Bamboo and The Circular Economy

In the final podcast of this season, I sat down with Mexico-based architect, Lucilla Aguilar to talk about her experience in working with bamboo for post-earthquake relief and how she created systems for working with bamboo that are replicable and easy for non-bamboo carpenters to work with. In This Episode We Discuss:The Beauty Of Bamboo ArchitectureMy First Bamboo ProjectCollaborating With Other Bamboo Architects In MexicoBamboo Housing For Post Earthquake ReliefWhat Bamboo Can Do For CommunitiesCreating Adaptable DesignsCreating Replicable And Easy Systems For Working With BambooBuilding Walls For Bamboo StructuresDeveloping A Bamboo WorkforceBamboo Building RegulationsBringing Bamboo Into Urban CentresBuilding A Bamboo PavilionBuilding Inspiring and Long Lasting StructuresBuilding A Bamboo CommunityThe Beauty Of Bamboo ArchitectureMy First Bamboo ProjectCollaborating With Other Bamboo Architects In MexicoBamboo Housing For Post-Earthquake ReliefWhat Bamboo Can Do For CommunitiesCreating Adaptable DesignsCreating Replicable And Easy Systems For Working With BambooBuilding Walls For Bamboo StructuresDeveloping A Bamboo WorkforceBamboo Building RegulationsBringing Bamboo Into Urban CentresBuilding A Bamboo PavilionBuilding Inspiring and Long Lasting StructuresBuilding A Bamboo Community

We dive into the world of bamboo furniture production with Rebecca Reubens, the driving force behind Rhizome. From industrial design to bamboo furniture, Rebecca shares her journey of working with bamboo; empowering collaborations with local communities, NGOs, local governments, and craftspeople. We talk about everything from colonization, the issues with industrial design, creating products with soul, and much more. In This Episode We Discuss:From Industrial Design To BambooInvestigating Bamboo Species For Furniture ProductionUsing Local BambooStandardising BambooChanging The Perception Of BambooCreating A High-Value Bamboo Product LineUplifting Local Bamboo CommunitiesWorking with INBAREmpowering CommunitiesWorking With The Local GovernmentDendrocalamus StrictusTraditional Skills And Contemporary DesignsThe Value Of CraftspeopleChallenges In Bamboo FurnitureCreating Products With SoulWhat is Next For RhizomeRebecca’s Advice For Designers Who Aspire To Work With Bamb

In This Episode We Discuss:Bamboo As A Building MaterialHow Bamboo Sits Within The Spectrum Of MaterialsCreating Rules And Codes Of Practice For BambooThe Properties Of BambooIncorporating Bamboo Into A Western ContextEngineered BambooZero Carbon BuildingsHow Bamboo GrowsHarvesting BambooThe Impact Of Bamboo On The Construction IndustryResearching The Manufacturing Of Engineered Bamboo In VancouverBamboo In North AmericaISO Standards For BambooHow Bamboo Is Superior To Wood and How It Is InferiorBamboo’s Tensile And Compression CapacitiesOpportunities With Engineered BambooBamboo And Japanese JoineryThe Limits Of Round Pole ConstructionGeometric Stiffness And Its Role In Bamboo ArchitectureBamboo TestingUniversity Research Of BambooBamboo JoineryThe Future Potential Of Round Pole ConstructionTaking Bamboo To Mars_________Learn more about Atelier One:https://www.atelierone.com/

In This Episode We Discuss:How the interest in bamboo came to beVisit to Bali and Green Village Harvesting and Treating BambooFirst Bamboo ProjectBuilding For Conscious Impact In NepalFailures and Lessons LearnedBamboo In NepalStarting BambufoliaProjects To Start WithElevating Bamboo The Biggest Challenge When Working With Bamboo Testing Bamboo To Make Sure It's Been TreatedBamboo SpeciesLocal Perception Of BambooTeam WorkFinding CraftsmanBuilding Larger ProjectsClient RelationshipsBuilding A NetworkLearn more about Paola's work at Bambufolia: http://bambufolia.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/bambufolia/

In This Episode We Discuss:Bringing High Tech Into Low Tech AreasFrom Digital To RealityHoloLensesOn-Site Design With Augmented Reality (AR)Kristof’s Work With BambooThe Golden Moon Bamboo InstallationThe ZCB Bamboo Pavilion in Hong KongUsing Complex Geometry For Creating RigidityThe Limiting Process Of Conventional Architecture And BuildingThe Importance Of Digital Design ToolsRhinocereous and Grasshopper 3D ModelersSpeeding Up Construction With Digital and Parametric DesignThe Future For Young DesignersDigital Design For Bamboo ArchitectureBuilding BIG Using Parametric Design And GeometriesMitigating The Impact Of The Irregularity Of BambooThe Potential Role Of AI In Bamboo ArchitectureDesign Methods That Account For Variability____________Learn more about Kristof’s work at LEAD Architecture: https://l-e-a-d.pro/ and the Building Simplexity Lab at Hong Kong Uni https://bsl.hku.hk/His tutorials are available here: Grasshopper: https://bsl.hku.hk/tutorials/Bending active bamboo shells: https://bsl.hku.hk/babss/Kristof is a guest speaker for The Fundamentals Of Building Bamboo Online Course and also a resident facilitator on our 11 Day Course in Bali: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

An exciting episode and topic for the future of bamboo architecture in the Americas. Jules De Laage is an architect, former Program Manager at Bamboo U and currently leading the team building Green School Tulum in Mexico. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to bring bamboo designs into a new context that faces environmental challenges like hurricanes, which requires an entirely new design vocabulary to emerge as a response.In This Episode We Discuss:What It Is Like To Build With Bamboo In MexicoAdapting To The Local ConstraintsTurning Constraints Into Creative OpportunitiesNew Structural Systems For HurricanesBamboo Species and Heat Bending BambooBuilding Curves Without Compromising Structural IntegrityTesting The Mechanical Properties Of BambooThe Social Context For Bamboo In MexicoTraining Carpenters To Work With BambooIt Takes A Village To Grow Bamboo BuildingsBamboo U Alumni Working On Green School TulumLearn more about Green School Tulum at:https://greenschooltulum.mx/Jules’ is a guest speaker for The Fundamentals Of Building Bamboo Online Course: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

The circular economy is a set of principles which serve as a guide in how we use our resources in an efficient and sustainable way. Felix Bock is the CEO and the Founder of ChopValue and we are honored to have him as a guest on today’s episode, to talk about turning waste into a resource and building a movement around the circular economy.In This Episode We Discuss:What is Chopvalue and Why Chopsticks? The Scale Of WasteBuilding A Movement Around The Circular EconomyStarting A MicrofactoryThe Connection Between Profit And ImpactNon-Toxic ResinsCreating Modular ComponentsCreating Cradle To Cradle ProductsFrom Raw Material To High-Value End ProductDeveloping A MarketCreating Long Term PartnershipsNo Bad IdeasEmployee EngagementGrowing ResponsiblyUsing Franchising As A Tool For GrowthHungry For ChangeRedefining Waste To ResourceScaling and Doing GoodLearn more about ChopValue and Felix’ work: https://chopvalue.com/Felix is also a resident speaker and facilitator of The Bamboo U Online Course: The Fundamentals Of Building With Bamboo: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

Sanne is a Bamboo U Alumni and an architect from Amsterdam. Together with her team, she is working on building an entire bamboo industry in Uganda- from plantation and harvesting to government support and building structures._______In This Episode We Discuss:4:05 Sanne’s First Bamboo Building Project6:16 Building With Sustainable Materials In Uganda7:20 Establishing The Overall System For A Bamboo Project To Be Possible8:06 The Clients And Organisations Wanting To Build With Bamboo In Uganda10:47 Setting Up A Bamboo Supply Chain12:32 INBAR And Bamboo Seedlings13:37 Setting Up A Database For Bamboo Uganda14:43 Bamboo Species Of Africa16:00 How Does Growing Bamboo Influence Your Designs18:31 Bamboo Species Influencing Design20:55 Opening A Bamboo Factory22:18 Bamboo At The Nyege Nyege Music Festival22:45 Building a 9000 sqm Bamboo Structure Over The Old Taxi Park In Uganda25:35 Training Local Carpenters28:18 Designing Within Constraints31:35 Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are32:40 Bringing The Right People Together Learn more about Sanne and her team’s work:@bkvvarchitecten@sanneeekel Sanne is an alumni of both Bamboo U’s The Fundamentals Of Building Bamboo Online Course and our 11 Day Build and Design Course: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

How do you build with bamboo in a context that is highly regulated? Jed Long began his journey of building with bamboo by constructing temporary structures at festivals and art installations for The Biennale of Sydney in Australia. Today, he has relocated to Bali to work on the manufacturing of cross-laminated bamboo with Indobamboo. He is passionate about increasing the uptake of bamboo for different contexts and purposes.Jed is the Co-Founder of Cave Urban situated in Australia.In This Episode We Discuss:01:49 The Origins Of Cave Urban And Working With Bamboo In Australia03:32 A Bamboo Exhibition: First Bamboo Project05:39 Harvesting, Treating, Processing, And Building With Our Own Building08:10 Harvesting Bamboo: Running vs Clumping Bamboo09:20 Learning From Bamboo Masters13:56 From Working in Unregulated To Regulated Spaces14:44 Bamboo At The Sydney Biennale17:53 What It's Like To Build With Bamboo Within Regulations21:17 Building In Community23:30 Education In Exchange For Labor25:36 Agritecture: From Plant to Building26:45 Creating A Culture Of Bamboo In Non-Bamboo Areas29:45 Bamboo In Context31:11 Indobamboo and Laminated Bamboo34:24 The Challenges With Laminated Bamboo38:58 Opportunities With Laminated Bamboo40:40 ISO Standard For Engineered Bamboo Products44:25 A Positive Future For The Built Environment44:42 The Price Gap Between Bamboo and Conventional Materials47:52 Durability_______Learn more about Jed’s work at:https://www.caveurban.com/@caveurbanhttps://indobamboo.com/_______Learn more about bamboo and engineering during our upcoming courses: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

We’re back with a brand new season, and we’re honored to have Luis Felipe Lopez as our first guest. Originally from Colombia, Luis is an expert bamboo engineer based in the Philippines where he works on sustainable social housing made using bamboo with his firm Base Bahay.In this episode we discuss:03.21 Traditional Bamboo Buildings In Colombia06:30 Research On The Earthquake Resistance Of Bamboo Buildings07:37 Publishing The World’s First Bamboo Building Code And The ISO Standards For Bamboo09:08 Building Hurricane-Safe Homes With Bamboo10:40 Base Bahay And The Hilti Foundation12:30 Moving To The Philippines To Build Social And Sustainable Housing14:31 Creating A Laboratory And Training Center For Sustainable Materials And Social Housing16:30 Bamboo Testing18:43 Testing The Properties Of Bamboo For Construction20:50 Testing Guadua and Bambusa Blumeana22:21 The Most Important Factors To Consider When Testing Bamboo23:05 Comparing Bamboo To Other Materials25:40  How Many Cars Can You Pile On Top Of A Bamboo Pole Before It Breaks?28.04 Bamboo As A Round Pole Vs Processed Bamboo33:34 The Social Sustainable Housing And What It Costs35:00 The Major Roadblock To The Uptake Of Bamboo Construction37:50 The Easiest Way To Lower The Carbon Emissions In Your Buildings39:01 What You Can Do To Help Advance The Use Of Bamboo For Construction Learn more about Luis’ work at:https://base-builds.com/@basebuilds Learn more about bamboo and engineering during our upcoming courses: https://www.bamboou.com/courses