Climate change is forcing us to rethink our way of life, and in the coming decades they will “displace” entire populations. It's time to reinvent our homes to withstand the threats that lie ahead, and the solution may come from a remote corner of the world: Vietnam. A local company has “reinvented” the floating house, taking inspiration from H&P Architects' famous Blooming Bamboo design. The target? Create a safe and sustainable refuge for populations living on river banks, at risk due to increased flooding.
Bamboo House: a floating island in the middle of the river
Living on the bank of a river is a unique experience, but not without its challenges. One of these is certainly the risk of flooding which can lead to the destruction of homes. To respond to this threat, the bamboo floating house is not a gamble. Far from it. It is a safe and resistant shelter that can even float on the water in the event of a flood, protecting the inhabitants from danger.
And that's not all. The house, measuring 36 square meters, has a modular design that allows you to transform the interior spaces according to your needs.
Not just a retreat, but a complete home
The project , currently still in the prototype phase, provides not only a safe shelter, but also a fully functional home. Inside there will be space for a kitchen, a bathroom and bedrooms. In addition to this, the house will be equipped with a fresh water tank and a septic tank system (with the possibility of connection to the sewerage system).
The house will be built using bamboo poles and other lightweight materials such as compressed bamboo leaves and strands, corrugated iron and bamboo screens.
Floods and other disasters? Resilient even with energy
The bamboo house is equipped with a rainwater collection system and has its own set of solar panels. Not only is it flood resistant, but it is also energy self-sufficient.
Remaining current (the situation in Emilia Romagna: by the way! Donations are never enough. If you can, lend a hand). I'm not saying that you should or can place floating bamboo houses wherever there is a river.
However, I say that we cannot and should no longer build "as it has always been done": we have materials and technologies to create accessible and sustainable housing solutions for both the most at-risk communities and those still safe today.
It is about reducing dependence on traditional infrastructures, which are often vulnerable to extreme climatic phenomena such as floods. We can do it we can build stable and safe houses.
There is no saving in not doing it: because in that case we will have to spend on construction and reconstruction.
