The Eleven Basic Principles

by Darrel DeBoer and Megan Groth

The Eleven Basic Principles

by Darrel DeBoer and Megan Groth

© 2010 by Darrel DeBoer and Megan Groth

All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by
any information storage or retrieval system, except brief extracts for the purpose of review,
without permission in writing from Darrel DeBoer or Megan Groth.

ISBN-10: 0-9827560-0-3
ISBN-13: 9780982756003

Graphic Design by Ben Peck and Megan Groth

Cover: sculpture by Akio Hizume, photo by Darrel DeBoer
Back cover: Kaony resort hotel in Ecuador, photo by Megan Groth

For orders, inquiries and correspondence:

www.BambooBuildingEssentials.com
info@BambooBuildingEssentials.com
510-290-3669

First edition - May 2010

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
1 Note from the Authors
4 Introduction

12 D e s i g n P r i n c i p l e s:
13 1) Choosing Species
20 2) Growing
22 3) Harvest mature
25 4) Harvest low sugar
28 5) Treatment
30 6) Curing
32 7) Splitting
34 8) Don’t Touch Moisture
38 9) Good Hat/Boots
45 10) Shear and Triangles
49 11) Joinery

53 Project Examples
Note from the authors tices are found in South America where native bamboos have
provided the basis for many thousands of years of civilization.
What if there was a plant that could grow 4 feet in a day, with
an ultimate tensile strength equal to steel, stronger than con- In the push toward more sustainable building practices, our cul-
crete in compression, requiring a land area for growth no larger ture tends to first look at technology for answers before con-
than the building you want to build and replenished with that sidering what has been there all along. In the case of bamboo,
much building material each year; treated with laundry soap whether you just appreciate its aesthetic quality or you need a
and eyewash, then put together with joinery so strong that the plant to offset carbon emissions, or you predict high oil prices
steel bolts are the weakest link? What if, as the builder, you will soon force materials to be locally sourced, we hope to con-
could completely control your source of building material, so vince you that bamboo is the fastest growing, strongest plant
economic meltdowns and price fluctuations wouldn't affect you? fiber that can be most effectively used unprocessed - just as it
Not found only in Asia, in fact, the best bamboo building prac- grew. The goal of this book is to transform the way people think

1
think about and use bamboo. We would like people to take a durable, and as “green” as it gets. Though humans have been
deeper look at natural materials generally and see how they building with bamboo forever, changes in the field over the
can be slightly augmented by simple technologies (bolts, last 20-30 years have made obsolete the image of the tiki
mortar, treatment for longevity) and design (good layout, ef- hut. Today, engineered, thoughtful structures are within the
ficient joinery that doesn't put too much load on single pieces) reach of everyone. Oddly, the largest challenge in most of
in order to make something that is hundreds of times better the world is exactly that inexpensive, accesible-to-all quality.
than either the traditional method or conventional building The middle class moves away from bamboo to escape their
techniques. association with poverty. It will be the lavish developments
for the wealthy by people like Simon Velez of Colombia that
And what better time to change. For one, bamboo is readily will inspire those of all income levels to live in something
available, simple to use, and if it used correctly, super strong, locally produced, strong, durable and affordable.

2
Why Bamboo? are eaten or used. The key to success is to
know how to properly care for and manage
It is stronger than any other common build-
running bamboo, as well as to accept its
ing material when used in pure tension or
natural properties. Think of the positives -
compression and more sustainable due to
a well-thinned, beautiful grove of bamboo
its speed of growth and rate of carbon se-
is a bonus in addition to the edible shoots
questration. Bamboo provides habitat and
and leaves that are more nutritious than
cooler temperatures when growing along
alfalfa for livestock. All of the thousands
with being one of the most accessible
of uses for bamboo are, and will soon be
building systems ever invented. The ques-
even more relevant. Now is the time to
tion of bamboo is not “why” as much as
use bamboo where it is plentiful and plant
“how” - how to implement it in countries
where it will naturalize.
(such as the United States) unfamiliar with
the properties of the material, of the plant?
The purpose of this book is to help an in-
To understand “how” is to fully understand
experienced designer/builder avoid the
the nature of the plant and how to put a
common mistakes and start to think of
“round peg” in our square way of thinking.
buildings that are uniquely suited to this
material. A good design can make a build-
How Bamboo? ing several times easier to build.
Well behaved plants are those that don’t
expand from where they were planted. The Heart of the book will be
Their job is just to be beautiful. Not since the 11 principles coming up in bold, ma-
a hundred years ago when 90% of us were roon type. Once those have been thought
farmers have we seriously positioned through, the examples that follow will be
plants as necessities in our landscapes. As possible beginning points in the journey to
the global reliance on oil becomes increas- make even better bamboo buildings.
ingly problematic, it is important to once
again think of our landscapes as produc- And in order to keep the book size to a
tive, as able to produce raw building mate- minimum, we put lots more information
rials. Tame, clumping bamboos can pro- on the website that we encourage you to
vide many of the bamboo needs, but there use alongside the book:
are many more species that are more cold-
hardy and have different working charac-
teristics – as a group. They are the running www.BambooBuildingEssen-
bamboos that can emerge 4 meters from tials.com
the parent plant in a year. North America
and parts of Europe are the only places in
the world where running bamboos are con-
sidered a problem. Everywhere else, they
3
Introduction:
The Possibilities of Bamboo
Ways to Use Bamboo -
- pole, esterilla (“equivalent to ply-
wood for the rest of the world”), lata
(one stick split), laminate

Building with bamboo is about the

manipulation of a line and there are
many ways that it can be used:

(1) as a whole pole,

(2) as individual split pieces or latas.

(3) “Esterilla” in Colombia, or “caña

picada” in Ecuador, considered to be
the plywood of the southern hemi-
sphere. (this photo is in Yunnan,
China) In this case, the splits are not
allowed to be continuous the length
of the pole. The opened pole stays to-
gether like an accordion and used as
lathing or for floors.

(4) A pole can be heated - by steam,

a blowtorch or campfire – and either
straightened or bent into a variety of
shapes. Fill the culm with sand for
tighter curves.

(5) Similar to wood, it can be glued

together as flooring. (courtesy of
Smith and Fong) Already, composites
like this are appearing as structural
beams and the future may bring much
more of this approach as a timber re-
placement. Since there are no knots
or flaws that run through it, it can be
given very high theoretical strengths
so beams can be smaller in required
cross section than sawn lumber.

5
 There are a variety of different forms
that bamboo comes in naturally and
ways that it can be manipulated. One
can choose poles that (1) are of a spe-
cies that grows into interesting shapes
(e.g. Bambusa tuldoides) or (2) have
been manipulated - sometimes acci-
dentally - to take on a new shape or
(3) as new shoots were purposefully
grown through forms that force them
to take on a specific shape because
all of the growth happens at the tip of
the plant. Break off the tip and it’s
done. Understanding the natural and
manipulated forms of bamboo is im-
portant because – in the views of the
authors – bamboo is best used “as-is”.
Working with bamboo requires a fun-
damentally different way of thinking
than wood, which is endlessly ma-
nipulated, glued up or planed down to
size. Mature bamboo grows in groves
of uniform size. Plant the desired size
or find another endless source. It will
come back when harvesting mature
poles, so revel in it.

key to photos

1 2
1 1
3 1

6
Today, bamboo is most often seen in housing and relatively provinces in and around Guayaquil (see photo on this and
temporary structures, such as food stands and animal cor- the following page). Each house consists of 4 bamboo pan-
rals, in equatorial developing nations. Because bamboo el walls, an elevated wood plank floor and corrugated metal
grows in a range of elevations and temperatures, the design roof, all of which are put together by the family based on di-
and construction of bamboo walls changes with the climate. rections from one sheet of paper. The houses cost US$800
For example, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, the warm tropical cli- each (which the family can pay over several years) and are
mate makes insulation unnecessary, and bamboo houses often the only way that these families can put a roof over
need little more than the split bamboo walls for privacy and their heads. As you travel up to the Andes, bamboo is used
ventilation. This is where the non-profit Catholic organiza- in waddle-and-daub or “bahareque” (Colombia) or “quin-
tion Viviendas Hogar de Cristo manufactures 40 bamboo cha” (Peru) techniques (bamboo frame covered with packed
houses per day for the poorest of the poor in the coastal earth) for more insulation for the cooler climate.
7
Little by little, public opinion is changing and coming around lombians Simón Vélez and Marcelo Villegas, German Joerg
to the idea of bamboo in modern structures. Changes in the Stamm, Celina Llerena of Brazil, Bobby Manosa from the
field over the last 20-30 years have made bigger and bet- Phillipines and Jorge Moran in Ecuador are demonstrating to
ter structures more realistic, thus propelling bamboo as a the local communities and world that bamboo is a beautiful
building material with real potential and application. People material that even the wealthy are choosing for their houses
around the world are beginning to better understand how and buildings. In this book we will cover eleven design prin-
to use the material to its fullest capabilities. Extraordinary ciples that, if used properly, will make best use of the highly
bamboo structures by architects and designers such as Co- engineered properties already in bamboo.

9
 In many places where there is a long tradition of
bamboo buildings, today there is a cultural resis-
tance to the material. Bamboo carries the stigma
of being the “poor man’s wood” for many of the
reasons modern designers think that it is so won-
derful - it grows quickly, is found everywhere,
is cheap and easy to use. Yet, in places such as
Ecuador and Colombia, as soon as a family can
afford it, they will trade in their bamboo house
for a concrete block one – even if they have to
pay and build it in installments. As a result,
many coastal neighborhoods are composed of
a combination of bamboo, cement block, brick
Brick, concrete block and bamboo house. – whatever material the family could afford at
the time. It’s not uncommon to see a bamboo
house covered in plaster to look like concrete,
sometimes bamboo houses are painted with
grout lines! As Simón Vélez wrote in his book
Grow Your Own House, “Social climbers from
the lower rungs of society, as with many drug
lords in Colombia, still want nothing to do with
bamboo. In their eyes it represents the poverty
that they have fled…”

bamboo lath.
10
Much of this reputation has to do with how the material has
been used. Bamboo poles found in lumber yards in Colom-
bia are often cut too young and used for concrete formwork.
They are not suitable for permanent construction, but are still
used anyway. In many countries, bamboo forests are on un-
managed land not “owned” by anyone, increasing these cas-
es of misuse and overharvest. These unpreserved, exposed
young bamboos will only last a few years at most – and
walking around the barrios, a person is struck by how many
families are living in rotting bamboo houses. People blame
the material. We blame the techniques of building. Working
with mature, well cured poles can make a great marriage with
the simplest of free earthen plasters (since the clay always
wicks moisture away from the cellulose, usually protecting
it from rot unless the water volume is akin to a waterfall) or
last many years under a generous overhang.
Design Principles
11 Easy Steps to a Better
Bamboo Building
 photo of

Principle 1: Plant the Strongest Species ies with thicker walls, as well as a cold tolerance that relates
to your area - the key is to plant a species that is capable of
When you have complete control over the entire growing withstanding your coldest temperature. Refrain from using
process, the first step is to plant the strongest species of bam- fertilizer on the bamboo, in particular nitrogen, which leads
boo for your use. This will depend on your climate and envi- to rapid growth and weaker poles.
ronment. In the United States, for example, it means planting
bamboo species that can grow in USDA Zone 7 and higher. The current International Building Code states that the
This includes the western parts of Oregon and Washington, strength of a species of bamboo can be determined from sam-
most of California, the Southeast and Southwest of the coun- ples from a single place and time. These results are consid-
try, and Hawaii. In colder zones, smaller species such as ered applicable for the entire species, regardless of growing
Phyllostachys nuda can be grown to an inch in diameter and conditions. Several builders have put forth the “unproven”
survive temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit. idea that the density of the wood is a better measure of how
soil, rainfall, care and age have all had their effect - regard-
When growing bamboo species for building, choose variet- less of species.

13
soil, rainfall, care and age have all had their effect - regardless Different species are chosen for import into the U.S. because
of species. A one year old pole is extremely light, and even of a unique visual characteristic, such as striped leaves or col-
three year old poles can characteristically crack at the nodes ored culms. For builders, the most intriguing species are seen
after the drying process, but it is only experience that teaches by others as “just another green bamboo” by horticulturists.
these things. Unfortunately, there are currently no grading or But imagine what we consider the Holy Grail of bamboos: in
quality standards for bamboo poles. This means that the pur- the tropical latitudes of the Himalayas, over the course of thou-
chase of poles involves a great deal of faith and relationship- sands of years, tropical plants have been forced to adapt to the
building between buyer and grower. rise of the mountains to very high, colder elevations. If this
unique combination of a clumping, cold-tolerant, large diam-
While the discussion here will be confined to choosing the eter with strong fiber and tremendous pole production when
best species, for the serious study of growing this plant look grown in a more favorable climate exists, many of the issues
at Farming Bamboo, by Daphne Lewis and Dr. Carol Miles. that we have with growing and building with bamboo in tem-
For the choices in cultivation in the U.S., with information on perate regions might be resolved. For now, the gene pool of
the diameter, height, shade tolerance and the traditional use of Himalayan bamboos enables hybridization that might produce
each species, look at the tremendous resource updated annu- ideal building materials. Until then, there are a few bamboo
ally by the American Bamboo Society (http://www.american- species to choose from when starting a grove for use as build-
bamboo.org/SpeciesSourceList.html). Consider joining their ing material.
efforts to continue documenting traditional uses and expand
the database of local names for various species.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda A large lawn allows P. vivax to have Bambusa oldhamii ‘hirose’, very
a huge number of rhizomes yet pro- vertical = straight poles. Tolerant of
duce only a few very strong, thick 15 degrees F.
poles - errant shoots are mowed

The distorted nodes of rare P. edulis Very productive chusqueas, borin- The spots on P. nigra ‘bory’, or
‘Heterocycla’ can often be found in das, and fargesias, clumping bam- Leopard bamboo, will remain even
the common P. aurea, aka golden boos that will define the new iden- after it dries.
bamboo. tity of bamboo in the landscape.

15
 Bamboo Building Essentials
Variations: Useful, cold tolerant species that can take
Within the limited definition of bamboo, there are over 1500 0 degrees Fahrenheit:
variations. And within species, there are huge variations de- Chimonobambusa pallens (prolific, small poles)
pending upon climate. Most members of the genus Phyl- Chusquea gigantea
lostachys perform poorly in the tropics while many tropicals Fargesia robusta
do well in temperate places until the temperature drops sud- Phyllostachys bambusoides (madake in Japan)
denly. To qualify as a bamboo, a grass (graminae) must have Phyllostachys edulis (moso)
woody branches and a few other characteristics seen only in Phyllostachys nuda (the most cold tolerant of all)
their rare flowers. The differences between species include Phyllostachys viridis ‘Robert Young’ (very thick walled)
the sizes, shapes and colors of the nodes, leaves, sheaths that
support the new shoots, rhizomes, and the rarely seen flow-
ers and seeds. For building, we care about wall thickness Particularlybeautiful plants that you can probably talk
and fiber strength. Many of the species below are smaller, someone else into growing for you
but come in already decorative shapes that can work for ac- Bambusa textilis ‘gracilis’ (suburban landscape sized version
cents or furniture. Do a Google search under “Images” to see of textilis)
many examples of each. Chusquea uliginosa
Otatea acuminata ‘aztecorum’
Phyllostachys dulcis (great edible shoots)
Species that will dry interesting ly for furniture and
ornament:
Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (square cross section) Strong species used for building (as a guideline, species
Chimonobambusa marmorea (reddish) with smaller leaves are stronger)
Chusquea pitteri (decorative spikes at nodes) tropical: most Dendrocalamus, esp.
Bambusa ventricosa (bellies if you’re lucky) D. strictus (solid culms)
Bambusa vulgaris ‘wamin’ (compressed, bulbous internodes) D. asper (the Indonesian strain is great for both shoots and
Phyllostachys aurea building. Thai asper is much thinner walled)
Phyllostachys aureausulcata D. jianshuiensis (survives 25 degrees F)
Phyllostachys nigra ‘bory’ Guadua aculeata (smaller, but thick walled)
Qiongzhua tumidissinoda Guadua chacoensis
Thamnocalamus crassinoda ‘Mendocino’ Guadua angustifolia
Bambusa beecheyana (is thick, plants get big quickly but
shoots in the autumn so many are killed)
Black (color remains even after drying; from smallest to B. oldhamii (is thinner walled but survives colder temps)
largest) B. stenostachya (BambooTechnologies.com did the crucial
Borinda fungosa – small diameter structural testing)
Phyllostachys nigra B. textilis (best for splitting and weaving)
Bambusa lako Phyllostachys bambusoides (best of the temperate runners)
Gigantichloa atroviolacea P. edulis ‘Moso’ (most bamboo flooring is made from this)
Dendrocalamus asper ‘hitam’ P. nidularia (small but strong)
P. nigra ‘Henon’

16
Phyllostachys aureosulcata. A Phyllostachys nigra. The canes For places that don’t freeze, an
few culms will zig-zag at the are green until gradually dark- even more compelling black:
base. The stripe disappears ening in the third year. Other Gigantochloa atroviolacea.
when dry. variations include P.n. bory, Thick walls, good structure.
known as leopard bamboo 

Bambusa ventricosa known Chimonobambusa marmorea Mexican weeping bamboo,

as ‘buddha’s belly’. There are is a great example of a bright Otatea acuminata aztecorum
many opinions but few conclu- colored live plant that tempers has a solid culm and is great for
sions about sure ways to get the to brown when dry. furniture-making.
species to belly.

17
Guadua angustifolia ‘kunth’ is
the king of the building world, with
its thick walls and strong fibers.
The plant is protected by its porcu-
pine-like spines that are disguised
as innocuous hairs on the new
shoots and emerge as the branched
thorns on the adult culms that are
as effective as barbed wire. The
new shoots emerge 3 feet from the
mother culm, making Guadua for-
ests easily habitable for a variety of
animal species, which encourages
more plant and animal diversity
than other bamboo groves which
can become impenetrably dense (a
good tbing for birds evading preda-
tors tbough). The one weakness is
the plant’s intolerance to freezing.
Within the U.S., only Hawai’i, San
Diego and south Florida are rela-
tively safe from frost. (A system
to consider might be to grow it in a
part of Mexico to encourage a local
economy to grow with it.)
A mixed Guadua forest at
the Maquipucuna Reserve
in northern Ecuador.
Due to rapid deforestation
to make way for farmland,
there are very few natural
stands of Guadua that sur-
vive today.
 photo of

2) Growing time to see the quantity of water pumped through bamboo

plants - there will be droplets of water on every leaf. Moso
Bamboo requires plenty of water year round, as well as an
(Phyllostachys edulis), the huge timber bamboo from which
abundance of sunshine. For this reason, bamboo is seen
almost all bamboo flooring is made, seems not to thrive un-
growing wild in ravines and along the banks of rivers and in
less watered every day.
places with a Monsoon hot-season climate: tropical South-
east Asia, the temperate foothills of the Himalayas, and the
When growing bamboo in places without monsoon rains, a
tropical northern half of South America primarily.
liberal use of mulch and cardboard will both hold in the mois-
ture and allow the plant to use less energy otherwise needed
In places where there is less rain and naturalization is un-
to force its roots through the heavy clay soil. Nutrients, es-
likely (i.e. southern California), wastewater is a good water
pecially nitrogen, will need to be added as the mulch breaks
source. The dense feeder roots make great filters to clean wa-
down. Additionally, oxygen enters through the rhizomes of
ter and bamboo is capable - more than most plants – of using
the bamboo, therefore it is important that the plant is able to
even uncomposted manures. (though don’t apply it directly
drain well. Mulch will allow this process to happen.
on newly planted feeder roots) Early morning is the best

20
 Sun
The amount of sun required varies by
species. Over 25 years of experience in
plant introductions in the U.S. is cata-
loged at http://www.americanbamboo.
org/SpeciesSourceList.html.

Some bamboo species are native under-

story plants and need to be established
in partial to full shade. In general,
though, growth rates are significantly
faster in full sun. The bamboo looks
natural around traditional villages, like
this one in southern Yunnan Province,
China, but there is usually a strict hier-
archy related to use and microclimates
formed by the plants. This configura-
tion is most easily manipulated during
the rare flowering periods as seedlings
are much easier to move compared to
the 16” diameter culms. (depending
upon species, “gregarious flowering”
occurs every 40 to 120 years, when ev-
In the example above, cardboard is sandwiched between layers of mulch ery member of the species will flower
to trap in moisture. The next year, a mat of rhizome will have developed in the same year and either die or be so
directly under the cardboard for easy propagation - or the new shoots can weakened that it will only come back
simply grow through the cardboard as it breaks down. slowly - like the new seedlings)

21
3) Harvest mature poles needed for building. If used, young culms will very quickly
look like the bottom two photos on the next page. Some spe-
Bamboo reaches maturity 3-6 years after the shoot first cies (i.e. Genus Phyllostachys) have a characteristic white
emerges. At this point the fibers are strongest and there wax ring below the nodes that will gradually darken over the
is less moisture in the culm. The beauty of planting your years. Once it is no longer “white,” the pole is in its third
own bamboo is that you can stamp the age of the culms, and year. Look up as the white is often more pronounced higher
therefore when it is time to harvest. If not, there are a few on the culm. Other species acquire color slowly over time,
tell-tale signs to look for in order to determine whether or for example Phyllostachys nigra and P. nigra “bory” acquire
not a culm is ready to be harvested. In tropical climates, the their dark spots over several years. Also many in the Phyl-
oldest culms are the ones with the most lichen and mosses lostachys genus grow another sub-branch on the same lateral
(upper left photo on following page). Clean, smooth poles branch each year - therefore the age of the culm can be found
(upper right photo) should be avoided as they are probably by counting the branchlets.
new shoots and are lacking the strong structural qualities

22
Harvesting Guadua for sale
near Puerto Quito, Ecuador.
 photo of

4) Harvest when the sugar content is sunrise. In parts of India, bamboo that is cut during the bright,
new moon is believed to be less susceptible to insect attacks.
lowest The important point is to harvest when sugar is at a minimum:
after the spring and fall growth spurts, and following the rainy
It is best to harvest bamboo after either of the two annual growth season can make a difference.
spurts when the starch content of the plant is lower and there-
fore less susceptible to attacks by insects (though some argue When felling the culms, cut at the base, “over the first node lo-
that this is due to seasonal changes in insect populations and not cated above the ground”, using as narrow a cutting tool as pos-
the starch content of the plant). There is rich regional folk lore sible to reach between culms. A battery-powered Sawzall, chain
and traditions that describe the optimal bamboo harvesting day saw, machete, pointed handsaw or a hatchet are all effective.
and time. In Colombia, for example, it is widely believed that Make sure that a bowl isn’t formed by the node that will collect
bamboo needs to be felled during the waning moon, just before rain water to encourage mosquitoes and rot the rhizome.

25
 photo of cross section of a thin-walled bamboo eaten by beetles

While bamboo is relatively resistant to pests, the not be obvious since the beetles tunnel back and forth
reason for the concern about sugars is related to at- within the fibers and only visibly emerge when they
tacks by powder post beetles, Dinoderus minutus. are done - at which point the thin walled poles can
Termites are generally uninterested (except in very be crushed with your bare hand. The advantage of
tropical places) and other insects see the bamboo choosing the thicker walled poles is that the edible
more as a home than food. The beetles, on the other portion is the pithy interior fiber, not the structural
hand, will drill their 1/8” diameter holes and eat un- exterior material. In this case, the pole will retain its
til very little structure remains. The damage might structural qualities after an insect attack.

26
There are many physical and chemical treatments that will pro-
long the life of bamboo culms. Physical treatments such as
submerging a pole in fresh or salt water for several weeks, and
heating or smoking the culm will decrease the amount of starch
in the culm, and thus its susceptibility to certain insect attacks.
However, these treatments compromise the strength of the
pole and usually do not completely protect the bamboo from
beetles or fungus. According to bamboo expert Marcelo
Villegas, there are hundred year old structures in Colombia
that have finally just been attacked by beetles. Another con-
sideration is the way bamboo matures, seen below in elec-
tron microscope photos by Walter Liese of Phyllostachys
viridiglaucescens. The voids and nodules of sugar seen on
the one year old specimen on the left are replaced by stron-
ger fibers at age twelve on the right. One can guess the
difficulty of pushing through treatment fluid. Ideally, culms
half this age will be treated so the challenge is not as stark.

27
5) Use less-toxic treatment methods The next best idea is to get water soluble salts to the interior fi-
bers. This, in theory, allows the pole to be exposed to the rain
There are two main ways that treating bamboo extends the life of for awhile – though it is not considered great practice. Sur-
the pole: 1) by making it distasteful to insects and 2) by altering prisingly, one of the most effective treatments combines the
the pH and keeping moisture levels low to keep away fungus. ingredients found in eyewash and laundry soap. Boric acid
When thinking about treatment methods, consider how framing -- found in Visine eye-drops, and most inexpensively sold as
lumber is treated in local construction, and do the same. Think of a fertilizer or mouse poison -- has little ill effect on mammals.
bamboo as you would structural lumber. For example, Douglas Combine in equal parts with borax (sold as “Twenty Mule
fir is not used exposed to weather, therefore keep bamboo inside Team” laundry detergent). This mixture is too concentrated
or under cover for maximum longevity. In particular, make sure for disposal on plants, but at about a 5% concentration , it is
not to expose the interior of bamboo to the outdoors.  If bamboo effective against both fungi and powder post beetles. The
is split open to reveal the interior, the sugar will cause little black photo above shows the vertical soak diffusion method in Bali
dots of mildew to appear as soon as the rain starts. In general, where the borax mixture is poured into the pole which has
untreated bamboo poles last the same as softwoods: 1-2 years had the nodes punched out, leaving only the last one. The
when exposed to the elements, 3-5 years when sheltered from mixture is left in the pole for nearly a week and it diffuses
rain, and up to hundreds of years when dry and used indoors. through the pithier interior cell walls.

28
Bamboo Building Essentials
Another treatment method is the Boucherie
system: a form of pressure injection that
must be done within 24 hours of harvest or
the capillaries will close and not conduct the
chemicals all the way through the poles. This
method is not convenient in places where
the groves are not near the treatment facility,
unless the equipment is made portable. But
when it works, a pole can be treated in a few
hours instead of the week that is required for
the vertical soak diffusion method.

Various experiments have been done using

smoke, but with mixed reviews. Japanese
companies have perfected the method but the
specific details have not reached other coun-
tries.
photo of
At the moment, there are good things to say
about hydrogen peroxide (except that it is
relatively expensive), and various plant-based
traditional treatments practiced regionally
worthy of intense study. Possibly the most
encouraging preservation method on the ho-
rizon involves displacing the sugars with liq-
uefied sand, called “Water Glass”. The wood
treatment is commercialized under the name
of TimberSIL. From personal experience, ce-
dar oil treatments that work on wood are not
effective for bamboo.

29
 Dendrocalamus sinicus grows up to 16 inches in diameter, photo by Jiarong Xue
6) Cure the Bamboo
It is possible to work with fresh, green bamboo if greatly between culms (as well as between sec-
adjustable joinery (a system that can be tightened tions of the same culm) and as the bamboo dries
over time as the poles shrink) is used, but it is it will shrink about 6-10% in diameter, but almost
recommended to work with dry bamboo. After not at all along the length. A general indicator
harvesting the bamboo, leave the culm in the is that once the green color is gone - between 6
grove - upright, propped up off the ground and weeks and 6 months - it may be checked to see if
with the branches and leaves still attached - for a it has the desired 10-15% moisture content. (or
few weeks. It will continue to photosynthesize use it so shrinkage doesn’t affect the project. For
and use up the remaining sugar in the culm until example, leave bolts accessible for tightening
the plant runs out of water. The powder-post after a few months) Air-dry the bamboo by stor-
beetles are unlikely to enter the culm during this ing it in a covered area, out of the sun, preferably
time because they enter through the cuts (i.e. vertical for good air circulation and to keep it
where the branch is cut off). Keeping the culm from becoming more curved as it conforms to an
off of the ground prevents rot at the base from uneven surface.
moisture seeping in. The moisture content varies
30
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Drying bamboo should be stored upright and rotated often if in the sun, which is
useful in the humid tropics, but patience and shade are suggested elsewhere.

31
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Racing bike by Craig Calfee with what are likely the

strongest joints made - also discourage splitting.
photo by Morgan Meredith

7) Plan on splitting the strongest joints made - epoxy and bamboo fiber, which,
as they dry, tighten around the joint. A simpler version for
Outside of the nodal region, the fiber structure of bamboo runs less intensive use would be wetting natural fiber string with
in one direction, the length of the pole. At the node, the fibers watered down aliphatic wood glue). With hollow bamboos,
turn and run perpendicular to the exterior to fill in the middle of using something as simple as a radiator hose clamp can hold
the pole. Unfortunately, when the pole dries, the shrinkage of the fibers together. Joints can also be wrapped with twine for a
about 6-10% is entirely across the grain and the node shrinks different aesthetic but not nearly as much strength.
less than the rest of the pole, causing the pole to split. This is
especially true when a heat source, like the sun, hits the pole Choosing the right bamboo specie for the job is important.
on just one side. Fence builders in Japan have learned that Some of the solid bamboos are much less prone to splitting:
completely punching out the nodes can often prevent splitting. Phyllostachys heteroclada ‘solid stem,’ Dendrocalamus stric-
The stress can also be relieved by making a pre-emptive cut on tus, Otatea acuminata ‘aztecorum’, and most in the Chusquea
the bandsaw the length of the pole, then glue it back together genus. Of the hollow bamboos, those of the Guadua genus are
(just as with a curly piece of wood). Joinery that wraps all of generally thicker walled and less prone to splitting. The lower
the way around the pole can also contribute to holding the pole portion of the culms, for example, will usually accept a nail or
together. Using banding or fiber binding at crucial joints will screw without drilling a pilot hole or splitting.
keep the fibers together, even if it never splits (Band-It tool,
above left; Racing bike by Craig Calfee with what are likely
32
Building with bamboo is about the ma-
nipulation of a stick

photo of

Even if the bamboo does spit, the effects can be mini-

mized. To keep the bamboo fibers together, find a way to
surround the bamboo with lashing or with something in-
dustrial but widely available like these stainless steel hose
clamps. (which are first interlocked in a figure 8 pattern to
form the joint)

33
8) Keep bamboo away from moist sur- In the photo above, best practice puts a moisture
stop of galvanized sheet metal or plastic between the
faces like the ground or concrete bamboo and the concrete.
Regardless of climate, a main objective of bamboo design is to
prevent the wicking of the moisture that is always present in the it from pulling out of the ground. A good joint has a metal plate
ground up into the bamboo. Building codes generally require between the bamboo and the foundation, while still connecting
eight inches between wood and soil, and at least several inches well to the foundation. That connection can be made with rebar,
between wood and exterior concrete. This is a good rule to use threaded rod or a strap – preferably galvanized – mortared sev-
when constructing the foundations and base connections for a eral nodes into the bamboo to prevent withdrawal.
bamboo structure. The other requirement for a post is to prevent
34
The great advantage
of bamboo over tim-
ber frames is that bam-
boo is not as precise
(or heavy!), to the point
that foundations can
be poured AFTER the
frame is up. In the top
row of photos, rebar was
cast into the base with
the mortar formed by
the soda bottle - this pro-
vides the separation be-
tween bamboo and earth.
Those poles were then
integrated into trusses
and the foundation was
cast last (middle left)

The photos on the middle

right and below show
different cast metal fas-
teners that provide the
same function of pro-
tecting the bamboo from
moisture. The part that’s
not visible is the rod that
continues both up into
the bamboo as well as
down into the founda-
tion - connecting the two
pieces and holding them
in place.
The auditorium of Las Amantes de
Sumpa in Santa Elena, Ecuador by
Architect Daniela Loayza has sim-
ple cast metal joinery that separates
the bamboo from moisture. Other
great aspects to note about the build-
ing is that the borax treatment on the
poles also functions as afire suppres-
sor, and the design of the auditori-
um pulls hot, humid air up and out
through the ridge naturally.
Bamboo Building Essentials

In contrast, the short-sighted design of this bar first does not

acknowledge the winds that tried – and will continue to try
- to lift off the roof. That problem was then not fixed by
setting poles right on the soil. In some ways, this is a good
example because it points out the flexibility of bamboo to
inexpensively solve problems. It also, though, makes obvi-
ous the need to design joints which work both in compres-
sion (from the gravity load 99.99% of the time) as well as in
tension for those catastrophic winds, earthquakes, hurricanes
or whatever nature has in store. It is often the force rever-
sal from compression to tension that cause the unexpectedly
catastrophic failures in structures.

37
9) Give the building a good
hat and boots Province, China. The photograph was taken seven years
after the structure was built with no protection from the
This is undoubtedly the most important lesson and one elements. In the U.S., millions of board feet of our fa-
that is most often overlooked. The first choice is to use vorite framing lumber - Douglas fir - are used, but almost
all of the bamboo inside of the structures. This will keep none outside where it would meet an identical fate as this
the sun and rain from negatively impacting your build- structure. When bamboo is exposed to the elements in
ing. Even small rafter tails peeking out beyond the over- this way, the first thing that happens is the sun and rain
hang will certainly split in a couple of years and provide dissolve the protective wax on the exterior of the pole.
insect habitat inside of the culm. The surface bleaches to silver and the heat from the sun
on only one side of the pole causes it to expand unevenly
The photograph on the next page is a bamboo bathroom then split as the fibers become brittle and easily broken.
at the 1999 World Expo Garden in Kunming, Yunnan
38
An excellent overall example of contemporary bamboo are made entirely of bamboo. In another project, Coto
housing is bamboo designer Martin Coto’s home in San uses bamboo for the structure of a cupola at the Cuna de
Jose, Costa Rica. The simplicity and elegance of his Angel Resort in Dominical, Costa Rica. The beauty and
design demonstrates the feasibility of a low-energy fu- strength of the bamboo is on display, while still being
ture. Here, earthen tiles cover the roof and an earth and protected from the elements by the sheathing on the roof.
lime plaster covers the wall and frame, both of which

40
Building with bamboo is about the ma-
nipulation of a stick

photo of
 With a little planning, a simple and elegant structure, such as the one above
found in Ecuador, can be quickly designed and built. Both the raised footings
for the bamboo and the wide overhang of the roof minimize rot and prolong
the life of the building.

42
The Modern Era the heaviest roofs possible, clay roof tile set into a full bed
of mortar. Engineers in the U.S. would hesitate to try this
Colombians Simón Vélez and Marcelo Villegas developed in steel, but these buildings have survived high winds and
the mortar-filled joint a quarter century ago. Combine that earthquakes larger than California has seen in 150 years.
with better treatment methods and the modern era of bam- The work of Vélez and Villegas prove that structures of
boo architecture begins. Suddenly, structures with 25 foot this size can be grown where they will be built by those
cantilevers and 60 foot spans are routine - and with some of who grew them.
43
Building with bamboo is about the ma-
nipulation of a stick

photo of
10) Achieve shear strength with
triangles in your truss design
or with shear walls
The key is to use poles in pure tension and compression, not
bending (avoid the flexing of a fishing pole). The distinction
is clearest when triangles are made to put all of the force along
the axis of the bamboo. In general, the design principles are the
same as in any other building system: for longer spans, design
trusses. Trusses will keep the poles from acting in bending.

Make sure that the design does not require the same curve in
multiple poles, as that rarely happens. Tight curves in particu-
lar will be more of a fight than the project usually necessitates.
Meanwhile, it is important to recognize the ever-present natural When using multiple poles in the same plane (in framing a roof,
curvature of the pole. Most bamboos naturally curve in two di- for example) the poles can be turned until the flat side is found.
mensions not three, and along the same plane as the branches.
45
Another way to get lat-
eral resistance is seen
in traditional pole barns
which bury the bottom
of the column in the
ground and don’t al-
low the corners to lift.
Close to the epicenter
of a large earthquake in
Colombia, this tower for
a tourist park by Vélez
and Villegas survived
unharmed. The posts
are wood and the roof
- which must have re-
ceived the worst of the
whipping effect of the
quake - is bamboo.
The photo shows an example of repeatable, well thought-out the structural equivalent of a glue-laminated wood beam. It
trusses at the FERTISA plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador, de- is also a very good example of how triangulation provides
signed by Architect Jorge Moran. Moran is one of the most stability by making the entire structure rigid. In this case,
tireless advocates for the rights of the poor and for the pro- there are no shear walls to carry the horizontal forces down
motion of bamboo in Ecuador, as well as the world. The clar- to the ground. To safely rely on the strength of the joinery
ity of his thinking comes out in his buildings. Note that the to this degree, requires the joints to be optimized as much
longer spans have two or three bamboos stacked - this acts as as possible.

47
Joerg Stamm has built some very successful ‘fish’
trusses, which take advantage of the strength gained
from pre-tensioning the poles. Though the poles are
clamped together at the ends while held apart in the
middle by the strut, the forces they carry are along the
axis in tension and compression.

48
11) Use approriate joinery systems
This is the principle where planning ahead helps the most. the difference and use bamboo where the shape is an asset,
If the structure is designed to be quick to assemble and such as very visible finished surfaces. Design the struc-
relies on simple joinery that is hundreds of times stronger ture in order to avoid time-consuming joinery, especially
than traditional lashed or pinned connections, then a rela- where materials must be coped and curved in order to
tively small investment in hardware makes perfect sense. meet the bamboo. Put the effort into smart design rather
In western cultures, we think of our favorite building ma- than laborious repetition.
terials, especially wood, as subtractive. We start with a
large piece and keep making it smaller until it becomes a Conceived by Simón Vélez and Marcelo Villegas, the
module that can then be built back up again into a lami- mortar-filled joint is a recent development in the history of
nated object or even a house full of standard shapes. With bamboo buildings. It is the most important recent advance
bamboo, the thinking is more akin to masonry, with the in making bamboo a modern material capable of making
shape predetermined and not easily changed. Celebrate the same structural claims any industrialized material.

49
 photo of

Specially designed joints are designed to overcome the not quite round, irregular charac-
teristics of bamboo by reaming it out and inserting various sizes of dowels into the pole.
It’s one way to bring bamboo into an industrialized mode of production, though still often
very labor intensive..

51
Make “X” joints, where the bamboos
pass by one another. It makes us
think in 3D and avoid coped joints
which are labor intensive, and
therefore commonly used in coun-
tries where labor is cheaper than
materials. Any unfilled joints under
heavy loads will crack, as seen in
the above example.

52
 photo of

Examples and Projects

Bamboo and Building Codes
Code approval for building with bamboo in the U.S. has hap- of talented designers to weigh in on what bamboo could be
pened due to the efforts of one company: used for.
www.BambooLiving.com. A prefabricated building com-
pany located in Maui, Hawai’i. The international standard There is still a need to do the testing for several key species,
that has now been incorporated into the building code calls including Guadua angustifolia (the tests have been done in
for testing of each species according to a specific protocol, Colombia, but need to be done here), Phyllostachys nigra
then putting the resultant numbers into approved formulas. ‘henon’ and Phyllostachys bambusoides, thicker walled run-
The testing is expensive and approves the entire species for ners capable of being grown through most of the U.S.
use by anyone. The reports are available at www.icc-es.org.
We will have the standard which was incorporated into the As a result, most of the following projects were done in plac-
building code on our website. es outside of the United States, where building codes are dif-
www.BambooBuildingEssentials.com ferent and there is a readily available supply of high quality
bamboo poles.
Meanwhile, a bamboo house is now much easier to imag-
ine here, especially after the same people sponsored www.
bamboocompetition.com and encouraged the next generation
Dining room at La
Hosteria Alandaluz,
Puerto Rico, Ecua-
dor by leading ar-
chitect and bamboo
evangelist, Rafael
Rojas
Use bamboo to span long distances. (Above) This bridge by Joerg Stamm is one big reinforced arch but still,
every piece forms part of a triangle for stability.

The Acceptance Criteria for Structural Bamboo that has been When we look at bamboo, we see a 4 inch diameter log and
accepted in the U.S. and other countries in various forms was tend to design something appropriate for that much mass. 
written originally by a committee of international experts led But for a post of bamboo, only 10% of fibers are being asked
by Professor Jules Janssen from Eindhoven University in the to distribute and carry the entire load, instead of all of the
Netherlands. The challenge was to take a material most build- fibers if it were a solid pole. 
ing officials were unfamiliar with and remove the fears of
liability. Primarily this was done by encouraging structural Make a balanced design – with no eccentric loads. Loads
engineers to review and sign off on projects. In Europe, the should all run along the axis of the bamboo. Bamboo has two
path began with the ZERI pavilion built for the Expo 2000 in great qualities: it looks good and it spans long distances well.
Hanover, Germany. The effort of building this 20,000 square It is best to use it for roof structure and the overall frame, not
foot pavilion led to the incorporation of bamboo into the Eu- to fill large areas (like a “log cabin” wall). The infill of walls
ropean building code because of the testing that was required, is usually better with earth and straw: plentiful, inexpensive
and entirely supervised by German structural engineers. materials already used by half the world’s population.

56
Bamboo Building Essentials
Bamboo Building Essentials
Bamboo Building Essentials
Building with bamboo is about the ma-
nipulation of a stick

Sometimes small demonstration structures like

this one by Celina Llerena are the best way to
inspire people to think differently about a famil-
iar material.
Bamboo Fencing as ornamenta-
tion, a way to quickly and beautifully
transform a space

Living Fence:
The tallest plant with the smallest foot-
print and the lightest weight when drag-
ging pots around - great for blocking
out that ugly neighbor. In this case, this
clumping bamboo requires no root bar-
rier, but running bamboos will need a
three foot (one meter) deep trench lined
with a thick plastic known as a rhizome
barrier.
www.bambooheadquarters.com
www.bamboosourcery.com
 photo of

Photo of the famous fence around the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto, Japan

Bamboo is used in many different forms – as splits or poles, designs. In Japan, the simple bamboo fences use every part
woven or lashed together, bent or straight – in order to create of the plant - leaves, branches and culms. All of the parts are
a variety of creative patterns, decorative and functional fence laid out to be assembled almost as fast as walking.
Bamboo Building Essentials

Bamboo is the way to quickly trans-

form gardens and open places with-
out the intimidation of having to lift
heavy materials or commit to it being
there forever.

In both of these cases - a garden in

Japan by Hiroshi Teshigahara and
a restaurant entrance in California
by the author, bamboo is used to
quickly and elegantly transform
the space.
As architects and designers, we are concerned with building
edifices that will last the test of time and often forget how
much creativity and freedom there is in a temporary struc-
ture. Here, unskilled people were taught a simple joint by
Antoon Versteegde, the repetition of which led to a fantastic
structure in a matter of hours.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Bamboo Scaffolding, port 70 stories of itself. Practiced crews can build scaffold-
is another example of a temporary structure. Outside of ex- ing extremely quickly. Inevitably, people who return from
pensive, lightweight composites, few other materials are light visiting Hong Kong for the first time will immediately speak
enough to be carried by one person, yet strong enough to sup of the bamboo scaffolds that made an impression on them.
Gerard Minakawa and Kevin Rowell of Bamboo DNA have found in bamboo a material that
quickly gives personality to temporary music festivals, such as this one in Indio, California.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Here an unexpected treat, a suspension Bamboo lends itself well to climbing

bridge up to a tower held together with a and to building resilient, repairable
couple of cables through the deck. playground structures.
In the heart of bamboo coun-
try in Central Colombia, the
towns were built entirely of
bamboo, including these near-
ly one hundred year old build-
ings. The walls were made by
plastering bamboo lath in a
technique called
Bahareque or
Quincha. Disastrous
fires a century ago (with
no provision to fight them)
caused legislation that kept
bamboo from being exposed.
So, the bamboo frames are
visible only in the surround-
ing rural areas.

68
 Bamboo Building Essentials

After the catastrophic 2001 earthquake in Colombia, 70%

of the buildings in Central Colombia collapsed or were
declared unusable, yet virtually all of the bamboo build-
ings survived. After a poitical reappraisal of building ma-
terials, Simón Vélez, an architect who made his name de-
signing for the wealthy, decided that the low cost housing
design he was about to do would be the most important
thing he had ever done. The standard was to build one for
US$5000, the budget here was half that – another reason
bamboo was embraced. On the next page is some of his
more elaborate work, still with the same clear structure of
roofs and walls knitted together with expanded metal lath.
 photo of

Building with bamboo is about the manipulation of a stick

 Bamboo Building Essentials

photo of

Here, Marcelo Villegas experimented with a greenhouse before

he and Vélez built a temporary cathedral.

The base of a bamboo pole always has a thicker wall and will
curve less than the more flexible upper portion.  Think of the
parabolic shape of a fishing pole. Use the bamboo the same
orientation as it grows and the curves will mimic nature.
Bamboo Building Essentials

In this Vélez school, the idea was to make a repeatable mod-

ule and emphasize even daylighting. Relatively short bam-
boos can work together to produce fairly large clear spans.
There is a slight natural curve to each roof, which the con-
struction system allows without causing extra work.
On the island of Bali, there can be found a great blend of traditional form of wooden buildings, modern bamboo joinery
& treatment techniques and creativity. Credit here goes to a collaboration between Miya Buxton, Linda Garland, John &
Cynthia Hardy, and.especially the West Sumatrans who helped with understanding traditional structure.
Bamboo Building Essentials

The home of Simón Vélez is a con-

stant search for the understanding of
traditional architecture. Some of that
influence is from Colombia, where
he grew up and some from Bali. He
is able to continue experimenting
because he buys bits of land from his
neighbors, pushes over the old adobe
service structures and plants a garden
over the top. Then, his buildings
gradually grow.
Vélez designs in section as much as in plan. These
hand drawings on graph paper serve as the working
drawings for construction. By repeating the same
truss, most of the challenges of construction can be
worked out in this quick sketch.
One of the first large scale bamboo buildings. This one a clubhouse for a housing development outside of Bogota,
Colombia. Visible on billboards around the city, Vélez’ seven meter cantilevered roof (mortared clay tile) is a very con-
vincing argument for the strength of bamboo. By using multiple poles for every line he drew, he gains great strength
and redundancy as well as a stronger look consistent with the size of the structure.

next page: this highway tollbooth by Simón Hosie epitomizes the high tech look possible with bamboo.
Bamboo Building Essentials
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Quite a lot of diversity can be found in approaches to bamboo structures. In the case of the Universidad de Gran Golombia (lower
left), the bamboo serves as much a symbol of pride about the place as it does a structural one.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Two of the leading advocates for bamboo architecture have teamed up to teach workshops and continue to extol the virtues of
bamboo to a very receptive audience in Latin America. Colombian architects Hector Fabio Silva and Rafael Rojas use both
the latest computer rendering techniques as well as the better building practices.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

The $5000 house. Public housing on infill

urban sites in Colombia. This one by architect
Hector Fabio Silva
Bamboo Building Essentials
Bamboo Building Essentials

Celina Llerena in Brazil

This example (above and previous
page) by Celina Llerena in Tinguá
is a great example of urban infill
with curving, living roofs to mini-
mize the heating effects of roofs
as well as to provide sound insu-
lation.

83
Bamboo Building Essentials

Joerg Stamm’s Three Mountains Jew-

elry Factory in Bali goes against conven-
tional wisdom and embraces the bending
of bamboo. The key is that the poles are
anchored well on both ends and that the
bent poles go all of the way around the
structure so they all work as a unit since
the ends of the poles can’t move. The
poles can bend quite a bit before being
at risk of failure but it’s not a good ap-
proach for the inexperienced.

84
Expat designers Aldo Landwehr and Joerg Stamm embraced
traditional forms and materials to make some beautiful build-
ings for John & Cynthia Hardy in Bali. www.greenschool.org
Bamboo Building Essentials

photo of
Hoseclamps keep the expected splitting from being a fac-
tor. The joint in the left centerphoto makes use of a thin
strip of bamboo to connect over the pole in between
Two Day Structure
This structure near Portland,
Oregon is what emerged when
Darrel DeBoer was asked to
build something with the few-
est number and least expen-
sive materials, yet have it be
able to heat itself. The project
was completed in two days
with 20 people – half of whom
were considered skilled. To
build a footing with no con-
crete, first dig a trench, line
it with fishing net, and fill the
trench with gravel. That will
hold the building down to the
ground. A couple layers of
gravel-filled bags on top of the
footings, above ground will
protect the bales from mois-
ture. As the bales are stacked,
set strings between them every
2’ and tie those to the net. The
south wall was framed in wood
and infilled with French doors
(note: glass is 18% of the floor
area to heat the building).

This project is an example of

how the proper use of mesh
can both remove the need for
concrete and make a simple
structure that can’t fall and
crush its occupants. Because
the mesh doesn’t rot and still
ties all the parts together, the
perpendicular walls will al-
ways remain standing. Even
in the worst hurricane or earth-
quake, people will still be able
to get out.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Firestone Classroom
Built at The Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology in This was the project where it was learned that Indonesian
Domincal, Costa Rica, the design for this classroom was Dendrocalamus asper has a larger diameter and much thick-
based on a bridge in an ancient Chinese brush painting, later er walls than other versions of the same species from Thai-
copied or re-invented by Leonardo DaVinci. During assem- land and elsewhere where it is known more for producing
bly, the poles were laid out on opposite sides of the field edible shoots than for being used for building material. In
then lifted up and a perpendicular pole was slid through. It this case, the Asper purlins (connecting pieces) and Guadua
was then lifted again to insert the next one. Each pole in trusses were grown on the building site and the two species
the barrel vault has two poles under and one over running were interchangeable as far as structural properties, size and
perpendicular. In theory, it could be able to support itself thickness of cell wall.
without bolts. In reality, it took 3 people to lift one wet pole
so the bolts gave some peace of mind.
Bamboo Building Essentials
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Based on a military bridge possibly

designed by Leonardo da Vinci who
might have copied the idea from a
12th century Chinese painting. The
structural concept is that each piece in
each truss is supported at least twice
from beneath and once from above by
a perpendicular purlin. From the con-
struction sequence, it can be seen that
the structure gets bigger by lifting one
side and sliding in another purlin. In photo of
that way, it is ideally self-supporting,
requiring no fasteners. However, what
we realized was that thick walled,
green poles are extremely heavy and
poles near the bottom will be crushed
by the built-up weight if not bolted
and filled.

92
Rancho Mastatal
Project
This truss is a tradi-
tional, efficient shape.
Stakes were set in the
ground at the key inter-
sections, and all of the
trusses were built there.
The trusses were held
up temporarily with
“X” braces while con-
necting pieces (purlins)
were added. After two
days, all pieces were in
place, and the next two
days were spent putting
mortar into the joints
and two more days for
adding the metal roof.
94
Bamboo Building Essentials
Try to locate the bamboo poles so
a minimum of mortar will be re-
quired to fill below the bolt and
the node below the bolt. At the
same time, lay it out so the node
is end of the pole. Assemble the
whole structure, now think about
making it dramatically stronger for
the high winds, earthquakes, hurri-
canes or whatever other horizontal
forces come your way. First drill 1
1/4” diameter holes with a forstner
bit just above the bolt. Inject mor-
tar with either a mortar gun shown
here (meant for repointing brick)
or push the mortar through an up-
side down soda bottle with the bot-
tom cut off.

95
The Hooch
Designer Jo Scheer’s idea of what
he calls the “hooch” is a struc-
ture pared down to its minimum
number of parts, where all the
work goes into the parts that are
visible instead of an expensive
foundation or lots of hardware
hidden inside the walls. Most of
the structure can be fabricated on
the ground before pivoting it up
into place. The Hooch requires
that there are adjacent trees to at-
tach cables to and a stout rock at
the center base to pivot on. This
particular all-bamboo structure
was built in a week by two people.
In Puerto Rico, Jo has built several
more, including one with a kitch-
en, bathroom and bedroom all in
the same one square foot footprint
(www.tropical-treehouse.com).

photo of
97
102
Sculpture and Special
Uses:

Freed from the constraint of pure

function, a surprising number of
people have explored the immense
formal possibilities of bamboo. Con-
sidering the depth and creativity of
these explorations, there is so much
to be learned.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Yoh Shoei’s Naiju Community Cen-

ter and Nursery School, Kyushu,
Japan.

Think of the most beautiful basket you

have seen.  Any woven shape can be
made of bamboo, especially with splits. 
Here, the bamboo was left exposed,
then another layer of rebar and mortar
was used to create the waterproofing of
the roof.
 Bamboo Building Essentials

Hyperbolic paraboloid in a Colombian public park by Rafael Rojas and Hector Fabio Silva

107
 Bamboo Resources on the Web: www.bamboobuildingessentials.com
For updated links to websites about building
with bamboo, along with companion videos
and further information about the projects
discussed in this book, check our website.

108
Bamboo Building Essentials

Parting thoughts on the future of

bamboo

Bamboo in North America - a place without a bamboo tra- Bamboo instrument maker and musician
dition - will take some considerable momentum to displace Schuberth from Ecuador
wood as a primary building material, but the hope is wider
than that.  Wood is included when we talk about a future of
unprocessed natural materials the rights to which are not con-
trolled by others.  The sufficient strength and insulative quali-
ties of natural fibers combined with the moisture-absorbing
nature of earthen blocks and plasters will lend a structure of
low material cost the strength, affordability and rot resistance
to overcome the future high cost of oil, and thus the majority
of what have become conventional building materials.  Let’s
begin the transition.

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Darrel DeBoer Megan Groth
is a California architect first inspired by a slide show by Simón first heard about bamboo architecture at a lecture in Florence,
Vélez at the Big Island Bamboo Conference in Hawai’i a de- Italy given by architect Mauricio Cardenas. She was award-
cade ago. Bamboo just fit into all the criteria for a material ed a Watson Fellowship to study bamboo building culture in
we could continue to use without wearing something out or Asia and Latin America, and is currently a masters of archi-
poisoning our clients. He has continued to build and spread tecture student at the University of Washington.
the gospel of a better building material