Flood Response Housing Workshop
Group 3 (1st Position)
Hamza Khan, Sehan & Syed Nabeel Ashraf
Design Philosophy
Our design philosophy revolved around finding vernacular housing solutions, in the account of floods that respectfully converse with the context of rural Sindh. This inquires us to research about the day to day rituals and lifestyle in those areas. The concept of outdoor living and permanence (Pakka Ghar) accompanied with the versatility of flood resistance, formed the basis of our design. We started this project by considering communities in Gharo, Sindh.
Design Process
While designing we catered the lifestyle of rural Sindh and tried to respond to the current flood conditions. We designed a ground plus one module that could be connected to other modules through a mechanism using ladders. The design comprised of nine bamboo columns that extended to the upper level. The ground floor columns were made of four columns to provide the required strength and load bearing qualities. All nine columns had a concrete footing of reused oil canisters. It prevented bamboo from retaining moisture from the ground and also added to the structural integrity.
Materiality
Our material palette was based on locally sourced building materials that were either native or were readily available on site. Our choice of materials were bamboo, mud bricks and limestone. The foundation and the plinth were built of limestone boulders, held together by cement that gave the required strength to the bamboo structure and mud brick wall to withstand floods. The primary structure were built of bamboo that was supported by a retaining wall built of mud bricks. These two construction materials were used for the structural integrity of the house. As our design intended to deliver a cost effective solution, bamboo proved to be a reliable option that would be easy to work with while mud bricks added strength and the element of ‘pakka ghar’.
Upon getting chosen for construction, we realized the main strength of our design stemmed from the simplicity of our form leading to easy construction process. We used familiar materials (Mud Bricks and Bamboo) while our layout facilitated a comfortable solution, similar to the traditional way of living. Versatility and strength of the structure ensures sustenance during flooding while making locals feel at home.
Group 9 (2nd Position)
Zoha Arif, Fizza Touseef & Zainab Saeed
Design Philosophy
Our project aimed to tackle the plight of the victims by connecting them as a community and enabling the efficient sharing of resources. We took Ali Abro village as a case study and studied the composition of the rural fabric. Extended families in rural Sindh tend to live in clusters, sharing sehans, resources and programs. Programs and activities of individual households bleed into shared communal spaces as the community works together for a shared output. Sehans thus become an important part of communal living. We designed household units with a careful configuration of private and shared sehans that could function as utilitarian spaces all year round and double up as places of refuge at the time of emergency.
Design Process
At the time of the flood, the walls of the storage unit could be dismantled and each private court could become one conjoined sehan. We also designed modules of a bathroom accompanied by a shared barn that could be shared by three household units. Three household modules and one bathroom module were tessellated together and built on a shared raised plinth of 4ft. The openings of each of these modules opened into the private courts to maintain a stable relationship with the ground and the programs it held.
Materiality
The stepped plinth was made of compacted earth with a capping of cement stabilized earth. The stabilized earth had five percent of cement and ninety five percent of earth. The cement content provided a stable grounding and the earth provided the adequate altitude to respond to the rising flood water. Bamboo culms were used and were painted with motor or sump oil to waterproof them. The structural frame was also made with bamboo which provided horizontal and cross bracing to the frame. The spaces were then filled with threaded wattle which was also treated with sump oil. This wattle structure was then daubed with cement stabilized earth to further waterproof it.
Group 5 (3rd Position)
Gunakshi Devi, Muzammil Farooq, Haram Imran
Design Philosophy
Our design was made while adapting to the flood water rather than resisting it. The design relied on a floating structure, simply by virtue of a column. We started with a simple but very important concept to strengthen the society in testing times. We creating a module that would build a connection between houses to create physical as well as emotional support during the hard times.
Design Process
We connected 4 houses to the main platform which had a common washroom. The common platform became a route to stay connected. The roof of the house was cantilevered to provide shade to the sleeping space which was outside the room, as people in rural space prefer to sleep in open spaces. There was one large room for storage. The floor of the four houses were interlocked via a common platform to give structural support. Each house had a big concrete pillar which anchored it to the ground. As floods hit the whole structure rose because of the barrels, but due to the pillar would not float away and would stay in place.
Materiality
Local materials were our primary choice for construction but we were also looking for the stability and strength to fight with the pressure of flood water for which the concrete plinth and a poured central column were designed. Plastic barrels were added below the floor of the house which would solely be used to make the house float (because of its light weight). Bamboo was used for the structure of the house, roofing, floor and walls because we wanted the structure to be as light as possible. Wattle and daub method was used in the walls to create insulation. The main purpose to make the central column with concrete was that it would keep the house in place during flood, when the house would be floating above water. Another bamboo column was added into the central column to help the house float with respect to rise in water level.
Group 1
Areesha Mirza, Sana Majeed, Zuhair Omer
Design Philosophy
From the very beginning, the idea of disruption of human life during flooding was at the forefront of our strategy. We wanted to design a project which was holistic. Obviously, the safety of the six inhabitants of the house was the utmost priority, but a secondary objective was to address the social and psychological repercussions caused by the floods and possibility of isolation from the community as a whole.
Design Process
We began by listing all the immediate and delayed effects of flooding. We soon realized that a lot of the problems were caused by isolation resulting from the waters. We needed to find a way to connect the individual to the larger community. Our strategy to do so was to not design the living quarters of the family but actually to design a communal space where families could row to when the flood hits. The benefit of this was that the cost of the communal space was divided amongst 4 families.
Furthermore, families with different specializations could support each other. Farmers, midwives, metal workers, etc., could share resources. This could result in a potentially thriving community ten feet above ground. Lastly, the ‘Ghat’ system allowed families to row to the communal space. There were ghats at 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet, which meant that regardless of what the water level was, the communal space was always active and ready to provide a temporary home, medical support, and psychological stability in an uncertain environment.
Materiality
The material chosen for the design revolved around cost efficiency and availability. The structure was designed using bamboo due to its lightweight yet strong nature. The bamboo was joined using bamboo joints and reed rope to give strength, especially where the ghats were connected to the structure.
Group 2
Umaima Ahsan, Fibha, Adeena Irfan
Design Philosophy
Our idea was to take what was already working and provide a solution for the problems faced by flooding. We started out with an analysis of the housing condition and an understanding of vernacular materials used in interior Sindh. We realized that at the time of flood, what usually gets destroyed first are the roofs as they are built with thatch or woven material, and due to its linear and flat nature water tends to stay stagnant on rooftop putting weight on the structure. We also noticed that the foundations for these houses were structurally weak.
Design Process
Keeping these pointers in mind the proposed solutions gave attention to the foundation and plinth and provide maximum stability to the structure. The sloping of the roof tackled the issue of water remaining stagnant on top. We provided solutions while still trying to encapsulate the feeling of what makes a house a home, and remained sensitive to the use of outdoor and indoor spaces.
Our project responded to site context of Larkana. Our intervention was a simple semi covered intervention that sat on top of a natural mound. The mound was raised 2 feet on top of the natural ground line. The plinth was raised another 2 feet above the mound. The circular form was inspired by the bullnose shape of boats. This form would disperse and break the pressure of water. The circular ground plane was broken into two parts. The thatched roof was supported on a pitched bamboo structure with a layer of plastic sheets to make it waterproof.
Materiality
While choosing the materials we took into account each material’s cost, maintenance requirements, attractiveness and stability. Purchasing readily accessible items was advised to us. The price and length of the installation process were also influenced by the availability of building supplies. There are some materials that are difficult to transfer locally and were available. So, we headed in the direction of stone, thatch, bamboo and sun-dried bricks. The idea was that locally sourced materials lessen the cost of transportation.
Group 4
Junaid Ashraf, Tehleel Imdad, Hana Zakaria
Design Philosophy
The design was built around three concepts: availability, mobility and flexibility. Flexibility and mobility were used in the sense that the wall panels were removable, allowing the family to build a temporary shelter until their permanent area was completely free of floodwater where the panels could later be reattached.
Design Process
The walls were tied to the columns with ropes and could be easily detached and moved to a higher ground. The majority of the house was made of both permanent and temporary components. The foundation, flooring and roofing were all permanent structures, so they had to be built to withstand flood pressure. The ground was raised by one foot, to add height. A bamboo basket was then added to the structure with a raft in the middle to connect the columns as a single structure. Finally, the gaps were filled with gravel of various grades and concrete mortar to hold the rubble together and to prevent water from penetrating. The wall panels, however, were fastened with rope so they may be simply removed for transportation.
Materiality
We used bamboo for the columns and basket structure for the detachable wall panels. Bamboos elasticity would allow it to withstand storms that could break or crumble other building materials. The second material we worked with was panaflex for the roof for its durability and flexibility. Panaflex would help strengthen the roof and would not allow the water to seep in. The foundation was filled with concrete mortar, crushed stones of different grades so as to help strengthen the structure and hold the columns giving the project great unified strength.
Group 6
Momina Hammad, Javerya Shahid, Bilal Nasir
Design Philosophy
Keeping the plight of the victims in mind and the idea of responding with innovation to the devastations, we decided to bring in a floating mechanism and explored its possibilities. This was mainly done to cater to the aspect of having a home despite a flood, and to negate the requirement of rebuilding.
Design Process
The structure stands on four PVC pipes filled with concrete. Each pipe had four bamboos tied together immersed in the concrete. Twelve PVC air tight barrels were tied to the bamboo floor and the roof was a PVC sheet. The roof was sloped to prevent water from accumulating on it.
Materiality
We decided to use the indigenous materials available, this pertained to the cost effectiveness and to the adaptability of the user, since they were familiar with local materials and knew how to use them. We primarily worked with wattle and daub and expanding on that we worked with bamboo, mud-mortar and PVC pertaining to our float design strategy.
Group 7
Faseeh Ahmed, Mohibullah Baig, Eashal Arif
Design Philosophy
The design took into account the local climate and topography, as well as the needs and preferences of the residents. Our goal was to help improve the lives of those living in rural areas of Pakistan by providing them with homes that can withstand the effects of floods and provide them with a sense of security and comfort.
Design Process
The aim was to create a flood responsive design that aligned with the water level and could float. The structure was divided into two parts: static plinth and dynamic/floating structure. A total of twenty barrels were used for a minimum buoyancy of 2000kg. The upper level structure was built using mostly bamboo to reduce weight and density. Furthermore, guiding poles were used to retain the position of the structure and limit movement in the y-axis, while remaining static on the x-axis.
Materiality
The utilization of lightweight bamboo as a building material helped to achieve a structure that was both sturdy and light, thus reduced the overall weight of the building and made it more resistant to the forces of flood. The 55-gallon recycled plastic drums served as a means of providing additional buoyancy to the structure. These drums were capable of holding weights of up to 200 kilograms, ensuring that the house remained afloat even during severe flooding. The walls could be made using bamboo mats, providing additional protection against the ingress of water.
Group 8
Ali Ahmed, Faria Khalid, Hina Mansoor and Sumbul Ghanchi
Design Philosophy
We created a design that has the flexibility to be permanent but also mobile. During floods, the force of the flood water damages the structure of the huts and if not damaged by the force, they will eventually be damaged with constant contact with stagnated water.
The idea behind creating a floating structure was to provide a structure that felt permanent but also prevented human contact with flood water. The drums at the base of the structure would keep the hut afloat by using the phenomena of buoyancy. The lightweight sub-structure put minimum load on the drums and helped to keep the structure afloat. The height of the guiding posts was to accommodate a rise of 10 ft. of flood water.
Design Process
The design included a sleeping space, kitchen, sehan, storage and a raft, which rested upon a wooden bamboo lattice structure framing twenty drums. The lattice acted as a structural member so the drums could float without any weight on them. There were eight guiding posts, made out of four bamboos tied together on the sides, to keep the structure in place.
Materiality
The structure worked on the principles of buoyancy and up thrust. Twenty plastic 55 gallon drums spread around 450sq ft., underneath a split bamboo floor plane with a thin layer of mud plaster on top, to give it an earthy feeling. The parapet, partition walls and the roof were made of thatch, leftover agricultural waste, to counter the weight and balance the up thrust. A bamboo lattice structure surrounded and upheld the entire structure which was supported by bamboo.
