Against the Tides: The Floating Bamboo House in Vietnam
Flooding for the lower Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia is a normal phenomenon during the monsoon season between August and November. For people who have livelihoods that are based near the flooding river, a sustainable, safe, and stable accommodation is a useful space that can make daily life near the river a lot easier.
The Floating Bamboo House by H&P Architects is a sustainable housing model that can adapt to the worsening effects of climate change. Though this new type of three-compartment house made of solid cored bamboo simply joined together by latches and ties seems rather frail against raging rivers at first look, the Floating Bamboo House can keep floating down the Mekong River thanks to the plastic drum systems tied to the floor beneath. For travel and work that would take hours, the house is also equipped with freshwater storage tanks and septic tanks placed in the center. The square ground floor is spacious and can let the house function as a communal space, a library, and a classroom, etc. Above is also a second floor that can work as a sleeping area or a private study.
Related read: Ruang Nyaman Utilizes Bamboo to Design this Cozy Co-Living Apartment in Bali
Inside and outside, the Floating Bamboo House is covered in light materials like compressed weaved bamboo sheets, leaves, corrugated iron, and bamboo screens among other materials. Above, the house is equipped with a large roof that collects rainwater and harnesses solar energy. With a door system that flexibly opens and closes, the house is sturdy enough to endure adverse unfavorable weather just like how lotus flowers can easily float even in surging water.
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As Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, it’s expected that 47 percent of the Mekong Delta area and 13 percent of the Red River Delta will be submerged by the sea level’s 1-meter rise, directly affecting around 20 to 30 million.
By combining a cluster of these floating houses alongside other useful facilities such as playgrounds, vegetable-growing rafts, and fish-raising areas among many others, the floating house can be a great housing alternative for poor households.
