Proserve are proud to have been involved with a community build project in South East Asia. The Bomnong L’Or project is located in the chaotic centre of the port city of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

The architects Orkidstudio along with StructureMode used the method of casting concrete in lightweight fabric molds, fabricated using single layer fabric donated by Proserve. They teamed up with a group of Khmer women to rebuild the community centre at the city’s urban heart. For over 10 years, the centre has worked to deliver further education to local children and adults, as well as functioning as a community meeting and work space.

The new building contains all areas of learning and teaching on a higher floor, leaving a series of outdoor spaces for play and interaction. This typology mimics the traditional local houses on stilts, but replaces wood with fabric cast reinforced concrete. Timber cannot be sustainably sourced locally due to uncontrolled deforestation.

Adopting a completely passive climate strategy, the building seeks to present an example of affordable design and quality, combining traditional and modern techniques and seeking to establish a new type of Cambodian construction.