---
slug: just-a-minute
title: Just a Minute — A deployable bamboo emergency shelter for the Nepal earthquake
hero_subtitle: A temporary shelter that can be set up in just a few minutes — made from bamboo, jute and recycled wool from donated clothing — which can be assembled by just a few volunteers to help rebuild the community in the wake of the earthquake.
year: "2015"
location: Nepal
typology: Emergency temporary accommodation
vertical_primary: Sustainable Design
vertical_primary_slug: sustainable-design
vertical_secondary: Public and Commercial Architecture
vertical_secondary_slug: public-commercial-architecture
badge_raw: 2015 · Nepal · Temporary emergency housing · Sustainable Design
scheda:
  Location: "Nepal — destination: areas affected by the earthquake of 25 April 2015"
  Year: "2015"
  Client: Project developed in response to the post-earthquake humanitarian emergency
  Typology: Temporary emergency housing — a modular, expandable housing unit
  Dimensions — closed (for transport): 2.5 × 4 m
  Dimensions — open: 4 × 7.11 m (including 1 × 4 m of covered outdoor space)
  Capacity: 4–10 people (with use of the living room for sleeping and bunk beds in the sleeping area)
  Status: Emergency design concept
  Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella (Barberio Colella Architects)
  Materials — structure: Bamboo poles Ø 60 mm (uprights, cross-braces, roof) + Ø 30 mm poles for cross-bracing; wing nuts for quick assembly
  Materials — building envelope: Double-layer jute canvas + recycled wool filling (from donated garments/jumper) + waterproof outer membrane stretched with spacers (for breathability)
  Materials — short facades: Polycarbonate panels (20 mm) mounted on a bamboo frame; small bamboo canes used as reversible solar shading devices
  Materials — central core (1.5×4 m): "50 mm OSB panels; interior fittings: chemical toilet, shower, aluminium washbasin, electric hob, 30-litre water tank"
  Flooring: 30 mm OSB panels + laminated bamboo flooring
  Roof: Single-slope roof, designed for solar and photovoltaic panels; drainage system to collect rainwater and direct it to the central tank
  Aggregability: A single unit that can be combined to form semi-detached, four-unit or small villages
images:
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-front.jpg
    alt: "Just a Minute: Bamboo Emergency at Home"
    caption: "The front of the module: a polycarbonate facade mounted on a bamboo frame, allowing natural light and adjustable ventilation."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-02.jpg
    alt: Exterior of a temporary deployable house in Nepal
    caption: "Exterior view of the house when fully extended: 4×7.11 m with a single-pitch roof designed to accommodate solar and photovoltaic panels."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-interior.jpg
    alt: "Interior of a house: living and sleeping areas"
    caption: The interior features a central OSB core that houses the utilities and separates the living area from the sleeping area.
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-plan.jpg
    alt: Floor plan of the Nepal emergency shelter – modular side sections
    caption: The floor plan shows the central 1.5×4 m OSB core and the two 4×4 m side modules, as well as the covered outdoor area.
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-section.jpg
    alt: "Home section: bamboo, jute and wool"
    caption: "The cross-section reveals the structure of the building envelope: a double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool, and a waterproof membrane on a bamboo frame."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-assembly-diagram.jpg
    alt: Assembly diagram for the fold-out bamboo module
    caption: "The assembly diagram: from the closed configuration for transport to the module deployed on site."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-rendering-mountain.jpg
    alt: "Just a Minute module: the Nepalese mountain region"
    caption: "The module in the Nepalese mountain context: a simulation of a post-earthquake built settlement in which the units recreate the community."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-components-and-materials.jpg
    alt: Components and materials for the Nepal bamboo system
    caption: "The components of the construction system: braced bamboo poles, double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool and a waterproof membrane."
faq_count: 7
related_slugs:
  - bamboo-office
  - lanterns-sea-village
  - casa-a-carovigno
cta:
  title: Do you work with communities affected by disasters or facing housing insecurity?
  body: If you are developing temporary housing projects in contexts of humanitarian emergencies, post-disaster reconstruction or housing insecurity, we can discuss an approach based on local materials, deployable systems and community-led scalability. BCA designs everything from the initial concept through to construction details that can be adapted to different contexts.
  button: Let’s talk about your project
  microcopy: We’ll get back to you within 48 hours. No obligation.
hero_image: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-rendering-mountain.jpg
gallery_renders:
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-02.jpg
    alt: Exterior of a temporary deployable house in Nepal
    caption: "Exterior view of the house when fully extended: 4×7.11 m with a single-pitch roof designed to accommodate solar and photovoltaic panels."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-rendering-mountain.jpg
    alt: "Just a Minute module: the Nepalese mountain region"
    caption: "The module in the Nepalese mountain context: a simulation of a post-earthquake built settlement in which the units recreate the community."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-interior.jpg
    alt: "Interior of a house: living and sleeping areas"
    caption: The interior features a central OSB core that houses the utilities and separates the living area from the sleeping area.
gallery_drawings:
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-assembly-diagram.jpg
    alt: Assembly diagram for the fold-out bamboo module
    caption: "The assembly diagram: from the closed configuration for transport to the module deployed on site."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-components-and-materials.jpg
    alt: Components and materials for the Nepal bamboo system
    caption: "The components of the construction system: braced bamboo poles, double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool and a waterproof membrane."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-front.jpg
    alt: "Just a Minute: Bamboo Emergency at Home"
    caption: "The front of the module: a polycarbonate facade mounted on a bamboo frame, allowing natural light and adjustable ventilation."
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-plan.jpg
    alt: Floor plan of the Nepal emergency shelter – modular side sections
    caption: The floor plan shows the central 1.5×4 m OSB core and the two 4×4 m side modules, as well as the covered outdoor area.
  - filename: just-a-minute-justa-minute-section.jpg
    alt: "Home section: bamboo, jute and wool"
    caption: "The cross-section reveals the structure of the building envelope: a double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool, and a waterproof membrane on a bamboo frame."
---
# Just a Minute — Deployable emergency bamboo shelter for the Nepal earthquake

_A temporary shelter that can be set up in minutes — made from bamboo, jute and recycled wool from donated garments, and assembled by just a few volunteers to help rebuild the community after the earthquake._

**2015 · Nepal · Temporary emergency housing · Sustainable Design**

---

## A house that unfolds in just a few minutes

On 25 April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated Nepal: nearly 9,000 victims, over 600,000 homes destroyed, entire rural communities forced to live in tents for months. It is against this backdrop that Just a Minute was conceived, a project by Barberio Colella Architetti for an emergency home designed to be quick to assemble, economical, durable and, above all, capable of meeting the real needs of Nepalese families: space for four to ten people, local or regional materials, energy self-sufficiency and adaptability to the country’s diverse climates, from the Terai plains to the Himalayan highlands.

The core concept is a fold-out structure. When closed, the house occupies an area of 2.5×4 metres, compact enough to be transported on a standard vehicle to the destination site. Once on site, the building envelope unfolds around a permanent core made of OSB panels (1.5×4 metres), which houses the facilities: a bathroom with a chemical toilet, shower, aluminium washbasin, electric hob and a 30-litre water tank. The structure thus measures 4×7.11 metres, with two side rooms — a living area and a sleeping area — and a small covered outdoor area measuring 1×4 metres.

The load‑bearing structure consists of 60 mm diameter bamboo poles (uprights, cross-beams and roof beams), braced with 30 mm diameter bamboo poles arranged in St Andrew’s crosses. The poles are drilled in the centre and at the ends to allow the frame to unfold; once open, the system is secured with wing nuts. The building envelope consists of a double-layer jute canvas with a layer of recycled wool padding in between — made from clothes and jumpers donated through charity campaigns — which provides thermal insulation against both heat and cold. An external waterproof membrane, stretched away from the jute using spacers, protects against rain and snow whilst allowing the interior spaces to breathe. The short facades are made of polycarbonate mounted on a bamboo frame, with small additional panels of bamboo canes that function as reversible solar shading devices (removable in winter, repositionable in summer).

The single-pitch roof is designed to accommodate solar and photovoltaic panels, making the unit energy self-sufficient. Rainwater is collected from the roof and channelled into the central core for reuse. The true value of the project, however, lies in its social dimension: the units are designed to be grouped together — twin houses, four-unit houses, small villages — recreating the community fabric shattered by the earthquake. Fabrication requires neither complex technologies nor skilled labor: the process can be organised like an assembly line (one team prepares the bamboo modules, another the OSB core, another the textile building envelope), and parts of the components can be prefabricated off-site to further speed up assembly. Just a Minute is not designer architecture: it is an infrastructure for community reconstruction.

---

## Image gallery

![Just a Minute bamboo emergency house front](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-front.jpg)
*The front of the module: a polycarbonate facade on a bamboo frame that allows natural light and adjustable ventilation.*

![Exterior of the deployable temporary house in Nepal](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-02.jpg)
*Exterior view of the house once deployed: 4×7.11 m with a single-pitch roof for solar and photovoltaic panels.*

![Interior of emergency house: living and sleeping areas](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-interior.jpg)
*Interior with a central OSB core housing the facilities and separating the living area from the sleeping area.*

![Floor plan of emergency house in Nepal with side modules](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-plan.jpg)
*The floor plan shows the central 1.5×4 m OSB core and the two 4×4 m side modules, as well as the covered outdoor space.*

![Cross-section of fold-out bamboo, jute canvas and recycled wool building envelope](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-section.jpg)
*The cross-section reveals the building envelope’s stratigraphy: double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool, waterproof membrane on a bamboo frame.*

![Assembly diagram for fold-out bamboo module](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-assembly-diagram.jpg)
*The assembly diagram: from the closed configuration for transport to the module unfolded on site.*

![Just a Minute module in a Nepalese mountain setting](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-exterior-rendering-mountain.jpg)
*The module in the Nepalese mountain setting: simulation of a post-earthquake settlement where the units recreate the community.*

![Components and materials of the Nepal bamboo construction system](images/just-a-minute/just-a-minute-justa-minute-components-and-materials.jpg)
*The components of the construction system: braced bamboo poles, double-layer jute canvas, recycled wool and waterproof membrane.*

---

## Technical specifications

- **Location:** Nepal — destination: areas affected by the earthquake of 25 April 2015
- **Year:** 2015
- **Client:** Project developed in response to the post-earthquake humanitarian emergency
- **Typology:** Temporary emergency housing — deployable, modular housing unit
- **Dimensions — closed (for transport):** 2.5 × 4 m
- **Dimensions — open:** 4 × 7.11 m (including 1 × 4 m of covered outdoor space)
- **Capacity:** 4–10 people (with the living area used for sleeping and bunk beds in the sleeping area)
- **Status:** Emergency design concept
- **Designers:** Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella (Barberio Colella Architetti)
- **Materials — structure:** Ø 60 mm bamboo poles (uprights, crossbeams, roof) + Ø 30 mm poles for cross-bracing; wing nuts for quick fastening
- **Materials — building envelope:** Double-layer jute canvas + recycled wool padding (from donated garments/jumper) + external waterproof membrane stretched with spacers (for breathability)
- **Materials — short facades:** Polycarbonate panels (20 mm) on a bamboo frame; small bamboo canes as reversible solar shading devices
- **Materials — central core (1.5×4 m):** 50 mm OSB panels; interior: chemical toilet, shower, aluminium washbasin, electric hob, 30 L water tank
- **Flooring:** 30 mm OSB panels + laminated bamboo parquet
- **Roof:** Single-pitch, designed for solar and photovoltaic panels; drainage system for collecting rainwater into the central tank
- **Modularity:** Single module that can be combined to form double, quadruple or small villages
- **Main BCA vertical:** Sustainable Design
- **Secondary BCA vertical:** Public & Commercial Architecture (humanitarian/emergency housing sub-segment)

---

## How can we provide decent, rapid and durable housing for communities affected by a disaster?

The standard responses to post-disaster housing emergencies are well known: tent cities, shipping containers, prefabricated buildings. All have severe limitations: inadequate thermal comfort, limited lifespan, inability to adapt to different climates, and high cost relative to the quality they offer. Above all, they rarely take into account the community aspect of reconstruction: a family affected by an earthquake needs not only shelter, but to return to living within their own community. Just a Minute tackles these limitations with a clear concept: a temporary home that can be set up in minutes, built using local and regional materials (bamboo, jute, recycled wool), which can be joined together to rebuild small villages, and is energy self-sufficient thanks to PV on the roof. Fabrication requires neither complex technology nor skilled labor: the house is designed to be assembled by volunteers following simple instructions.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How is the house deployed once it arrives on site?

The house arrives on site pre-assembled in a closed configuration measuring 2.5×4 m, on a standard vehicle. Once positioned, the bamboo pole frame unfolds around the permanent OSB core thanks to through-holes made in the centre and at the ends of the bamboo poles; unfolding is facilitated by the taut outer membrane, which acts as a continuous building envelope. The structure measures 4×7.11 m. Final fixing is carried out using wing nuts — reversible mechanical connections, without welding or glue. The only task carried out after openings are the laying of the floor, which is placed beneath the house during transport. Assembly requires few volunteers and no skilled labor.

### Why bamboo as a structural material for an emergency in Nepal?

Bamboo is an abundant resource in the region (Nepal, northern India, south-western China); it has a strength-to-weight ratio comparable to steel for certain dimensional ratios; it is lightweight (easy to transport even on rough roads); and it has a very rapid growth cycle (3–5 years). The triangular geometry of the St Andrew’s cross bracing — 30 mm diameter bamboo poles stretched between 60 mm diameter uprights — exploits the intrinsic rigidity of the triangle to ensure stability without requiring complex joints. For an emergency, bamboo offers the right balance between structural performance, local availability, lightness and low environmental impact.

### How is thermal comfort ensured in Nepal’s diverse climates?

Nepal has three very distinct climate zones: the Terai (a hot, humid lowland), the temperate hill zone, and the Himalayan plateau (bitterly cold). Just a Minute responds to this variety with a layered envelope: double-layer jute canvas — a breathable, low-cost material produced locally in Nepal and India — with a layer of recycled wool padding in between, obtained from clothes and jumpers donated through charity campaigns. Wool is an excellent natural insulator, protecting against both cold and heat. An external waterproof membrane, stretched using jute spacers, protects against rain and snow whilst allowing internal breathability. The short polycarbonate facades let in light and can be opened for ventilation; the bamboo poles used as solar shading devices are reversible: they are removed in winter and added in summer.

### How many people can a single module accommodate?

A single module typically accommodates between 4 and 10 people — the high-end segment is reached by using the living area for sleeping and installing bunk beds in the sleeping area. This capacity is designed for extended families, which are common in rural areas of Nepal. The central OSB core houses the essential facilities to ensure a good standard of hygiene: a chemical toilet, shower, aluminium washbasin, electric hob and a 30-litre water tank. The modularity of the system also allows multiple units to be combined to create larger homes (double, quadruple) or small villages.

### How is energy self-sufficiency achieved?

The roof is a single-pitch structure specifically designed to accommodate solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. The number and power of the panels depend on the available budget and the climatic conditions (solar radiation in Nepal is generally high). The panels power the interior lighting, the electric hob in the utility area and — when appropriately sized — can meet small-scale refrigeration needs. The roof also collects rainwater, which is channelled into the central tank for reuse: a solution that drastically reduces dependence on water networks, which are often damaged following an earthquake.

### Can the units be grouped together to form small villages?

Yes, grouping is one of the design principles of Just a Minute. Individual units can be arranged side by side (double or quadruple units) or in more complex urban configurations, forming small temporary villages that recreate the community fabric shattered by the earthquake. This approach addresses a specific need: after a disaster, communities are not rebuilt solely through individual shelters but through neighbourly relationships, shared spaces and communal pathways. Just a Minute is designed to foster this, not merely to produce isolated houses.

### Has the project been implemented or has it remained at the concept stage?

Just a Minute is a design concept developed by the studio in response to the post-earthquake humanitarian emergency of 2015. Its fabrication requires neither complex technologies nor skilled labor: the project is designed to be distributed to NGOs, humanitarian agencies and public bodies in countries at seismic or hydrogeological risk, which can adapt it to their own contexts.

---

## Do you work with communities affected by disasters or housing insecurity?

If you are developing temporary housing projects in contexts of humanitarian emergencies, post-disaster reconstruction or housing insecurity, we can discuss an approach based on local materials, deployable systems and community-led scalability. BCA designs everything from the concept to construction details that can be adapted to different contexts.

**[Let’s talk about your project]**

_Response within 48 hours. No obligation._

---

## Related projects

- **Bamboo Office** — Bioclimatic office building in Changzhou: laminated bamboo as the primary structure for permanent architecture.
- **Temporary Housing for Surfers in Tarifa** — Lanterns Sea Village, temporary dwellings in bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the sea.
- **House in Carovigno** — Bioclimatic residence in Puglia on a podium: landscape integration and local materials, on a permanent scale.

_Discover our approach to Sustainable Design →_