Housing | Chaom Trach, Cambodia

The ancient housing archetype in Cambodia can be characterized by its raised floor (one living space and one back kitchen) and use of traditional materials such as wood and thatch. The raised platform enables an efficient natural ventilation system to combat the extreme heat, and prevents interventions caused by nature such as seasonal floods and vermin.The open space below is typically reserved for livestock and tool storage. This type of dwelling is mostly found in rural areas where modern construction materials were scarcely available.

Cambodia also has a long history of suffering such as with the Khmer Rouge, continued poverty, and ongoing human rights abuses. Can a humanistic approach begin to address the urgent needs these communities are facing on a daily basis?

RAWimpact is a volunteer based non-profit organization  dedicated to providing a hand up to families living in poverty. Along with the Build Against the Traffik Project, they believe security as well as educating communities to be more financially independent, begins with the home.

Chaom Trach is a village experiencing extreme poverty. There are seriously dilapidated houses (often sheltering families with up to nine children), no toilets or health services. 

Professional members of the construction industry came together with University of New South Wales, Sydney (UNSW) students to design and build housing. Our goal was to build basic village houses within a set budget, minimizing exposure to the elements (especially during heavy rain and flooding of the rainy season), gardens for farming, and account for smoke from open-fire cooking.