During a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, earlier this year, 26 modest bamboo structures remained standing. This was not a miracle, but the result of work by the architecture studio Blue Temple, which developed the Housing NOW project — a program for rapid and affordable resilient housing for displaced people.
The project is aimed at families who lost their homes because of the ongoing conflict in the country. The architects chose a local, affordable resource — thin-stemmed bamboo. Its strong interlacing forms a flexible frame that does not break, but 'springs' during seismic movement.
Each house is assembled in just a week according to instructions. Future residents take part in the construction as well — this not only reduces costs, but also creates a sense of involvement. At the same time, the structures are easy to repair and adapt to local conditions.
In total, Blue Temple has built 79 such homes across the country. One module costs between US$1,000 and US$1,300. After the earthquake, it became clear that bamboo is not just an eco-friendly and cheap material, but a real solution for resilient housing. The project received international recognition, including from MIT Solve and UNICEF Innovation30, as an example of an effective and affordable humanitarian solution.
