Is Bamboo the Sustainable Building Material of the Future?

As glass-and-steel skyscrapers rise in cities around the world and architects are harnessing evermore advanced technology, one firm in Bali is looking to nature to lead the way. After reading about Elora Hardy’s visionary architecture and design firm, Ibuku, and seeing photos of the stunning houses they create, I sought her out on a recent trip to Bali.


Upon arriving at Green Village, I found myself in a seemingly enchanted enclave full of incredible bamboo houses. Home to a community of roving expats, many of whom split their time between Bali and the U.S., Europe, or other countries, the buildings of the Village rise three or more stories high into the lush tropical jungle of Ubud, set overlooking ravines that feed into the Ayung River, surrounded by vegetable gardens.


https://www.vogue.com/article/sustainable-building-bamboo-bali


https://assets.vogue.com/photos/59efbb86bfb873322d02c3ce/master/w_1560,c_limit/00-story-image-bamboo-sustainable-housing-material.jpg

When we lived in Bali this company built a guest house for us out of bamboo.

Let me fill you in on bamboo.....

It does NOT like rain.... and when it is exposed to rain it gets damaged...

So roughly 5 years after the house was completed... it required an entirely new thatch roof.... the large bamboo supports had to be replaced... and the slat walls in many areas were falling to pieces...


Without extensive and expensive repairs the entire house would have collapsed within a decade.