INFLATABLE ORIGAMI GREENHOUSES - A COMMUNITY OF BAMBOO PAPER GREENHOUSES ENCOURAGING SELF-SUFFICIENT LIVING IN JAIPUR

by Eliza Hague

The design of the inflatable greenhouses made from shellac-coated bamboo paper aims to help residents of Jaipur, India, grow their own food. The low-cost material made from bamboo pulp offers a sustainable and local alternative to the polyethylene plastic sheeting typically used for polytunnels in India. With the ambition of encouraging communities to grow their own food in favour of a more self-sufficient, plant-based diet, the proposal seeks to ease the growing demand for destructive meat-based farming. The greenhouses are formed of inflated origami beams which are coated in shellac to increase their durability and weather-resistance - the same material is used for the cladding. Black solar balloons, which expand and contract in reaction to the sun’s heat, create openings in the façade for passive ventilation and cooling during intense temperatures. The greenhouses are connected to homes constructed from earth, creating communal "greenhouse villages" in the city's more rural areas.