Aleksandra Wykrota, Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak and Mateusz Ryjak from the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology received an honorable mention in the international Kaira Looro competition. Their project entitled. "Oasis" is a Crisis Management Center.
Kaira Looro 's competition task was to design a facility serving as a Crisis Management Center that could be built in sub-Saharan Africa. The building would facilitate humanitarian operations and provide shelter for disaster victims and refugees.
The construction of the Center is made of bamboo
© Aleksandra Wykrota, Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak, Mateusz Ryjak
oasis in Africa
The jury of the competition distinguished the project entitled. "Oasis" by students of the Cracow University of Technology. The main idea of the designed center, was to create an "oasis" - a space where the residents of a refugee camp could find a moment of peace, a place to organize joint events and rebuild a substitute for normality. At the heart of the designed building, the authors placed an atrium, shielded from the sun by fabrics hung on bamboo poles. The use of local motifs reinforces the identity of the place.
patterned taknines shield the atrium
© Aleksandra Wykrota, Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak, Mateusz Ryjak
functional zones
The building's skeletal structure makes it easy to transport, assemble and disassemble. Depending on requirements and changing conditions, the building can be easily expanded or downsized. In the plan proposed by the designers, three separate functional zones can be distinguished: medical, office and storage. The office and warehouse sections have interior corridors to facilitate communication and orientation in the facility. The atrium is easily accessible from each zone. The building's elevation above ground level allows it to function during heavy rains, while the raised roof improves ventilation.
The facility is divided into three zones
© Aleksandra Wykrota, Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak, Mateusz Ryjak
bamboo construction
The primary construction material of the facility is bamboo. This cheap and readily available material meets local demands. The center's skeletal structure uses two modules: four meters for rooms and two meters for corridors. This allows for a building that is easy to rearrange and adapt to changing conditions. The module adopted also ensures easy transportation, avoiding elements longer than those that fit into a standard container. Leftover cut bamboo was used as hanging pots, decorating the atrium and symbolically highlighting the new beginning. The walls separating the various rooms were also designed from bamboo. Their different weave and zone-specific fabrics make it easier to orient oneself within the premises. The walls can also be draped over the ground, transforming the temporary building into a permanent one. The roof of the facility is made of straw and bamboo matting. Like the structural elements, it can be easily assembled and transported.
installation of the object step by step
© Aleksandra Wykrota, Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak, Mateusz Ryjak
assembly step by step
The first step after delivering the elements to the site is to mark out the modular grid of the object. Next, holes 80 centimeters deep should be dug where the lines intersect. The concrete foundations for the poles will be placed in them. The assembled poles, are placed in the holes of the concrete bases. Then the roof trusses and floors should be laid out, the beams should not be placed at intervals of more than one meter. The next stage is to lay the floor and spread the mat on the roof, which will provide protection from the sun at a later stage of construction. The final stage is to set up the partition walls that form the next rooms.
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illustrations courtesy of Aleksandra Wykrota,
Piotr Dziewierz, Filip Sierak and Mateusz Ryjak
