22 contractors attended a site visit to BSBCC on 3rd June to decide whether to tender for phase II works. Phase I was completed in March 2010 giving us a new bear house and 1ha of electric fenced forest enclosure with capacity for 20 bears. The second phase due to start in September 2011 will give us an observation platform and allow the centre to open to the public in March 2012. Contractors were briefed in the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC). In the foreground is BSBCC Manager Ng Wai Pak. The briefing...

You will recall from my earlier post that we have been building a biogas digester at Camp Tinangol with Camps International. The aim of this prototype was to test whether a biogas digester could be built using unskilled labour, such as gap year students on a Camps International trip. We based our design on the well documented Deenbandhu model with a ferro-cement fixed dome for storing gas under water pressure. Camps International are also working with us on a second digester at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre...

By Ian Hall Two new architectural volunteers have arrived in Seplikok to help with the next phase of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). They'll be working with organisations such as Raleigh to build peripheral infrastructure and at the same time assisting to prepare tender drawings for the new visitor centre that is hoped to start construction in early 2011. They are pictured here getting all enthusiastic with their sketchbooks at Ba Linn rooftop bar in Sandakan. Chris is an RIBA Part I student on his year...

Arkitrek's first volunteer Billy arrived in September 2009 for a three month stint working at the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Originally due to go home at Christmas, the bears got their claws into Billy and he ended up staying an extra two months. Finally though the day came when we had to say good bye and thanks. Billy's outstanding contribution was to the design of the next phase visitor centre and to the volunteer program that Arkitrek helps to manage on behalf of BSBCC. To date the Bear Action Teams...

By Ian Hall The new bear house at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre Should have been completed this month however we have been delayed by bad weather. Our site being low lying and barely above the water table has degenerated into bottomless gloop. luckily most of the building was up before the rainy season but materials deliveries and availability of dry working space has suffered. Under the conditions the contractor has done us proud and the quality of workmanship in the most important components, the cages,...