Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden School by Chiangmai Life Architects

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| 10.30 – 27 August 2017 |

“Green School” mission follower Panyaden International School has added a sports hall to its campus.

Built entirely from bamboo, the sports hall is designed by Chiangmai Life Architects – CLA who have a striking portfolio of earth and bamboo architecture projects.

Bamboo has been used since ages for making handicrafts, native architecture like houses and bridges as well as for utilitarian objects. Due to its high-compression strength, it’s been also now widely used as a main construction material in today’s modern structures aided with various techniques.

From the Architect –

Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School combines modern organic design, 21^st century engineering and a natural material – bamboo. The design was based on the lotus flower as Panyaden International School is in Thailand and uses Buddhist teachings to infuse values into its academic curriculum and teach the underlying mechanisms of the human mind.

Form and concept of the structure derived from lotus flower

The brief was to build a hall that should be big enough to hold the projected capacity of 300 students, but still smoothly integrates with the previous earthen and bamboo buildings of the school as well as the natural hilly landscape of the area. It should provide modern sports facilities and use only bamboo to maintain the low carbon footprint.

The multipurpose facility built can withstand natural weather forces like high-speed winds and earthquakes.

Sketches detailing out framing, light and ventilation

Covering an area of 782 square meters, the hall hosts Futsal, Basketball, Volleyball and Badminton courts, with a stage at one end. Click To Tweet

Interior of the Sports hall – Courts for games

The stage which can be lifted up automatically acts as a backdrop for the store room tucked behind it. The store room is used for housing sports and drama equipment. Staircase leading to upper balconies on either side provides a spot for visitors and parents to watch various events beneath.

Staircase leading to viewing balcony

3 layered petal-like roofs are supported by visually appealing arches designed with help from 2 engineers to ensure safety design standards. The amazing geometric trusses spanning over 17 meters stand strong without any concrete or steel reinforcements and connections!

Kaleidoscope – Geometry of the arches

The roof tucked up at ends allow all year round natural light and ventilation. Click To Tweet

Peeping windows allow light and ventilation

Cranes were used to erect the prefabricated bamboo trusses pre-built on site. As the buildings of the Eco School are made from earth and bamboo, the architects naturally pinned down bamboo as the only material for the hall.

Arches built and erected on site

The results observed by the architects saw absorption of carbon by bamboo to a much higher extent than the carbon emitted during treatment, transport and construction. Bamboo used in construction was precariously selected of its age and treated with borax salt. It’s expected to withstand a life span of at least 50 years.

Bamboo surely seems the new green steel of future buildings! Click To Tweet