed to them was a state of the art building with all modern facilities. Though the family liked the design, they were profoundly fascinated with the bamboo clubhouse that we developed at Organo Naandi, a sustainable farming community. Since it was a personal retreat right outside their house courtyard, they wanted to go with a similar sustainable structure.

The Idea…

It was an open plot adjacent to their house which needed a complete makeover. Our designers came up with a plan of a domical bamboo structure, a self-sustaining bio pool, a small gazebo, and plenty of open areas with panoramic landscaping. The family loved the idea and gave a hundred percent go-ahead to the design plan.

The Living Aquatic System…

A bamboo hut with a nearby stream is anything but magical. For this outside retreat area, our designers planned to build a dugout natural pond with exotic aqua life and plants. To make it more sustainable, gunny bags were dipped in cement and layered with chicken mesh instead of concrete. Once the base was laid, it was filled back with soil and stratum. Simple mechanisms were used in making this bio pool with water, aquatic plants, fishes, etc. The water quality inside the pool was in fact managed by the pro-bacteria which was growing along with the pool. A beautiful gazebo area was also built on the pond side for experiencing relaxed leisure moments. To bring this ‘Living Aquatic System’ to life, we had collaborated with the Rufus Monterio team from Bangalore who is a specialist in building living aquatic systems.