The Journey
To attend the Assamba Building with Bamboo Workshop I traveled from South Africa with the late Architect Rodney Harber and his wife Roz. We drove North from Durban, through a rainy KwaZulu Natal, to Ponta D’Ouro, about a day’s journey.
The Conference
The 1st ASSAMBA Seminar 2023, titled “Bamboo as a tool for Environmental Protection and Economic Development” was held over the course of 11 days, with the following workshops on offer:
- Carbon Credits & Biocharcoal Production (Theory & Practical Demo) – One day seminar
- Growing and managing bamboo & Bamboo shoots in the diet (Theory & Practical Demo) – One day seminar
- Manufacture of bamboo furniture and crafts (Theory & Practical Demo) – One day seminar
- Building with Bamboo (Theory & Practical Demo) – 5 day seminar
With limited time and money, I signed up for the fourth course “Building with Bamboo”. This seminar was presented by Colombian artist and architect Jaime Peña of Jaime Peña Studio, who openly shared his journey and process of designing and building with bamboo.
The conference was organized by Paulino Botao. Check out this YouTube video review of the conference, by Fred Hornaday of Bambu Batu.
Theory: 7 Lessons and Learnings
- Bamboo performs better in tension, particularly bamboo splits, so use geometries that allow this. In general, bamboo poles perform better in compression than splits.
2. Bamboo splits can be used structurally, as demonstrated in the project Yoga Shala: LUUM – ZAMA 2019 where 90% of the structure is made from bamboo splits.
3. Phyllostachys species (monopodial) can be used structurally, as Jaime demonstrated with projects such as the Green School Tulum where Phyllostachys bambusoides poles are used as the primary structural material (project not yet publicly available).
“Forget the square. Make a decision and do it” – Jaime Peña
4. Conceptually, bamboo structures can rely on a bamboo matrix – like an outer skin – to hold the form together. This is demonstrated in the Tunnel: Cerveceria Tulum – 2020 project where a series of structural rings made from splits are bound together by a woven outer diaphragm, resulting in a serpentine walkway suspended in the forest canopy. This challenges the conventional (Modern) notion of “cladding” as an applied aesthetic. Notably, the reciprocal columns used in this project also follow this principle of “skin-as-structure”.
“Think in terms of organisational structure, rather than single structures” – Jaime Peña
5. Bamboo is a natural material which is rooted in practice, not theory. In terms of bamboo design methodology, Jaime first analyses the forces at play, investigates the relationship between nature and geometry, and only then seeks to find a suitable geometry. Once a geometry is found, Jaime works with Engineers to find the optimal proportions. Once conceptual design is confirmed, 1:1 Scale sections (life-size) of the building system are constructed and analysed in lab conditions. Using lab test data, Engineers the use software such as Rhino (with the Grasshopper add-on), to determine / calculate the parameters, connections and reinforcements of the final structure.
6. When analysing sites for development, ascertain the Maximum Resource Capacity of a piece of land before planning or construction. ie. Population per m² based on existing resources.
“Make prototypes because people need to see and touch to believe what’s possible” – Jaime Peña
7. Contrary to common assumptions, bamboo projects are not necessarily “low-cost”. The aforementioned Yoga Shala: LUUM – ZAMA 2019 project was priced at US $250,000.
The hurricane-resistant Guardians project used 20 000 splits over 12 weeks; has a roof surface area of 400m² and coverage of 200m². Seven reciprocal columns create a dynamic space varying between 4-7m in height. The ultimate budget was US $1000.00 per m²
While not always the cheapest, bamboo projects have the potential to be environmentally low-impact, if local resources are managed and used appropriately. In the case of the Guardians project, where no permanent structures could be built on the beach, a bio-based approach using bamboo and hardwood timber (pile foundations) was most effective for meeting the client’s particular needs.
Practice: Building with Bamboo Workshop
The practical workshop was held at the premises of the event organiser Paulino Botao. Local raw untreated bamboo was used for the demonstrations. Jaime Peña guided us through the processes and techniques, and the attendees split off into 4 groups, each tasked with working on a particular structure. Below are notes and photos from this workshop.
1. Portable bamboo dome
This is a dome made from bamboo splits, tyre-rope and brass screws. The dome diameter is between 3 – 3.5m. First, a ring beam made of splits and tyre-rope is made on the ground. A centre king post is added, and the primary (symmetrical) ribs are secured with more tyre-rope and screws into the ring beam. Once the first six ribs are secured (as per the sketch below), splits are added randomly (kind of like a bird’s nest), and secured with screws directly into the ring beam, while the intersections between splits are tied with tyre-rope. Once complete, the dome can be lifted off the ground and relocated to where it is needed.
Keywords: Bamboo dome, bamboo splits, prefabricated dome, bamboo membrane, synclastic form
2. Da Vinci bridge
Originally invented in China, this design was used by the Chinese military to traverse rivers. The beauty of this system is that it uses only one main structural component of the same length and diameter. We used approx. 1.5m long bamboo culms, and 10mm hand made bamboo pins made from the same bamboo species.
Keywords: Bamboo bridge, monoclastic form, modular
3. Hyperbolic Paraboloid
This is an anticlastic type of structure. The same length poles are used and there is no required bending of the poles.
To begin with, poles are placed flat on the ground in a regular grid, and secured with tyre-rope only. This is the bamboo mesh. Props are made at opposite ends, and the corners of the bamboo mesh are raised to the required geometry. By altering the height, the shape of the mesh is transformed. Once the desired geometry is found, only then is the bamboo drilled, pinned, and tied with tyre-rope. An additional cross piece in tension along the top may be needed.
Keywords: Anticlastic form, bamboo hyperbolic paraboloid.
More information about hyperbolic paraboloids can be found here.
4. Reciprocal Tower
The same length poles are used and there is no required bending of the poles.
To begin with, scale models are used to determine the shape. Notably, there is a pattern to follow when arranging the poles in terms of which poles are overlapping and where the connections are.
The reciprocal tower can take on any shape inherent in its geometric potential by adjusting:
- The number of poles
- The number of times the poles intersect with each other
- The points of intersection up or down
- The base diameter of the tower
Once the desired geometry is found, the intersections are pinned with bamboo dowels and lashed with tyre-rope. Reciprocal towers can be used as structural elements (columns) or to create spaces. More information can be found here.
Final Remarks
The Building with Bamboo course was an inspiring and stimulating experience. The insights gained from the workshop allow us to further explore and develop our ideas around how bamboo could be used to address the housing crisis in South Africa.
If you found this Blog useful, or if you have requests for specific content, please leave a comment below.
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