T'mat Boey Eco-Lodge
design and build workshop with Building Trust International
Huge areas of natural habitat are being destroyed in Cambodia due to deforestation and the illegal selling of forest products. At the same time, bird watchers and nature enthusiasts flock to T'mat Boey to see the Giant Ibis and the White Shouldered Ibis, endangered birds found only in this area of the world.
This hands-on design and build workshop aims to support the sustainable tourism industry which is run by this rural village. Expanding the facilities of this eco-lodge means accommodating and attracting more nature enthusiasts, resulting in a more stable source of income for the villagers.
We worked alongside local builders in using traditional materials and passive building strategies to create the lodge and bird hide. The timber framed roof structure and the large louvre windows allow for natural ventilation throughout the building. The wattle and daub walls are covered with a natural lime render, and in order to minimise the use of concrete, old plastic bottles filled with soil is used as a filler-aggregate.
