Frame Oasis – Building With Bamboo and Simplicity

Sometimes, what people need most is simply a place to rest, recover, or gather. That’s the idea behind the Frame Oasis—a structure that can be set up quickly, taken down with ease, and leave no trace on the environment. The design is inspired by the classic A-frame form, familiar in architecture and nature (think tents, mountain huts, and pitched wings). I envisioned a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and reusable solution for short-term needs—built using sustainable materials and basic construction logic.

The A-frame design draws inspiration from both traditional shelter forms and nature’s efficiency. Trees, for example, often lean or branch in angles that support themselves under various weather conditions. The triangle, structurally, is one of the strongest shapes. Using this logic, I wanted a frame that would:

1. Use minimal materials.
2. Be stable on uneven terrain.
3. Allow quick setup and teardown.

To begin the modeling process, I created a 2.5m x 2.5m square using the Floor tool in Revit—not as an actual floor slab, but as a guide plane. I assigned it a light gravel texture to mimic a level base and to give the overall composition a sense of grounding during rendering.

This square serves a few critical purposes:

1. It marks the boundary and footprint of the shelter.
2. It ensures that each vertical pole is spaced evenly from its neighbors.
3. It provides visual symmetry that aids in aligning the rest of the structure.

Once the square was in place, I turned off the “structural” setting for the floor so that it wouldn't interfere with framing later. This created a neutral plane for further modeling.

With the guide floor in place, I used the Component > Model In-Place tool to begin building the frame.

Creating the upright supports:

1. I placed four vertical bamboo columns—one at each corner of the square.
2. Each column was set to a height of 2.4 meters, enough to provide comfortable head clearance under the roof.
3. I created a custom Bamboo Family, scaled to resemble real 80mm diameter bamboo poles.

Adding diagonal braces for stability:

1. For each face of the square, I added a single slanted bamboo brace, connecting the ground to the vertical post about 0.5 meters below the roofline.
2. These braces were angled at approximately 60 degrees, intersecting with the vertical columns to triangulate the frame, preventing wobble or lateral sway.
3. I ensured that each slanted pole was mirrored symmetrically, giving the design a balanced look.

To maintain a natural appearance, I assigned a slightly varied bamboo texture to the angled poles to simulate how bamboo differs naturally in color and grain.

For the roof, I used the Roof by Footprint tool to outline a square atop the vertical frame.

Building the roof geometry:

1. I drew a 2.5m x 2.5m square that aligned exactly with the shelter’s footprint.
2. Then, I adjusted each edge's slope setting to 30 degrees, causing them to rise and meet at a central apex.
3. This created a pyramidal roof—simple, lightweight, and effective for draining rainwater.

Applying the canvas texture:

1. I used the Material Editor to assign a custom canvas material to the roof:
2. Color: off-white/beige
3. Texture: light woven pattern
4. Reflectivity: low, to simulate matte fabric

Design logic behind the shape:

1. The pyramid design was chosen for maximum coverage with minimum material.
2. The roof allows hot air to escape at the apex, while the open sides permit cross-ventilation.
3. It’s also a geometry that’s easy to build with flexible materials like tarpaulin or treated canvas in real life.

To make the design feel real:

1. I placed the structure in an outdoor environment
2. Adjusted the sun to a morning angle
3. Used high-quality textures for shadows and material behavior

This helped visualize how it would look in a neighborhood or open park.

This shelter could be used for:

1. Community health booths
2. Food distribution points
3. Pop-up meeting spaces
4. Educational sessions in rural areas

The bamboo poles are biodegradable and grow quickly. The canvas roof can be folded and reused many times. No nails, concrete, or permanent fixes were modeled—so this structure could be disassembled, stored, and rebuilt anywhere. Future versions could include:

1. Rainwater harvesting from the roof slope
2. Solar fabric on top for mobile charging
3. Snap-fit joints for even faster assembly