A Bamboo Boda-Boda Station in Nairobi to Support the Local Community

My name is Gabriela and I’m an architect from Bolivia. I recently moved to Kenya because of my husband’s work. Over the last few years, I have worked on sustainable architecture with earth structures. I joined the Bamboo U Online course because I am interested in natural materials for sustainable construction. Bamboo has so much potential, especially in Kenya where native bamboo grows without being used adequately in buildings.

I love bamboo as a material, and the Bamboo U online course introduced me to the techniques of how to use it professionally. In the near future, I hope to apply this new knowledge in Kenya’s context by introducing bamboo in some constructions. I want these spaces to be useful to the population in need and at the same time, be aesthetically appealing.

Related: Designing a Multipurpose Bamboo Shed in Australia

My project, The Boda Boda Station, is to be located in Nairobi city, Keny. It is a shelter for about 12 Boda Boda riders and their bikes next to a busy intersection.

Boda Boda motorcycle taxis are commonly found in East Africa, providing cheap and fast transportation to the local population. The term originally referred to smuggling operations across the Uganda-Kenya border in the 1980s and early 1990s. The carriers either walked, used bicycles, or motorcycles across the border. It was the carrier business that was locally referred to as boda boda, meaning “border to border.”

Currently, Boda Boda riders in Kenya are available for direct hailing, but also work with Uber. It is estimated that there are about 500,000 Boda Boda riders registered officially. While waiting for a ride, Boda Bodas take shelter in the shade of precarious structures that protect them from the sun and the rain. These small shelters are usually at busy street corners, turning them into “active” urban elements. Often, in addition to the roof that gives them shelter, a small food stand provides them with a snack while waiting. In some exceptional cases the shelter is completed with a pit latrine.

Related: Crafting a Biophilic Eucalypt Shelter

The shape of my project is inspired by the typical Boda Boda umbrellas, which are extremely sturdy and pop up immediately on the bikes when starts raining. My project is located at the intersection of Kiambu and Kasarini Roads, on the border between Nairobi and Kiambu Counties. I am planning to build the shelter together with the Boda Boda riders, to replace the current precarious structures.

Initially I developed the concept using the shape of three boda boda umbrellas that interacted with each other. However, given the small area available and the need for protection of the structural elements, I designed the project with a single umbrella covering an area sufficient to accommodate 12 motorbikes.

The umbrella rests on nine points that follow its geometry. This gives the structure greater stability and creates a free central space both for the circulation of motorcycles and for interaction between the riders. Moreover, I improved my initial plan that used only bamboo with one-meter-high pillars to support the bamboo structure to make it longer lasting.

I am currently in the planning phase of the construction. There are few producers of treated bamboo and little knowledge of the techniques of building with it. For this reason, I would need to train a carpenter in preparing the material and working the joints. I would like to involve the boda boda riders in the construction and maintenance, which will be a personal challenge. For the roof, I chose iron sheets, because of their availability and durability. Since this is a pilot project, I will personally finance the materials and the carpenters. I will also try to get the riders to contribute by putting in the pillars and helping with the construction.

What has always fascinated me about bamboo is its capacity to build light organic shapes. In this project, it is reflected in the curvature of the roof, whose shape will be created with the natural twists of the bamboo poles selected, which will form the canopy.

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