13/06/2015
Traditional Lao homes (heuan) are constructed entirely from woven bamboo thatching or wood.
Bamboo is one of the most amazingly flexible and sustainable building materials easy available in tropical Lao climate, where it grows remarkable fast into larger diameter canes. The first criteria for building a qualitative and long lasting bamboo home is the species of the plant, because only hand-full of known bamboo species can be used for house construction. Every bamboo species has it's own structural and mechanical properties. The bamboo Lao people use for their rustical houses is named Mai Hear or Mai Sai. Before house building the bamboo requires the proper treatment, because it contains high levels of sugars, which attract the termites and beetles. Without the proper treatment the natural life duration of the bamboo is less than one year. The bamboo trunks, prepared for the house building must be kept in the river for at least two or better three months, top get rid of the smell, which attracts insects. The following few weeks of drying in the sun complete the preparation of the building material. Now the whole village can be invited to participate in the arising of the future traditional Lao house, which is mostly built on the piers or stilts to provide ventilation and protection.
