2024 JFIPP Research Fellow - Rosangela Tenorio

Rosangela Tenorio

Associate Professor of Architecture, School of Design, University of Western Australia

[Project Title]
Development of construction policy guidelines for long-term disaster relief housing using Bamboo and Mycelium in the Indo-Pacific region

Project Summary

When disasters occur in particular in developing countries, supply chains are disrupted causing chaotic conditions on the ground. Policy making that emphasizes self-sufficiency when disasters occur is essential for fast response and effective management not only during these events but several years after. Innovative building materials such as bio-assemblies [e.g. mycelium] have exceptional thermal and acoustic properties along with superior fire resistance growing out of agricultural by-waste products such as rice husks, bamboo sawdust and others. The cultivation of mycelium is relatively simple, given that it is soil independent and can be grown anywhere and very fast. Bamboo is also abundant in most temperate and tropical regions, it is a lightweight material that grows much faster than timber and when treated properly is very durable and safe. Both materials are environmentally and economically sustainable. Bamboo can be used well for structures while mycelium can be used well for wall and ceiling paneling. The major barriers for its implementation in disaster situations is that there is limited technical and systematic guidelines for growing, harvesting, processing and building small structures to scale. The project will work with an international group of researchers from interdisciplinary backgrounds [e.g. Agriculture, Engineering, Architecture and Product design], local bamboo carpenters and mycelium and bamboo farmers based in Japan, Australia, The Netherlands and Timor-Leste to develop a simple construction method for housing that can be easily deployed in disaster situations. and that can be transformed into long-term housing solutions for communities during post-disaster phases. Challenges such as durability, workability and labor training will be addressed as the experts will refine a construction method and pilot a prototype to be designed in Australia, Japan and The Netherlands and to be deployed in Timor-Leste. The final outcomes of such project will be a set of construction policy guidelines for disaster relief shelter deployment in tropical regions, considering the use of local materials and local skilled labor.