MORE THAN BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING

Abstract

Over densification, scarce building plots and overuse of curtain walls are critical social problems in Hong Kong. My provocation of bamboo scaffolding in such a context aims to provide an additional layer of space with minimal ground impact as a parasitic “enclosure” or “facade” element. This thesis postulates several subsequent questions: With its ancillary and parasitic nature, can bamboo scaffolding be a protagonist spatial and design element in the architectural realm? Can bamboo scaffolding perform multiple functions other than pure structural and maintenance implications? What can the traditional and yet temporal construction technique transform the dense urban scenario in Hong Kong? The use of bamboo scaffolding is a traditional construction technique only utilized as a means of maintenance or construction, mainly on façade or surface level in Hong Kong. Tracing back to history, bamboo scaffolding had its origin associated with non-maintenance uses such as theatricality and ritual performance. Bamboo itself is also a very sustainable material for constructing different types of architecture. Therein lies the possibilities of bamboo scaffolding in other programmes. With the introduction of the domino system in modernism, structure is pushed further to the interior, and the load bearing needs are solved by columns and interior core walls to achieve freeplan. The enclosure of architecture is “set free” again. Inspired by the text ‘The Four Elements of Architecture’ by Gottfried Semper, bamboo scaffolding is a technique that can be perceived as a craft of weaving enclosure and applied back to the surface. Bamboo scaffolding can pursue the origin meaning of “enclosure” and possibly cast new implications with its structural integrity.