Bamboo & Earth Funicular Vault
France, 2021
Experimentation as part of the Grain d'Isère festival at the Grands Ateliers organized by CRAterre.
Team: Amdjed Islam DALI | Ana Katherine CARRENO CHARRY | Angele KESERWANY | Eluckkiya ANGALAKURICHI NALLASAMY | Esraa ALSHARA | Leonardo EGAS | Trong Hiep DO | Yuvarani BASKAR
Objectives: Experiment building a funicular vault shape with a bamboo structure and earth filling.
The funicular vault represents a sophisticated architectural form that draws on principles of structural efficiency and elegance. Characterized by its distinctive curved shape, the funicular vault is engineered to distribute forces in such a way that the structure primarily experiences compressive stresses. This design allows for the creation of expansive, open spaces with minimal material usage, making it both visually captivating and structurally sound.
This experimentation began with bamboo extraction and progressed through drawing using software specific to vault modeling, creating a small mockup, and culminated in on-site implementation.
Throughout the process, we assembled all elements according to architectural drawings, improvising and adapting as needed during construction. This rich experience enhanced our understanding of the compatibility between bamboo, earth, and straw, as well as the significant potential of the funicular vault both structurally and aesthetically.
