ABSTRACT
Ethiopia is not only endowed with a huge bamboo resource but also has a very rich traditional bamboo housing construction techniques, which have been in use arguably for more than thousand years. These construction practices have several benefits including provision of affordable houses for millions living in rural areas of the country, employment creation, reducing burden on natural forests for housing construction, and income generation. Two types of bamboo species are existing in Ethiopia namely, Oxytentra abyssinica commonly known as lowland bamboo and Yushania alpine commonly known as highland bamboo. Both species are used for construction of residential houses where several vernacular architectural design approaches are exhibited including the Sidama house in Southern Ethiopia. This study particularly focuses on exploring how the existing bamboo construction techniques in Sidama region, provide a platform for provision of houses for emerging towns in bamboo growing areas in Ethiopia. Data collection including observation and personal interview was conducted in the region. The data was processed using both qualitative and quantitative methods where construction techniques and the overall process was analyzed technically and areas of improvement were identified. Based on the findings a modified building constriction system and construction process is proposed.
