Bamboo-based buildings in the Dominican Republic

I come from an island called the Dominican republic. It is not very innovative, aware of the effects of climate change, or up to date on more sustainable strategies. However, I was surprised when I came across an article that said that, “a versatile architectural technology created by a Cornell design professor has been adopted by sustainability-minded students to build bamboo-based hurricane- and earthquake-resistant structures where they’re needed most.” The technique was not only sustainable as the Dominican Republic has 1,000 varieties of bamboo that could bring the cost of construction down while also creating a much stronger and resistant structure.

Bamboo-based build brings safe classroom to Dominican Republic

I was amazed by this initiative and sustainable solutions for the past years, Dominicans have completely disregarded the importance of sustainability and why we should apply it.  Aside from that, so many impoverished Dominicans will benefit from the new design structure.  Not only is it less expensive, but it will also be more resistant to earthquakes and therefore if the country is hit with a natural disaster, they will not loose their homes. Many poor communities of the Dominican Republic are stuck in the never-ending cycle of poverty because they spend all the money they have on their houses and many times end up losing them because of natural disasters like cyclones and earthquakes. This invention is revolutionary for a small country like my own and I am eager to see it be implemented in the construction of new houses and schools around the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, the inventor even said, “We didn’t want this technology to be just for the rich to enjoy, ‘Elliott said, noting that the Punta Cana resort offers vocational schooling for children of its Haitian employees.” Hopefully in the near future this structure will also be made in Haiti so that they can also benefit from all the sustainable and affordable features it has.

Bamboo-based build brings safe classroom to Dominican Republic

https://phys.org/news/2016-01-bamboo-based-safe-classroom-dominican-republic.html

11 Replies to “Bamboo-based buildings in the Dominican Republic”

  1. For this blog, I loved the inclusion of photographs. It allows the reader to get a visual interpretation of the subject, in addition, to bringing in quotations which helps to establish ethos. Rather than writing a story about a personal experience in relation to climate change or environmentalism. This blog took a different approach. He wrote about the benefits of bamboo as a construction material in the Dominican Republic. Towards the end, I wanted a So What statement. In other words, make the reader care. Why should they pay attention to this subject?

  2. I liked how this was a different topic and change of scenes from the other blog posts. Choosing this piece was very informative and I like how you connected it to yourself in choosing to talk about this topic. The pictures were a nice touch too.

  3. I really was interested while reading this blog. I really did not know about this topic. It also brings into the picture that every area is affected by climate change and has to cope in large and painful ways. I also agree and am amazed by the initiative. The pictures also helped me understanding of your blog.

  4. Wow, this is definitely something unique and different. I have never heard of an invention like this before and it is pretty amazing that this technology can save many people who are islanders. Bamboo is a pretty strong material and it is actually extremely useful for many cases. The photos that you have provided gave me a clear understanding of what you were talking about. I also agree that many islanders are not up to date with the climate change and environmentalism. Just like in the first Planet Earth II episode, many animals suffer because of climate change and human interactions. Eventually, humans would suffer as well if we don’t take action.

  5. I loved this blog because I have actually been to Punta Cana so it was interesting to see what is going on there now with this new invention! In addition, the pictures that you included as well as your explanation of the invention really helped me better understand it and how it could make a change in the future. I did not know about this before reading your blog, so I learned something new!

  6. I loved reading this blog post because I previously did not have a lot of knowledge about the Dominican Republic and how it was dealing with the climate crisis. Your writing does a great job of telling the story of how new design innovations can serve as promising solutions for the country. It flows very nicely for the reader and sees its impact accentuated by the photographs. However, I’m wondering, is it fair to charge the country as unaware of climate change and not very innovative? On what grounds should we dismiss the state for negligence as opposed to a realization of the extent of the climate crisis that’s coupled with constraints that render it unable to do anything about it?

  7. Bamboo-based buildings are excellent! However, as you mentioned at the end of the article, it is difficult for this invention to be popularized nationwide. Inventors say that only rich people can enjoy. So it seems to me, at least at this stage, that this invention cannot be part of a sustainable solution. In order for the building to be more environmentally friendly, I think more research needs to be done, such as changing the materials of the building, which are affordable for most residents.

  8. Very interesting, while I was aware of the frequent natural disasters affecting the Dominican I never really thought about the financial cost homeowners faced in rebuilding or relocating. I think it would be helpful if you went into a bit of detail on how the structures work besides being made of bamboo. I also like how you brought up that it could also help the neighboring nation of Haiti though I would assume they would have difficulty sourcing the bamboo without importing.

  9. This invention is very helpful for sustainable development and it can save a lot of resources. Also, your photos show how to use bamboo on buildings. I hope this invention will be widely used in your country and bring benefits to more people.

  10. This was a very intriguing post. I liked how it strayed from previous posts by not only talking about your personal experience. The inclusion photos made the post even better. They help the audience visualize what you’re talking about and emphasize the scale of the bamboo structures. I think that this topic was especially informative because it is not a heavily discussed topic in the media.

  11. Thanks for your post. Archidust is the home for delivering the most complete information to architects around the world as soon as it is happening. It is the online source of continuous information for a growing architecture and design industry. Its extensive database targeting to become the “Home Page” of architects, designer, manufacturer, supplier, contractor and developer from around the world. Contributions from all our members will have equitible chances to be represented, promoted, reviewed and criticized on this platform.

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