Tailored to and learning from the rapidly expanding peri-urban fringes of Asian cities like Batam - the world’s fastest-growing in 2015 - this new sustainable dwelling type is designed to be flexibly configured around its residents’ often precarious resources over time. Its steel-reinforced concrete frame has aerated concrete block cladding at ground and composite bamboo cladding or retractable bamboo screens above. It is based around the following five principles. (1) Sandwich section: the roof can be hoisted to add levels - the foundations can support up to three floors. (2) Domestic density: the house encourages densification at domestic and neighbourhood scales. (3) Decentralised systems: rainwater harvesting, solar panels, septic tanks, and passive cooling principles are integrated. (4) Productive landscapes: a vertical kitchen garden and bamboo nursery are included. (5) Seed package: the technology, resource strategies, and design guidelines can be developed in different ways depending on local social, cultural, and environmental conditions.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
