ILMU is a structurally optimised bamboo building that responds to the local climatic conditions and the urban context. It also aims to shift the mono-economy of tourism in Bali into one that is self-sustaining and self-reliant.

UBUD, BALI

The site is located on the southeast corner of central Ubud in Bali. Being located near the equator Bali has a warm, tropical climate with year-round temperatures averaging 27 degrees celsius with a humidity level of about 85-90%. There are two seasons in Bali, the dry season between the months of May-September and the wet season between October to April.

The site lies between two contrasting ground conditions. The north and west sides are populated with small to medium size buildings consisting mainly of commercial outlets, hotels and restaurants. Whereas on the east and south sides, there are large open green paddy fields.

Based on our research, most of the environmental issues in Bali, such as waste management and water shortage start with the reliance on tourism. Hence, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way the local communities start to think about the economy, sustainability and self-reliance. To achieve this, we are proposing a researcher-in-residence and a learning centre.

FORM FINDING

The volcano has influenced our project, not just as a form and a symbol of the Balinese landscape, but also as a metaphor to inform the program with the idea of different matters coming together, being melted and mixed before being released to the outside world.

By inverting and stacking this simple geometry we derived from the volcano, it provides various opportunities for passive design strategies. Firstly, it provides solar shading while also maximising solar radiation to harvest solar energy but also harvest rainwater that can be used in the paddy fields. Secondly, it creates a solar chimney that aids in natural ventilation.

This initial geometry was then fed into a generative solver, Wallacei X, to achieve an optimized form that maximizes solar shading while at the same time maximizing solar radiation within a constraint volume. Since all parameters were equally relevant, we decided to choose the best-ranked result to inform our project.

The next step was to take this form, subdivide it and create two types of meshes – a quad mesh and a diagonal mesh, at various levels of refinement to smoothen out the edges as well as test the structural properties of these geometries. This initial modification to the form was done keeping in mind the construction and bending capabilities of Bamboo.

PERFORMATIVE SKIN

The skin is informed by the radiation analysis, responding to the different levels of radiation in the building surfaces. Where the radiation levels are high, the facade will be used for sun harvest for energy production using integrated solar panels. In the surface where the radiation levels are low, the facade skin can be manipulated to create openings and air circulation through operable panels

PASSIVE STRATEGY

The section under shows how the building integrates passive design strategies. The funnels above the building act as a roof at the same time collecting rainwater that is fed into a water tank below. The space in between the funnel and where the skin ends allow for the stack effect and the movable panels in the bottom create natural cross ventilation.