Vaibhav Kaley, I am trained as an interior designer from School of Interior Design, CEPT. Building is my and bamboo is a passion. Bamboo, whose love I partly inherited from my father who is well known all over India as Bamboo-Man.   After my graduation I had the opportunity to work under prof. K T Ravindran on one of his projects in Wardha, as his site assistant. This apprenticeship which lasted for about 1 ½ years helped me learn some of the fundamental aspects of building systems and materials. The project I worked on is a National Institute of Rural Industrialization. Taking a clue from the basic tenets of the institute and its principles he used innovative and unconventional building systems, like rat-trap bond for walls, BCT vault roofs, Filler slabs, Jack arch roofing methods and insulation over the roof using inverted earthen Kullhars.

I was fortunate to get opportunitites to design and build some structures using bamboo as primary material of construction. The most challenging and interesting of all so far (and successful as well) was an opportunity to Design and Develop a Technology demonstration project for a cluster housing using bamboo as primary construction material. This is funded and conceived by National Mission for Bamboo Application, set up under TIFAC, DST, Govt. of India.  It’s a cluster of 50 houses, designed as a very basic unit, of about 325 sq ft, a multipurpose hall, a kitchen and a verandah. It was designed to minimize the costs yet provide with all the basic amenities.

W O R K I N G W I T H B A M B O O: Cluster Housing Project

A Cluster-Housing project at Wardha.

Technology Development and demonstration project:

1. Bamboo is a Natural Resource, available in abundance across the length and breadth of Indian subcontinent.

2. Bamboo is available in a Tubular (pipe-like) form, which is a sound structural form. Bamboo compares very well with other building materials in its engineering properties as well.

3. Bamboo is available in a Ready to Use Timber form. it needs minimal primary processing before it can be used as building material.

4. Bamboo is a resource, which is the fastest Regenerating material.

NMBA, National Mission on Bamboo Applications, is a body constituted to promote and develop applications with bamboo as primary resource. Housing is identified as thrust area.

The primary purpose of this project was to develop construction technology using bamboo and demonstrate it at a moderate scale so as to test the technology on a pilot scale.

W O R K I N G W I T H B A M B O O: Cluster Housing Project

 The Salient Features of the Bamboo House:

 Bamboo Super-Structure:

This is actually the key feature of bamboo house. Individual bamboo pole, owing to its low cross sectional area and slenderness-ratio, is incapable of acting as load bearing member for larger spans. This inability of individual bamboo-member has been addressed by putting two or more bamboo culms together in a geometric configuration.

The Building components like Column, Beam, Truss and purlins are designed to be like a kit of parts which correspond with each other in dimensional and geometric formations.

All the structural members are prefabricated and then erected after the plinth is ready.

A&D and European Exchange program:

I came to know about this program through a advertisement in Hindu. It was first noticed and sent to me by one of the acquaintance in Mumbai. I was a little hesitant to send in the application as it was clearly mentioned for Architects and Engineers. But I must thank A&D India, specially Radha, to consider the application and invite for an Interview.

It was my sincere wish for a long time to visit Europe, more than anywhere else. The place and people always intrigued me and made me curious. Some of the most haunting questions I am perturbed by, are connected directly or indirectly to Europe or European society.

I thought, a visit and direct contact with the western society will help me find some answers. And it certainly did, not that I got the answers but I got some clues for my further search.

A&D and European Exchange program:

My Arrival and first week:

I was flying above Germany in the early morning twilight, all I could see a white carpet with crisscrossing black lines, and moving yellow flickers. It moved me, more so because it was the first experience. On a foreign land, the first helping hand will always remain your most cherished memory, and it was Victor, who remained extremely supportive and encouraging throughout.  I moved to and stayed at Wahid and Illyas’s place, very near to La Cambre School of Architecture. Wahid and Illyas are students of architecture and come from Morocco. I spent about a month and half with the very accommodative, helping and soft spoken duo.  Coming from a kind of socio-cultural background, I subconsciously carry some framework about Mohammedan, Christian society. One tends to have prejudices and preconception about people and cultures one has not experienced first hand. Not that one experience is enough to establish a final picture, but it clearly helps us set some other standpoints.  The place I lived and moved about was Place Flegey, a very active, full of life and vibrant part of Brussels. It had all the ingredients of fun and urban life. This part has the Beer bars, cafes, theatres and everything else.

IBGE- BIM; My office and work-Environment:

IBGE is a government aided organization, its task is to take care of environmental aspects of Brussels and surrounding region. Their area of work involves, Green areas in and around Brussels, its design and upkeep, as a government authority for controlling developments and its impact on the health of environment of Brussels capitol region.  The Brussels Institute for Management of the Environment, or IBGE-BIM, is the environmental and energy watchdog of the Brussels Capital Region. Since 1989, the Belgian regions have had authority over such important matters as the economy, employment, public works, transport, urban planning and the environment. IBGE-BIM acts, from the regulatory standpoint, as a research, planning, advisory and information body, as well as an issuer of permits, and a surveillance and control agency. From the sectoral standpoint, it has authority in the areas of waste, air quality, noise, parks and forests, water, soil and energy.

IBGE- BIM; My office and work-Environment:

Colleagues: I had a fortune of being in the company of some really nice and good hearted people.

To begin with I had no specific skill to offer them as far as work was concerned, the language barrier made it even more difficult for me to do any useful contribution. But everyone in the office was supportive and helping.

They made me feel at ease and find my groove in the office. Mark, with his good sense of history of Belgium and Europe in general, helped me put many of the things in perspective. He was the one who would make all the efforts in speaking in English and introduce me to various people in other departments, and take me around to various parts of historical importance of Brussels. He is a French and it is evident.

Erik, is meticulous and very punctual. He heads the section I worked in. He gave me small works, helped me organize things as far as work was concerned. He and Grett, his girlfriend have become close friend of mine. I visited them in their hometown Arschott, 50 km from Brussels, on a Bicycle. It was fun and quite educative.

Roselyne and Axel, were tied up with the upcoming Royal park in Brussels. Axel took me to different concerts and introduced me to his friends and some interesting beers. Roselyne and Bob have become more than just friends, they made me a part of their family.

IBGE- BIM; My office and work-Environment:

Projects: 1. Bamboo Pavilion in Jardins Du Fleuriste, Bruxelles.

This was a Hyppothetical project. It was an exercise to get myself familiarize with the office and work-environment. As I have some expertise and understanding of bamboo, it was proposed that we design a pavilion of bamboo in the park being designed.

It was also an exercise in seeing, How a material, skill and know-

how which is completely foreign could be transplanted from one context to another. What are the issues that one addresses and how does it address the questions of ‘Eco-consciousness’.

Bamboo Pavilion :A.     The structure is conceived to be a kit of parts, which can be

installed and dismantled, as and when required. B.     It was designed for Parks, in a way that it can be installed

during summers, or some special occasions, as temporary structure.

C.    It is an extension of a Umbrella-Principal, a combination of tensile fabric and compression member.

D.    There were series of meetings, discussions with the colleagues in office, with faculty members of La-cambre university and Victor.

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IBGE- BIM; My office and work-Environment:

Projects: 2. An Information Center at Park Sobiasky:

information center for visitors of the park and people of the nearby commune. IBGE organizes various awareness campaigns on environment, in which case this place can be used for a day-long seminar or display of posters etc.

 Eco management of Building:          Use of Solar energy for applications in the center, a possible

place for the panel-installation is terrace.          Collection of Rainwater and its use for public toilets to be built

in the second phase.          To use terrace partly for solar energy generation and partly for

water collection.          Terrace could also be thought with Terrace Garden. 1. The effluent treatment tank for the waste water from the

kitchen and toilets and if possible its use for gardening purpose.

The Heating can be done using advanced ‘Wooden-Heater’ systems which will use the wood and other Bio-mass collected from the park itself.

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Unlearning and learning’s:

Travel helps you expand and if you are conscious of it then it helps you much more. Europe as I have already stated, always intrigued me. The reasons are social, political, religious.

I read Vivekananda and he says, we must learn what we lack from West and teach what we are best at. He strongly advocates the travel, experience and learning in other worlds.

And he is right, as he always have proven to be. There are a lot of things I could learn about myself, understand and rectify some.

This visit has been particularly helpful in shedding some of the baggage I was carrying regarding the ‘social’ and Individual being of a European man and a society. Somethings were confirmed and some were uprooted.

A small experience, while on a trip to Barcelona, I was stuck in the middle of the night with no place to stay, stranded on the street Ramblaz. At that hour, a familiar voice ‘Bhaijaaan’ reassured me. He helped me find a place, got me safely inside the four wals, He was from Pakistan and his name Aurangzeb. I was aghast.

Unlearning and learning’s:

For a person from Europe, to be on time is more or less like a Habit a natural thing to do. I always thought that it takes a lot of work to be punctual, but No it does not, it only needs a little more push.

The Two wars in early part of 20th century has litarally made the society the way it is in every aspect. It has touched them at the very subconscious place, probably.

The wars have left undeniable mark on the architectural landscape of Europe. All what we understand as Modern and post-modern architecture has a strong link with post-war construction.

Gerit Rietveld with his red-blue chair was already exploring this phenomenon of abstraction into three dimensions. This house and his works have had considerable impact on the works of later architects of Netherlands and Germany in the times to come.

 It had set a tone for architecture to follow, the architectural-

philosophy that was responsive to the resource-crunch that followed the world-war and need to built-simpler, faster and cheaper and yet embellish it with meanings and metaphors

Unlearning and learning’s:

Travels and Experiences:

The best part I feel, is the opportunity to travel and see what we have been seeing, hearing and learning about ‘Architecture’ with capitol A. We must deny it, but our perceptions about architecture and design are influenced to a great degree by what “Benister Fletcher’ says and Corbusier thinks.

 The first hand experience of these places, some exquisite and

extra-ordinary piece of architecture gives us very different understanding of how one can approach and resolve some everyday problems of design. My visit to Carlo Scarpa designed Cemetery was an unforgetteable experience. That in a stark, calm afternoon, I felt as if someone might really comeout of the grave and tap on my back, was the effect the sound, juxtaposed circles and never ending lines created.

The park de Guell by Antanio gaudi, is a complete turn around from

Scarpa. He is Exuberant, he is letting things evolve, the elements and components look as if they will keep growing, they will never stop.

sometimes the number of people, there noises, there colours distract from the real experience of building. Come to think of it, the huge tourist-crowds must be giving these celebrated places and the buildings a feeling of being 'dressed-up' for the occasion.