Sustainable Bamboo Pavilion for Communal Living

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/07/21/stunning-bamboo-forest-continues-to-grow-atop-met-museum/" target="_blank">Bamboo</a> is a readily available material that grows throughout Asia and can be used for any number of applications -- from channeling water to building roofs, fences, and floors. Australian designer <a href="http://esanrahmani.net/" target="_blank">Esan Rahmani</a> worked together with Mukul Damle to design this beautiful Bamboo Pavilion as a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/06/29/local-modular-and-efficient-eco-affordable-housing-for-ghana/" target="_blank">communal shelter</a> for disadvantaged populations around the Indian Ocean Rim.

The ingeniously designed pavilion is made completely out of bamboo.

Bamboo is used for the structure, roof, flooring, walls and rainwater collection.

The structure is a round and slightly oblong shape centered around a large communal living room with private rooms, storage and wash rooms around the outside.

The roof slopes down in the center, where a giant funnel directs rainwater to a basin and lets natural light filter into the communal room.

The funnel also allows hot air to escape up and out of the pavilion.

A cross section of the home shows how the rainwater collection system works. Rain slides down the funnel and through bamboo pipes along the roof. When the pipes reach the end of the roof, they travel back underneath the house to the basin.

The private rooms are located on the outside of the communal area and are separated by a barrier to provide privacy. Storage and washrooms are located on the opposite side.

The roof is built with convex and concave patterns to collect rainwater.

Structural elements collect water from the roof and direct them to the basin. Operable windows allow for more daylight and ventilation - when they are open, water flows away from the windows.

A detailed diagram of the bamboo roof slices and the structural members. The bamboo slices run into the larger structural elements to collect the water.