2. when they finally sewed the thai-burmese border

3. burma - moei river - thailand

4. wall - embankment - boardwalk

5. monsoon season

6. dry season

7. freedom bridge columns

8. freedom bridge

9. garment factories

10. informal border piers

11. formal border crossing

12. temporary maintenance scaffolding

13. stateless refugee settlement

14. informal border crossings ...

15. ... yet informally supervised ...

16. ... carrying everything you want ...

17. ... anywhere you want ...

18. ... as long as you pay!

19. first floating structure: safe to sew!

20. informal customs take their stand

21. broadening of river for slow calm water ...

22. ... for steady floating structures ...

23. ... hanging on to the bridge columns ...

24. ... and thus expanding downstream!

25. bracing the scaffolding for permanent use

26. burmese raise walls - thai add shading

27. ... the continuous settlement expansion ...

28. ... using various floating materials ...

29. ... while a new structure hangs under the bridge ...

30. ... floating gardens give more autonomy ...

31. ... meanwhile “safe to sew” continue construction ...

32. ... an increasing mix of materials is being used ...

33. ... meanwhile the bracing is finished ...

34. ... more luxurious houses appear ...

35. ... meanwhile a façade is being added ...

36. ... floating grids appear somewhat linearly ...

37. ... meanwhile the “safe to sew” façade finalizes ...

38. ... and NGO Cynthia’s clinic moves here to assist!

39. the hanging factory

40. elevation of façade construction
rst oor space B: cutting rst oor space C: nalizing
rst oor space A: preparation and assembly rst oor space C: nalizing
elevation, scale 1:50

41. fragment elevation showing façade construction

42. fragment cross section showing double floors

43. cement foot within bamboo segment

44. timber plates fixed with pegs

45. steel clamps with welded plate

46. expanding plastic bottle connection

47. the floating grid

48. floating foundation - scale 1:20
migrant bags & plastic bottles rubber tube oil drum

49. floor materials - scale 1:20
bamboo culp wood boards fibre cement
section section section
floorplan floorplan floorplan
elevation elevation elevation

50. structure materials - scale 1:20
bamboo eucalyptus teak
section section section
elevation
elevation elevation
floorplan floorplan floorplan

51. wall materials - scale 1:20
woven bamboo wooden planks adobe bags
plan plan plan
elevation elevation elevation
section section section

52. roof materials - scale 1:20
plastic tarp grass thatch tin sheeting
section
elevation / roof plan elevation / roof plan elevation / roof plan

53. do it yourself : garbage collection into life protection
C
B
A A
A B C B
C
A B C

54. a boat appears at the horizon ...

55. ... bringing materials for “safe to sew” ...

56. ... including burmese garments and accesories ...

57. ... cunningly avoiding formal taxes ...

58. ... and dropping the goods at the old factory ...

59. ... where it is checked ...

60. ... and temporarily stored ...

61. ... 1st floor - room A : preparation of rolls ...

62. ... 1st floor - room B : fabric is cut in patterns ...

63. ... ground floor : parts are sewn together ...

64. ... boxed products are moved down ...

65. ... meanwhile a boat awaits the final products ...

66. ... with a truck to be dropped somwhere on shore ...

67. ... but there is still one thing to do ...

68. ... lets pay that officer ...

69. ... just a fraction of what formal taxes would have been ...

70. ... then off to the back road ...

71. ... where formal checkpoints are avoided ...

72. ... the officer is happy ...

73. ... and so are wel all!

74. but I still have some things to do!
1 - build bamboo joint details 1:1
( cum: concrete / steel / plastic / wood )
2 - make a 1:20 model of the factory ( big! )
3 - make a site model with a floating grid game
4 - design your own floating refugee house game
5 - prove floating bottles on the gracht