Epiphyte Ecologies — Joshua Chiang

Within the urban fabric of Houston’s parking metropolis, this proposal for a cyclical outdoor stormwater and urban farming system deploys tectonic woven and assembled bamboo structures in an effort to promote the transition from sprawling asphalt to a thriving social commons for the Rice University campus.

Bamboo, which is cultivated in Houston, was selected as the primary building material for its rapid growth cycles and efficiency for carbon sequestration, as well as its widespread vernacular use in humid climatic conditions. A two-part system was derived from traditional bamboo construction—weaving and scaffolding—to assemble the proposed platform and roof. At a local scale, the woven bamboo canopy is composed of a triaxial Kagome weave, which translates Japanese basket weaving techniques to generate the concave conic volumes that receive stormwater and filter it into an underground drainage system for reuse.

Exploded Module

1 Recycled polyester mesh
2 Woven bamboo canopy
3 Woven bamboo column
4 Plywood planter
5 Plywood stair
6 Steel cable railing
7 Reused steel scaffolding
8 Plywood platform
9 Surface water collection
10 Stormwater storage
11 Steel baseplate
12 Concrete foundation

Physical Model

Final detail model

Aggregate model

Assembly Sequence

1. Partially weave bamboo canopy and column off-site.

2. Lay concrete foundation and embed steel baseplate.

3. Install water collection container and connect to central detention.

4. Lash woven bamboo column to
steel baseplate.

5. Construct steel scaffolding frame.

6. Build and install wood platforms
in scaffolding.

7. Lash canopy to column an
complete weaving.

8. Attach polyester mesh.

9. Build and configure modular wood
platforms, planters, and stairs.

Section

Site Axon

Software:
Rhinoceros 3D
Grasshopper
Blender
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop