School in Rudrapur

Rudrapur, Bangladesh

This village school adapts the traditional materials of earth and bamboo to make them more durable. In terms of the earth construction, the most important technical advances were introducing a damp-proof course, adding a brick foundation and mixing straw into the loam. The potential of bamboo construction is demonstrated by the ceiling (a layering of bamboo sticks, bamboo boards and earth) and the first-floor walls and roof (a frame construction consisting of beams - four layers of joined bamboo sticks - and vertical and diagonal poles). The project was hand-built by local craftsmen, pupils and teachers working in collaboration with European volunteers.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture