Construction materials such as concrete and steel are major contributors to climate change -- which is why the industry is looking for cleaner, greener alternatives. Pioneering Asian architecture studios are taking bamboo structures to the next level, with projects ranging from luxury villas to eco-friendly school campuses, like the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenschool.org%2Fbali" target="_blank" target="_blank">Green School in Bali</a>, Indonesia (pictured). <strong>Explore the gallery to see more inspiring bamboo buildings.</strong>
Construction materials such as concrete and steel are major contributors to climate change -- which is why the industry is looking for cleaner, greener alternatives. Pioneering Asian architecture studios are taking bamboo structures to the next level, with projects ranging from luxury villas to eco-friendly school campuses, like the Green School in Bali, Indonesia (pictured). Explore the gallery to see more inspiring bamboo buildings.
Tommaso Riva/IBUKU
Strong but lightweight and extremely flexible, bamboo makes architecture more "dynamic," says Elora Hardy, founder and creative director of Ibuku -- like this poolside pavilion. Ibuku treats its bamboo with a natural, non-toxic boron solution, which makes it biodegrade slower and prevents insects eating it.
Strong but lightweight and extremely flexible, bamboo makes architecture more "dynamic," says Elora Hardy, founder and creative director of Ibuku -- like this poolside pavilion. Ibuku treats its bamboo with a natural, non-toxic boron solution, which makes it biodegrade slower and prevents insects eating it.
Indra Wiras/IBUKU
The Green Village in Badung, Bali, is one of Ibuku's biggest projects, with 12 villas completed to date.
The Green Village in Badung, Bali, is one of Ibuku's biggest projects, with 12 villas completed to date.
Indra Wiras/IBUKU
Hardy takes inspiration from nature for her designs, and embraces the natural curves of bamboo. Elements such as leaf-shaped lodges and rounded roofs, seen in the Riverbend House at Bambu Indah in Ubud, Bali, are common in Ibuku's projects.
Hardy takes inspiration from nature for her designs, and embraces the natural curves of bamboo. Elements such as leaf-shaped lodges and rounded roofs, seen in the Riverbend House at Bambu Indah in Ubud, Bali, are common in Ibuku's projects.
IBUKU
With advances in treating solutions and engineering techniques, bamboo has become a more viable building material, allowing for multi-story structures such as this treehouse at Bambu Indah Resort in Ubud, Bali, which offers views across the rice paddies.
With advances in treating solutions and engineering techniques, bamboo has become a more viable building material, allowing for multi-story structures such as this treehouse at Bambu Indah Resort in Ubud, Bali, which offers views across the rice paddies.
Tommaso Riva/IBUKU
Bamboo isn't just for luxury projects, though: cheap and widely available, it's also a great sustainable solution for low-cost housing, which is why Philippines-based startup Cubo has been using bamboo to make eco-friendly, low-impact modular homes.
Bamboo isn't just for luxury projects, though: cheap and widely available, it's also a great sustainable solution for low-cost housing, which is why Philippines-based startup Cubo has been using bamboo to make eco-friendly, low-impact modular homes.
CUBO Modular Inc
Cubo's design is based on the traditional "Bahay Kubo," a box-like, single-story bamboo hut on stilts, indigenous to the Philippines. Each house is made to order and can be customized to include elements such as solar panels on the roof, further reducing running costs and the carbon footprint of its residents.
Cubo's design is based on the traditional "Bahay Kubo," a box-like, single-story bamboo hut on stilts, indigenous to the Philippines. Each house is made to order and can be customized to include elements such as solar panels on the roof, further reducing running costs and the carbon footprint of its residents.
CUBO Modular Inc
Cubo says bamboo is an ideal material as it grows quickly and plentifully, reaching maturity in as little as three years. It can also grow in degraded soils, helping to restore land, and sequesters <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrawdown.org%2Fsolutions%2Fbamboo-production%2Ftechnical-summary" target="_blank" target="_blank">carbon dioxide</a>. The company hopes its homes can help offer a sustainable solution to the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Findustry.gov.ph%2Findustry%2Fhousing%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">housing crisis</a> in the Philippines.
Cubo says bamboo is an ideal material as it grows quickly and plentifully, reaching maturity in as little as three years. It can also grow in degraded soils, helping to restore land, and sequesters carbon dioxide. The company hopes its homes can help offer a sustainable solution to the housing crisis in the Philippines.
CUBO Modular Inc
In Thailand, Chiangmai Life Architects used bamboo to build an entire campus for Panyaden International School in the northern province of Chiang Mai, including a cavernous, 782-square-meter sports hall (pictured). <br />
In Thailand, Chiangmai Life Architects used bamboo to build an entire campus for Panyaden International School in the northern province of Chiang Mai, including a cavernous, 782-square-meter sports hall (pictured).
Chiangmai Life Architects
Chiangmai Life Architects <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bamboo-earth-architecture-construction.com%2Fportfolio-item%2Fpanyaden-international-school-sports-hall%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">claims</a> the sports hall has no carbon footprint, as the bamboo used in the project absorbed more carbon than the emissions that were created during treatment, transport and construction.
Chiangmai Life Architects claims the sports hall has no carbon footprint, as the bamboo used in the project absorbed more carbon than the emissions that were created during treatment, transport and construction.
Chiangmai Life Architects
Vietnam-based Võ Trọng Nghĩa (VTN) Architects specializes in eco-friendly designs. The studio used bamboo to build the Casamia Community House -- the entrance hall to the expansive Casamia Resort on the outskirts of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An town.
Vietnam-based Võ Trọng Nghĩa (VTN) Architects specializes in eco-friendly designs. The studio used bamboo to build the Casamia Community House -- the entrance hall to the expansive Casamia Resort on the outskirts of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An town.
Hiroyuki Oki/VTN Architects
Along the banks of the Li River in Yangshuo, China, woven bamboo canopies and pavilions are framed against the scenery of Guilin. The area was already covered in bamboo groves, so Shanghai-based architecture studio LLLab opted to use bamboo to integrate the paviilion into its surroundings.
Along the banks of the Li River in Yangshuo, China, woven bamboo canopies and pavilions are framed against the scenery of Guilin. The area was already covered in bamboo groves, so Shanghai-based architecture studio LLLab opted to use bamboo to integrate the paviilion into its surroundings.
llLab
Spread across 1,900 square meters, LLLab's pavilion was commissioned by Impression Sanjie Liu, a production company that puts on daily light shows and musical performances. The pavilion is designed to help direct audience members to the main stage and provide shelter from rain.
Spread across 1,900 square meters, LLLab's pavilion was commissioned by Impression Sanjie Liu, a production company that puts on daily light shows and musical performances. The pavilion is designed to help direct audience members to the main stage and provide shelter from rain.
llLab