Making of Suparba, the Bamboo Building at Jadavpur University – The Story of its Structural Sustenance from Inception to Evolution - Imact

Suparba – the Sanskrit name for Bamboo is a beautiful 2500 square feet two storied bamboo building at the Jadavpur University main campus. The proven physical properties of Bamboo makes the building clinically stand amidst all climatic adversities since 2009 - equates it to any other structurally justified industrial building material like steel, concrete and timber. From its inception to execution and evolution - i.e. from foundations to its various experiments with joineries to load test and other structural components - Suparba explores the potential of bamboo as an alternative natural building material used at its best. This paper explains the unique indigenous construction methods that were adopted to justify an architectural design which evolved in accordance with the site and existing conditions. Some very innovative experiments in structural member executed through simple construction techniques and rejoicing design features that makes the building sustainable and one of its kind. This paper mainly documents the entire process which includes a generalized comparison of embodied energy and power consumption with PV cells. The idea was to elaborate some holistic experiments with bamboo modules supported by scientific methods that eventually emphasize the sustainable aspects of bamboo made shelters in this part of the world.