Plot ABC

Initiated by the local community in August 2019, the project is transforming a 0.4-acre wasteland into a recreational public space for the community. This small urban space used to be filled with bushes, wild grasses, and rubbish. Complaints of drug use and violence were recurrent.

The community started to speak up for their own rights and organized themselves in order to find a sustainable solution that could not only benefit the neighborhood but also act as a pilot project for Yangon. After 2 years of work, Plot ABC was able to raise enough funding to start the construction. This included a featured grant from Design Trust in Hong Kong.

The goal is to create a self-sustained multifunctional community public space which will include a chinlone court (traditional Burmese ball game), a zayat (senior resting area), an urban community farm, and a multi-functional sports field that can also serve as a venue for cultural and community events. The project’s governance, operation, and program are all designed to create opportunities for maximizing the participation of the community.

The design is inspired by Myanmar’s traditional bamboo scaffolding construction technique. This national intangible heritage is slowly disappearing and being replaced with metal structures. The objective of this real-world project in the center of the city is to showcase the possibilities that bamboo holds within the construction industry, as an ecological material with an extremely low carbon footprint. Using modern bamboo treatment techniques, we are able to build large-scale long-lasting structures, safe for public use.

The construction started during the military coup of February 2021, a time of extreme political instability. This was proof that despite the events that occurred following the coup, not all projects were stopped, and that community pocket parks where kids can safely play and senior citizens can relax comfortably are more important than ever.