architecture

The importance of bamboo in the work of Simon Velez

SALAS EDUARDO DELGADO ARCHITECT.
The Colombian architect Simon Velez is a rare, designs and builds its buildings
with a material well known in South America. This Colombian bamboo, whose scient
ific name is "Guadua angustifolia", popularly known as bamboo in Colombia and is
fairly valued in Europe and Asia. More than twenty years that Velez is using th
is steel plant, as he calls it, in homes, bridges, churches and all types of str
uctures. Born in Manizales, Colombia, in 1949, Simon Velez studied art and archi
tecture at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, between 1969 and 1975. In 1980
he graduated in Architecture at the university. Born into a family of builders,
a developer and builder grandfather and his father an architect manizalita impo
rtant, their initial interests were directed towards building tradition of the c
offee region of Old Caldas, interest will be extended to popular and primitive c
ultures. Simon Velez has been using bamboo in their buildings since the mid-eigh
ties. The bamboo, tree plant abundant in the area of the coffee plantations of t
he old Caldas, is a reed that grows galloping (can be up to 21 cm. In one day) a
nd achieves its maximum resistance to six years. The bamboo fibers are very resi
lient. Simon Velez recalls: "the efforts of traction for any type of material in
structures are the most difficult to resolve and strength / weight ratio is onl
y comparable with those obtained by alloys of the space age. Despite
Simon Velez
to be immunized, the bamboo is a miracle. " The bamboo has always been present i
n its proposal, especially during this last stage of Simon Velez. This article t
ries to show the contribution of bamboo to work with what might be called 'Archi
tecture in Colombia. " "He is dedicated to give you another completely different
concept and as a result bamboo architecture is admired so original and only Col
ombian currently being recognized and applied outside the country" [1]. The main
architectural features in the proposal are: has its own personality, is complet
ely in context of what might be called architecture instead uses the Colombian t
radition and architectural language and, most importantly, rescues the bamboo as
construction material. To highlight what it meant to cane Simon Velez architect
ure must be said that in addition to 14
exploration of the material and his own conviction in Colombia and the bamboo ha
s always been synonymous with poverty, has been able to use it with other materi
als and techniques. For the same Simon Velez has been decisive think getting to
know the benefits of the material, being a constant part of the history of their
city, Manizales. To prove this we refer to his thinking about 10 years ago, "a
system of building bamboo structures that are resolved for tension and compressi
on joints, you can enter and compete on equal terms as to materials sawn timber,
iron or concrete. Show that the bamboo in the area where grows wild, is a struc
tural material as reliable as they come to have unexpected effects in the produc
tion and consumption and favorable safety from every point of view. "[2]
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architecture
Exterior view PANACA Mirador (photo Simon Velez, 1999)
"SWAP" Zicaru Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico
Mixed structure of concrete columns and bamboo structure
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architecture
Evolutionary process of building system
sites on level ground, not variable topography, like the first. The ongoing rese
arch activities of Velez on wood and bamboo structures has been accompanied in p
arallel with the development of building system from mechanical joints increasin
gly well prepared, using different hardware systems, washers and bolts, which ma
ke it increasingly bold. During the last stage, since the late nineties to the p
resent, the most remarkable and interesting of its proposal from the architectur
al point of view, is the proper design and resolution of the covers. These, in h
is later works have gone on to become a special design theme inside the building
.
Covers:
The evolution of the construction system used by Velez has been a factor in the
production of his work, which is divided into two stages as his career: the firs
t timber€and the second their experience with the bamboo. The construction proce
ss implemented by Simon Velez, can be structured under three headings: architect
ure, construction and engineering, which, although have always been together, it
is necessary to distinguish clearly know them, study them and of course, analyz
e them separately.
Then we will explain in a detailed way how the construction process from those c
overed in his works. • Once you have the structure of armed cover bamboo, ie tru
sses, installed on them welded wire mesh, known in Colombia as mesh vein. • With
the screen installed, the mesh is applied over a layer of Portland cement morta
r 1:2 poor about 3 cm. When the mortar layer has reached the stage is set and cu
red properly, the mesh of vein has been retained within this layer. • About the
mortar bed is installed properly cured asphalt, about 2 mm. thick, which extends
over the entire surface to achieve proper sealing. • Then proceed to the instal
lation of a fresh wire grid 15 cm x15 cm above the asphalt surface installed. Th
e grid will serve as a mounting system for the roofing material of the structure
, in this case, Spanish clay tile. • Finally we proceed to install the ceramic t
iles. In most of his works Simon Velez used clay tile, but you can use any mater
ial for housing. This construction is the process that eventually will give the
interior finish to the deck properly waterproofed. It should be noted that the i
nterior finishes of them, have become a key and dominant factor in the work of V
elez, since from the point of view of interior design has led to an interesting
proposal of sobriety and color. In addition to producing a sense of comfort
Architecture
In its first phase in the way the buildings facing the view from space. There is
a constant concern to the search for a complex design, especially in the way so
lving the sections, however, at planimetric adopts a more simple. In this first
phase he works, which are represented in single family homes mostly built with l
umber. The second stage of production begins from its discovery to the injection
of Portland cement mortar in the internodes of the bamboo, which projects a muc
h more studied architecture but also more fluid. Experimentation with bamboo, wh
ich began in rural buildings such as salting, fencing, storage, etc., Becomes a
search for architectural maturity in which it perceives a much more pragmatic pr
oposal from the point of view of implementation. Also of note is its pragmatic a
rchitecture
Construction
It is important to note that Simon Velez, in addition to an excellent architect,
is a great builder. Leaning on his trade as a builder has made great achievemen
ts. In its first stage lumber used as the main material and medium-sized structu
res had been achieved. It is then when it rests on the injection of cement morta
r, which begins its second phase. As he explains: "For twenty years I became int
erested in making a small bamboo structure. The experience we had working with t
he wood I used for a material so different. I wanted a cantilevered traction eff
orts required, but could not find how to make a connection to a hollow material
such as bamboo. Suddenly it struck me that the camera cement filling of the inte
rnode where the connection occurred, which in turn had iron screws might work. A
nd it worked. That was a discovery that broke in half my job as a designer and b
uilder. "[3] 16
B O L E T E I N D I N º 241 TECHNICAL NFORMATION
architecture
Zeri Pavilion Manizales, Colombia (2000). Overview (below) and details (above)
Bamboo bridge structure in China (2005) (below)
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architecture
Catedral de Pereira, Colombia (2001)
buildings, if we consider the contrast that produces a material like bamboo with
an uneven surface, it also makes an excellent alternative because it allows the
free choice of paint finish and color. It is a good example in terms of decorat
ion and interior design from the point of view of interior architecture.
It is important to emphasize the rationale for the construction of these covers,
apart from being a design decision. They are generally settled on two decks and
/ or hipped. Besides offering the results indicated,€due to a technical reason
as he explained, because the deck, apart from becoming a design theme inside the
building, has a special meaning from the structural viewpoint. As the cover a v
ery heavy element within the structure, gives
greater rigidity and stability to the building which allows for better structura
l performance. Finally, it must be said that bamboo is an ideal material for des
igns with large overhangs on their decks, which is a constant in his work.
Engineering
To refer to the engineering of bamboo, which corresponds to the work of Simon Ve
lez, is necessary to explain the significant progress it has made in their proje
cts, especially those related to the stage. At first Velez used bamboo working o
nly in compression, with unions winning simple and maximum light de10 meters. It
is precisely from his discovery of the grouting of Portland cement in the inter
nodes when planning more complex structures and large overhangs.
The next step was to combine bamboo with other woods, like alder or mangle, whic
h are 9 or 10 meters in length compared to 2.5 to 3 meters in roundwood which is
generally achieved as industrial material, which which allows it to evolve in t
he building system with other building much bolder.
Large Structures
During the last stage of his work, from his experience in the Hannover Messe, Ge
rmany, with the flag that represented the Zeri Foundation, The system of "joint
construction technique, where the structure is subjected to traction, balanced i
nteraction structural elements, making the building work and have stability as a
unit, responding well from the structural point of view [4] has been sufficient
ly
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architecture
Aerial Model of Mary Help of Christians School
mind tested through structural calculations, engineering tests and load tests of
all kinds, which was subjected Zeri Pavilion. The building, originally built in
Manizales, you are actually tested by engineers from the University of Stuttgar
t, as a requirement of the authorities to grant the construction permit in Germa
ny. It is necessary to note that his later works are for large buildings in the
field of construction and engineering. Let's mention the Zeri Pavilion, the venu
e for the Carder (Pereira), bridges (Colombia and China), a resort that has just
been awarded the American Society of Landscape Architects (Guangzhou, China), a
nd a church (Pereira).
City of Manizales. After analyzing the work of Simon Velez, one can say that "Th
e importance of bamboo in his work has been a key factor in the outcome of his a
rchitectural production, especially in regard to its current stage, where his wo
rk revolves around the decks. We have to say that large structures could hardly
be projected build with a different material to the bamboo, because its physical
properties are so extraordinary that they constitute a material 'ideal', as Vel
ez 'in the steel plant' .
For designs with large overhangs on their decks, which is a constant in his work
has also shown that bamboo is a material with physical properties that allow yo
u to participate in large-scale works, thus leading to bamboo engineering "[5]
ARCHITECT DELGADO EDUARDO SALAS PHD THESIS AUTHOR: PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE ARQ
UITECTURADEBAMBÚENCOLOMBIASIMÓNVÉLEZ: SYMBOL AND SEARCH OF THE PRIMITIVE. "Polyt
echnic University of Catalonia UPC, MARZO2006, BARCELONA, SPAIN. DIRECTOR: Jaume
Avellaneda Diaz-GRANDE. [1] Caicedo Garzón, Jenny Vaniria. "Optimising bamboo s
tructures." Work degree, National University of Bogotá, Colombia 1996, pp. 41. [
2] Marcelo Villegas, Bambusa Guadua "coffee culture Library. Villegas Editores,
April 1996, p.42. [3] Marcelo Villegas. "GUADUA Architecture and Design." Villeg
as Editores Editions, 2004, p.44. [4] Banda, Mabely and Salas, Eduardo. "The con
struction system Zeri Pavilion." Subject reflection, criticism and proposals on
construction techniques. Polytechnic University of Catalonia UPC, 2001.Pág.21. [
5] Thesis "Current and Future of Bamboo Architecture Simon Velez in Colombia: Sy
mbol and search for the primitive." Polytechnic University of Catalonia UPC, Bar
celona, Spain, 2006, p. 341. Director: Jaume Avellaneda Díaz-Grande.
Today€Velez has just completed the design for future airport
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