REPORT
Bamboo AS A BUILDING MATERIAL How this abundant material can be used in a variety of ways to create incredible and resilient structures. BY CHRISTIAN GAUSS, PH.D
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EARTH BUILDING MAGAZINE
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www.earthbuilding.org.nz
First of all, what is bamboo? In a few words, bamboo is a giant woody grass of the Poaceae family (subfamily Bambusoideae), with around 1450 species found worldwide [1–3]. The bamboo forests are mainly found in the southern hemisphere, widely distributed in Asia (67%), Americas (30%) and Africa (3%), in regions with tropical, subtropical and temperate climate zones [4]. There are no native bamboos in New Zealand, but a few species with commercial value have been introduced throughout the years, including Bambusa oldhamii, Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo), Phyllostachys aurea, and others.
