Conceptualising an alternative vault-type design pattern for the Zenú people using bent culms of bamboo and giant-reeds

Abstract

This investigation focuses on the Zenu Indigenous living in the village of Molina, a rural settlement located in their Indigenous reservation in the Colombian Caribbean Region. By studying the vernacular Zenu architecture, the researcher identified a gap regarding the design of contemporary architecture that aligns with their sustainable and vernacular values, particularly those reflected in their traditional Palm houses. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an architectural design process incorporating these values into a contemporary architectural building pattern.

The proposed architectural design sequence explores the possibilities of conceptualising a vaulted-type building using a bending active construction technique and locally sourced bio-based materials. To validate this theoretical approach, the materiality and constructability of the architectural pattern were assessed using geometrical parameters. A significant challenge in this process was the limited data regarding the properties and flexural capacity of the three potential bending active bio-based materials: bamboo Phyllostachys aurea and the giant reeds Arundo donax and Gynerium sagittatum. In the first stage of the research, the three materials were characterised using experimental tests and mathematical modelling on specimens of the culms, determining physical, geometrical, and mechanical properties relevant to the conceptualisation of a vaulted-type building.

In the second stage of research, utilising the data collected from studying the bio-based materials, it was possible to investigate and assess the constructability of the vaulted-type pattern. This involved investigating alternative methods for constructing a semi-circular bent arch component using multiple culms. The study focused on the Canya Viva technique, an experimental bending-active building method that used ‘bundles’ of A. donax and bamboo to shape elastica arches. This analysis required applying mathematical modelling based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and the Parallel Axiom Theorem. The study of the multi-culm beam and the current methods for shaping the bent arch in the Canya Viva technique led to significant technical and structural recommendations to enhance this building method. However, the most important outcome of the assessment was identifying key geometrical design parameters related to the material’s properties and building components of the vaulted-type pattern, which were then incorporated into the proposed conceptual architectural sequence.

The ultimate validation of the conceptual design sequence and the building pattern was conducted by the Zenu community. In this last stage of the research process, all the outcomes and design parameters obtained in the previous stages of research were incorporated into the proposed architectural design sequence to create a bamboo and timber vault pergola for the primary school at the village of Molina. The sustainable and cultural values were integrated into the project brief and masterplan, drawing on input from a focus group integrated by members of different ages and roles at the Zenu community. Subsequently, the researcher employs the geometrical parameters defined in chapters four to six to sketch and model the conceptual design of the building. It was satisfactory to find that the data collected by interviewing the focal group validated the initial sustainable and vernacular design principles identified by the researcher with the theoretical analysis of the traditional Zenu Palm house.

Date of Award	25 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Sponsors	Colciencias & Colfuturo
Supervisor	Stephen Emmitt (Supervisor), Tim Ibell (Supervisor), John Orr (Supervisor) & Chris Williams (Supervisor)