The Architectural Association Myanmar Visiting School aims to provide space and support to invigorate the architectural use of Myanmar's local bamboo resources. The project will revitalize local, traditional bamboo use techniques, and where applicable, combine them with current international best practices in the use of bamboo. It will promote the application of bamboo as an environmentally sound, renewable, and practical means to increasing and sustaining local craftsmanship, sustainable livelihoods, cultural heritage, while supporting carbon sequestering and environmental protection in the region.
This course is in partnership with a long running AA bamboo design and construction research programme which, since 2013, has aimed to fuse cutting edge architectural software with the material of bamboo, and develop socio-ecological architectural projects to address local issues. This course is open to students and professionals, not just of architecture and engineering, but since all software and material knowledge will be taught from the basic level, this course is open to all backgrounds. All fees include accommodation in Bago, just north of Yangon, where the course will be held. Participants of this two week course will be asked to help with the design of the master plan and key buildings for an architecture school. However, the focus will be then taking elements of these buildings and looking at ways of combining traditional and contemporary bamboo techniques to create innovative bamboo details that can be used in Myanmar today.
