anupama kundoo presents high-speed housing solutions at roca london gallery

anupama kundoo presents high-speed housing solutions at roca london gallery
image by sebastiano giannesini

madrid-based architect anupama kundoo is internationally recognized for her experimental work in sustainable, affordable construction. for a new exhibition at roca london gallery, kundoo shows the design process that she and her team have followed to construct lightweight, resilient solutions to housing and sanitation issues worldwide. elements of her ‘full fill home’ prototype and ‘easy WC’ are displayed, alongside photographs and films that show construction in progress. the exhibition serves as a companion piece to her scheduled installation in the arsenale at the the 2016 venice architecture biennale.

the exhibition includes photographs and films that show construction in progress
image by sebastiano giannesini

biennale director alejandro aravena has praised kundoo’s resourceful fusion of old and new, as well as her ability to learn from indigenous practice and adapt it to contemporary needs. ‘it is a unique, remarkable design that balances a very rare quality in architecture: resonating with the archetypes of construction, coming from the beginning of the times and simultaneously pointing to the future as a highly innovative project,’ aravena states. ‘it carries the DNA of timelessness; we would like to learn from those architects and projects that are going to stand the test of time, I am sure.’

elements of kundoo’s ‘full fill home’ are displayed
image by sebastiano giannesini

rather than proposing local and widely available materials for mass housing, such as mud and bamboo, kundoo’s solution for high density, urban areas is to empower local communities to make ferro-cement — a system of reinforced mortar or plaster applied over a metal mesh. having experimented with the material for over a decade, her research proves ferro-cement to be: highly resilient, simple to prefabricate and easy to tint with a range of pigments. most importantly, it can yield a set of versatile, lightweight parts that can be assembled to produce homes that are practical, stackable, durable and aesthetically pleasing. samples of the material will be on display in the gallery.

the exhibition serves as a companion piece to kundoo’s participation at the 2016 venice architecture biennale
image by sebastiano giannesini

‘we are very excited to be able to bring anupama kundoo’s groundbreaking work to london for the first time,’ said roca london gallery. ‘water is becoming an increasingly limited resource and roca is committed to supporting and promoting environmental issues through its we are water foundation. kundoo’s concept for better domestic sanitation in economically deprived countries is inspiring and we hope this exhibition will highlight the need for a more sustainable solution to a global problem.’

the exhibition at roca london gallery opens to the public on march 31, 2016 and continues until june 18.

the madrid-based architect encourages local communities to utilize ferro-cement
image by akshid rajendran

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elements of the ‘easy WC’ will also be presented
image by akshid rajendran

the exhibition at roca london gallery opens to the public on march 31, 2016
image by anupama kundoo