bamboo architecture
On Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October 2014, an integrated design workshop about the construction of a temporary bamboo structure will be held and coordinated by architect Francesco Poli from the LAN_natural architecture workshop group at Archos Studio’s garden, which houses a bamboo grove.
The workshop
Bamboo plays a very important role in the field of research on and experimentation with vegetable materials for architecture, due to the interest it has aroused in the Western world in recent decades.
In fact, bamboo, which belongs to the grass family, has been used as a building material since ancient times, especially in Asia and Latin America, where it is considered a typical construction material and used in traditional construction techniques for virtually any purpose, from room coatings to building structures. In these geographical areas, bamboo is so widespread that in some cultures, it is considered a symbol of strength and ductility, as it is in Eastern philosophies: bamboo is elastic and at the same time resistant, it represents moral integrity and at the same time open-mindedness.
Starting from these assumptions, an integrated design workshop about the construction of a temporary bamboo structure will be held and coordinated by architect Francesco Poli from the LAN_natural architecture workshop group at Archos Studio’s garden, which houses a bamboo grove.
The workshop is aimed at professionals and students in the field, as well as to all those people interested in learning the basic techniques of building with plant materials and who want to make practical experience with natural materials by taking part in the course and in participatory, innovative and creative design.
Programme
FRIDAY, 10 OCTOBER
09:00 a.m. Presentation of the research on the use of bamboo in architecture, the botanical characteristics of the plant, and the construction techniques dealt with in the course. During the presentation, the state of the art in architecture was shown together with the use of bamboo, traditional systems and technological innovations in recent years. The botanical aspects of the plant, its cultivation and treatments for its preservation in the construction industry were shown. The aspects of the subject matter that are relevant to building were examined in depth.
11:00 a.m. Visit to the bamboo grove.
11:30 a.m. Bamboo canes suitable to work with were cut down using suitable tools and were then cleaned by removing all branches and tips that could not be used.
01:30 p.m. Lunch break
02:30 p.m. In-depth study of the technological systems used with structural bamboo. Illustration of the technological systems for joining bamboo canes. Structural knots were created by using metal bindings and anchors.
04:00 p.m. Construction of a sample frame using whole canes, and creation of a system of frames.
06:00 p.m. End of the first working day
SATURDAY, 11 OCTOBER
09:00 a.m. Examination of shell structures and structural meshes
09:30 Splitting and assembling bamboo canes
11:30 Preparation of the area and assembly of the structure
01:30 p.m. Lunch break
02:30 p.m. Resumption of assembly work
06:00 p.m. End of work and handing out of certificates of attendance