Bamboo

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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