Analysis: Bamboo Wall House

The house as an environmental filter

Systematic design logic

• Opaque walls permit sunlight to enter throughout the house.
• Numerous openings on wall faces allowing breezes to enter through all directions.
• Open indoor areas create ventilation.
• Bedrooms located on the eastern side allow the winter sunlight to penetrate though in the mornings, making it nice and warm. Because of the higher sun angle in summer, not that much sunlight travels through therefore it will not get too hot.
• Even if there is sunlight in the bedrooms during summer, the breeze coming from the outdoor area will cool it back down.
• Afternoon sun directed at the more public areas; the kitchen and living areas. Breeze will cool down the areas that are getting too much sunlight.

Climatic filter

• House is located in northern China where winters are very cold and summers average at 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Summers tend to be wet.
• The sun rises from east to west.
• The north end of the house received the least amount of light according to the Asian sun path figure.
• The entrance wall of the building and the longest wall which provides views of the valley below provide the most sunlight.
• The sun is positioned at a higher angle in summer and a lower angle in winter.

Technology and resources

• Materials include bamboo, tile, and glass etc.
• Major materials include bamboo, tile, and glass.
• Bamboo is evenly dispersed throughout the dwelling in order to maintain consistency with the concept.
• Glass is the primary material used in order to protect the house and bamboo from natural elements, e.g. the ceiling is made from bamboo, yet a layer of glass is added in order to keep the bamboo and unprotected parts of the house dry.
• Bamboo is prevalent in China, therefore in order to maintain the resourceful and sustainable approach to the design; local materials such as bamboo which is readily available are utilized.

Macro-environment

• The orientation of the dwelling has been manipulated in order for light to enter the dwelling in the best possible way throughout all times of the year.
• The opacity of the materials used additionally provides copious amounts of light, yet also ventilation as there is no continuous separating element between air and the bamboo other than certain areas where glass is necessary (ceiling).
• The dwelling is orientated so that the morning sun will reach the public spaces on the eastern side first, then the private areas on the western side in the afternoon.

Micro-environment

• The main openings are conveniently designed to face the valley landscape, away from the imposing mountain which blocks views from the other side of the house which is not focused on as much.
• Another convenient factor is that the sun path moves along the route mentioned above, where it provides the most light to the major components of the dwelling.
• The flatness and uniformly straight shape of the dwelling makes it conform to the site contours and provides an element as though it is ‘moving’ as part of the site.

The house as a container of human activities

Spatial relationships

• Public areas are segregated to the eastern entrance of the dwelling, whereas private areas are nestled together on the western end.
• The ground floor provides room for utilities such as the laundry, storage, water tank, and staff rooms, whereas the upper floor provides room for areas which will be in high use for the occupants such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and the kitchen.
• Bedrooms are located near bathrooms.

Circulation

• Public areas, semi-private, and private areas are sequenced in that order, therefore blocking out certain parts of the house as the ‘journey’ moves along.
• The main corridors are the only means for moving along the space, from public to private, public being nearer therefore private space won’t be unnecessarily invaded.
• The stairs which connect the levels are on the main hallway at the end of the dwelling, providing only one area for connection between the two spaces.
• The stairs are located near highly populated areas, thus are not a hassle to get to.

Functionality

• Multiple spaces with various functions are provided, thus the dwelling is highly flexible as it can accommodate for nearly anyone.
• The house is almost like a pattern, with nearly identical formats for the lower and upper floors, providing ease of function.
• As mentioned, the bamboo lounge is the central space where other public spaces such as the living and dining rooms are located around, thus grouping together where social activities occur.

Family profile and needs

• The dwelling would be suitable for a medium family or a smaller one with frequent guests considering the amount of bedrooms and guest rooms.

Zoning of activities

• The bamboo lounge is a separating space for the public and private ends of the house, whereby the kitchen, living and dining rooms are nearer to the entrance, and the bedrooms are closed off on the opposite end.
• The central area of the dwelling—the bamboo lounge—is a public space, however elements of privacy are intertwined as it is a cut off for public spaces leading onto private ones.
• The stairs have been sectioned off away from the main constraint of the public space, providing a semi-private area, perhaps to separate it from guests who should be limited to the main public area.

Space distribution and collocation

• Rooms are varied in their dimensions on both levels, however most repetitive spaces such as bedrooms remain similar.
• The upper level provides both public and private areas, however it is the focal area of the dwelling considering most of the functions necessary for human activity remain there, whereas the lower level is mostly semi-private with guest rooms and numerous utility rooms.

Schedule of areas

• There are two levels, the lower for utilities and guest rooms, the upper for the general flow of the dwelling, including all major aspects such as social areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, living and dining rooms, and a kitchen etc.

The house as a delightful experience

Expression

• Has an oriental representation through its low profile, open rooms with organic separators, and 'sleekness'.
• Is sustainably designed to conform to the surrounding environment, not the other way around.
• The expression of the architect's views of local resources and gaining the most from local sources through the vast use of bamboo which also serves to be appropriate within the context.
• The many uses for the spaces provided in addition to the quantity of spaces signifies the house's permanence and ability to serve multiple occupants requiring various needs from the spaces provided.
• The originality of the design with relevance to its social, cultural and site context means that it can be categorized as timeless within the constraints of architectural styles present in current society.
• The landscape is used as a focal development aspect in designing the form.

Materials and materiality

• Bamboo used as the obvious main material in order to blend in with the surrounding natural environment, and to undertake a sustainable approach to design by utilizing local resources.
• Glass used in order to protect the dwelling structure from natural elements, yet to seemingly portray bamboo as the structural protection.
• Depending on if the bamboo was to be protected from the elements in order to shield it from premature deterioration, glass might be used externally as wetness will not cause much damage to it.

Structure

• Highly intricate detailing in concern to the bamboo based structure.
• The use of bamboo as a main material due to the architect's design strategy to utilize local resources.

Sensory experiences

• Breezes of the surrounding mountainous topography.
• Perception of visibly altering linear patterned shadows as the sun pattern changes through the day and year.
• Scent of the surrounding foliage.