BAMBOO
B A M B O O
China has been something of a design wasteland over the last century but a new generation of furniture designers could well be putting China back on the design map. Tom Pattinson asks if China will soon be regarded as the world’s drawing board rather than just the world’s factory. As we settle into the 21st century it becomes
that if bamboo was planted globally en-masse
clear that the global priority for this new mil-
then the effects of global warming would be
lennium is to try to undo the damage done
reversed in just six years. As well as being the
by centuries of excess burning of fossil fuels,
fastest growing, highest oxygen producing
over farming and forest depletion. With an
natural material in the world, the 1,500 types
ever growing population that demand an ever
of bamboo are unparalleled in their versati-
increasing quality of life the pressure put on
lity.Pandas aren’t the only ones whose diet
the depleting natural resources only grows, so
is made up of bamboo shoots. In China, and
as the world looks towards renewable energy,
many other areas of Asia, almost every part
sustainable produce and environmentally
of the grass is used either in the cooking pro-
sounds materials they look to China – as there
cess or for actually eating. The crunchy white
is one product that ticks all of these boxes and
roots are thrown into many stir fried dishes,
a lot more, and China has been using it for
the large leaves are used when making the
thousands of years. Bamboo.
traditional festival treats the zongzi and the
Bamboo is actually a grass that grows
at up to 1.5 meters per day and unlike trees, they can be repeatedly harvested. Bamboo
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large hollow tubes are filled with rice and steamed in many areas of south west China. As well as on the plate, bamboo has for
produces 30 percent more oxygen than most
centuries been used for clothing. The silky
trees yet take only five years to grow to matu-
fibers are antibacterial, hypoallergenic, mois-
rity rather than the 50 it takes for hardwoods
ture wicking and highly absorbent as well
to grow. Also because they don’t die when
as being powerfully insulating and naturally
harvested, there are none of the soil erosion
UV protecting – the perfect material for use
problems associated with tree farming – and
in warm subtropical environments. But what
bamboo actively removes toxins from the soil.
was once the preserve of rural farm workers
Some scientists have gone so far as to argue
or Western Earth Mothers has, in recent years
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BAMBOO
GRE EN VANCOUVE R
hit the high streets. JUZD is one of the first
vittata) is terrible to build with. “It has bad
designer fashion labels to exclusively use
fiber structure and high sugar content but all
bamboo fibers in its clothing. Founded in
the local people built with it when they were
2007 by Guangzhou-born Jing Liu the Cana-
kids and had bad experiences, so they think
dian brand is now worn by celebrities such as
all bamboo is bad.” However the correct type
Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas. An increasingly
of bamboo, used properly and treated in the
number of popular labels are looking to use
correct way, by any criteria, DeBoer argues,
bamboo as a cheaper, more energy efficient
“there is no better structural building mate-
and cleaner alternative to cotton.
rial.”
However the 21st century planet is also looking to China when it comes to other uses
hquake in March 2008 that killed over 70,000
of bamboo – specifically architecture - and
people and left 10 million people homeless,
about time too. China has been using this
the use of bamboo in construction has once
natural building material for centuries and
again been brought to public attention.
many buildings in southern China are con-
The earthquake struck right in the heart
structed entirely of bamboo. The hard thick
of China’s lush bamboo heartland and the
bamboo poles can still be seen being on con-
abundant materials were immediately used to
struction sites across the metropolitan capi-
build temporary shelters. The 12 square me-
tals of Shanghai and Guangzhou being used
ter aluminum insulated metals boxes that are
as scaffolding - and with a tensile strength of
so often used in disaster zones provide little
28,000 pounds per square inch compared to
relief during the incredibly hot summers and
the 23,000 pounds per square inch of steel,
freezing winters of mountainous Sichuan.
it’s much safer than it looks.
Ming Tan, a professor at Savannah College
Whilst China has been creating buildings
of Art and Design in the US and graduate of
with bamboo for centuries it was at the
Beijing’s Tsinghua University created origami-
Hannover World Fair of 2000 that brought
style foldaway temporary shelters (pictured)
bamboo into the conscience of the internatio-
using bamboo frames in which whole families
nal design community. Columbian architect
and communities can live. But over a year la-
Simón Vélez constructed one of the largest
ter many NGOs and locals are still using bam-
buildings ever made entirely of bamboo at
boo to construct more permanent structures.
the fair (pictured) and he, along with friend
In Daping Village, Sichuan, homes are
and fellow architect Darrel DeBoer, have
being rebuilt using the often cheaper and cer-
gone on to be become some of the foremost
tainly abundant natural resources in the area.
experts in bamboo construction. DeBoer who
“The design and the main building material
is currently writing a book “Bamboo Building
are based on the ecological and sustainable
Essentials: The 12 Basic Principles” has wor-
habitat idea,” explains Hu Rongrong of the
ked with bamboo for decades and with other
Green Building Research Centre at Xian
experts such as Velez and Marcelo Villegas
University of Architecture and Technology.
continues to discover new treatments and
“Sichuan is rich in bamboo and wood. These
innovative methods to make building with
natural materials are cheap and friendly to
bamboo easier and more cost effective.
the environment,” he says. Many charities,
“[Bamboo is] something that grows four
NGOs and educational institutions have been
feet in a day, has more strength than steel
working together to help build affordable
(pound for pound) and can grow in a small
and efficient new homes for the homeless.
enough area that a local builder can essen-
“We trained a local construction team, which
tially own a hardware store in his back yard,”
means the local people would build their own
says DeBoer. “No other material can compete
houses by themselves,” says Hu.
with its ability to benefit local people by pro-
However, bamboo in its raw form is not
viding a livelihood not beholden to anyone,”
always suited as a construction material in
says DeBoer.
certain climates but its popularity as a mate-
DeBoer goes on to say that the world’s most common bamboo (bambusa vulagaris
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After China’s most devastating eart-
rial for design and interiors has bloomed in recent years. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma
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BAMBOO
THE PERFECT CHRONOGRAPH
uses natural materials in many of his works.
bamboo waste. It took three years of research
“Bamboo plays an important role in the cul-
to create the keyboard and we now plan to
tures of Asia, symbolizing relief and healing.
expand the range to include a bamboo com-
I wanted to take that feeling in the architec-
puter desk, chair and even mouse and flash
ture,” explains Kuma. His design of the Bam-
discs,” explains Mr Zhang from Jiangqiao’s
boo Wall at Commune by the Wall (pictured)
marketing department.
outside Beijing has heavy use of bamboo in
However, whilst bamboo is a great mate-
the six unique buildings, filtering the light
rial for many products, the thin hollow tubes
and creating natural window blinds.
aren’t always very efficient for more heavy
“Bamboo breaks easily by seasoning
weight items. The processing of these circu-
and is basically not suited to structure, that
lar tubes to make wood-like planks is very
is the one reason bamboo has traditionally
energy intensive with the bamboo being first
been used as decoration. Nowadays, however,
squared, then glued together and then com-
bamboo can be used for construction by being
pressed under high pressure plates to form
combined with new technology,” says Kuma.
what solid wood would do simply by being
“I am expecting that utilization of bamboo
cut from a large trunk and dried.
will rise tremendously from now,” he says. Kuma’s current project to renovate a
While for some companies the use of bamboo might be more of a trendy marketing
100-year-old soy sauce warehouse in Kyushu
tool than an actual energy saver, most are
Japan is using a type of South American bam-
fully aware of the positive impacts of using
boo called Gadoua. “Unlike Asian bamboo,
the resource. One company from California
Gadoua is hardly broken and has two times
has found a use for bamboo that is actively
the strength, which can be easily used as con-
saving the disappearing hardwoods. Accor-
struction materials,” he says.
ding to the Science Channel, the 450 million
It’s naturally strong and sturdy nature
USD skateboards industry has replaced furni-
has meant that bamboo has been used to
ture as the leading contributor to maple de-
create not just buildings but also the furniture
forestation in Canada. Geoff Kobolt launched
in them too. International designers are also
Bamboosk8, a company making skateboards
catching on to this material to create mo-
(pictured) from bamboo last year [08].
dern creations for the international market.
“Maple trees are highly deforested due to
London-based design guru Tom Dixon is the
skateboarding manufacturing,” says Kobolt.
latest upscale designer to use the material for
“So it just seemed logical to use a sustainable
his creations for the Finnish company Artek.
resource like bamboo, which grows to matu-
The Bambu range (pictured), are made with
rity in just two or three years compared to the
smooth clean lines and offer a naturally chic
50 or 60 years it takes maple trees to mature,”
look. The collection has already become a
he says. “Also we wanted to leave a legacy on
best seller in Hong Kong and many other
a generation of kids who will be future lea-
European and American design houses are
ders someday.”
following the theme with Bamboo chairs, tables and kitchenware. Other design products using bamboo are
As individuals and companies around the world begin to realize the environmental and economic value of bamboo, this ancient
being created closer to home. Guangzhou
material may be the answer to many of the
based Jiangqiao have recently taken the
problems of the 21st century.
design world by storm after creating the bamboo keyboard (pictured) last October [08]. The company who originally just made bamboo floors moved to keyboards after being approached by a computer company and already have received orders of over 40,000 keyboards. “All our products are made from bamboo and the keyboard is made from leftover
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