Tag Archives: bamboo

Nature-inspired pendant lamps add a minimalist and intricate aesthetic to your space

Posted on by

One of the things that can make your space look more elegant, stylish, and beautiful is to have lamps that will complement and enhance the room. There are a lot of well-designed lamps, light fixtures, and chandeliers out there that you can choose from and there’s always room for more. If you’re looking for something a bit more minimalist but still will stand out when you place it in your room, here are a couple of pendant lamps from Claymango.

Designer: Gamini Rawal for Claymango

The Lily Pendant Lamp is of course inspired by the Lily flower and is designed to represent “love, devotion, and purity”. It streamlines the six petals into just three, achieving a minimalist and simple aesthetic. It also has an eco-friendly finish as it uses rattan as its main material. It can stand alone as just one pendant lamp or you can group it together with other lily lamps if you need something bigger. It can be used for both task and area lighting.

The Spiral Pendant Lamp meanwhile is inspired by the rhythmic movements that the fishes make when they’re looking for food in the ocean. Therefore you get some swirls and twisty forms but still with a minimalist aesthetic, using its bamboo weave design to blend with neutral and boho feels. The fixtures that are designed as a pair can serve both as pendant lamps and chandeliers with the light suspended through the cylindrical diffuser.

These pendant lamps are minimalist but also somehow slightly intricate in design. If you have an aesthetic that fits the lily concept or the spiral concept, these would be a pretty nice addition to the room (if ever they will come out of the concept stage) as they are both functional and decorative.

The post Nature-inspired pendant lamps add a minimalist and intricate aesthetic to your space first appeared on Yanko Design.

Floating Bamboo House is designed to withstand rising sea levels in Vietnam

Posted on by

Called the Floating Bamboo House, this architectural prototype by Vietnamese studio H&P Architects is exactly what it sounds like! The floating home is built from bamboo and is designed to withstand rising sea levels. It has been created with the intention to provide locals who are living in and around the Mekong Delta in Vietnam with a suitable model for climate-resilient housing.

Designer: H&P Architects

“Vietnam is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by climate change,”  said H&P Architects founder Đoàn Thanh Hà. “Floating Bamboo House is believed to provide a useful alternative for millions of poor households to create a stable and safe accommodation themselves, and adapt to the worst scenario of responding to climate change,” he continued.  The Floating Bamboo House is designed to be a three-compartment home equipped with a square ground floor plan that occupies six by six meters. The home also has a first-floor story in its roof eaves.

The exterior of the Floating Bamboo House is inspired by the vernacular Rông House, which is a traditional and rural Vietnamese building typology amped with a tall and steep thatched roof. The house is built using locally sourced solid-cored bamboo pieces, which have a diameter of three to five centimeters and three or six meters long. The external facade is covered with lightweight bamboo screens, woven bamboo sheets, leaves, and corrugated iron. Plastic drums have been fixated to the underside of the house to allow it to float. A septic tank, water tank, and filter tank have also been attached here.

“Floating Bamboo Houses [could be] connected with each other by floating playing grounds, vegetable-growing rafts [and] fish-raising areas,” the studio said. The home was designed for adaptation. It features a door system that can be opened and closed, to offer shelter and protection from adverse and extreme weather situations. Also, the floor panels on the upper storey can be removed, allowing the structure to be used as a library, classroom, or communal meeting space. H&P Architects believe that in the future multiple floating homes can be built, and formed together to create floating villages.

The post Floating Bamboo House is designed to withstand rising sea levels in Vietnam first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sleek Bamboo Standing Desk Perfectly Merges Utility, Aesthetics & Sustainability

Posted on by

I spend a major chunk of my day on my desk, typing away to glory. Most of the time I also end up eating my meals on it! And binge-watching on Netflix as well. And I’m sure that’s the case with most of us, since working from home became the new norm, and our home offices became our new hang-out spots. But having a great desk is important! Simply a ‘good’ desk won’t do either. A great desk helps us work comfortably and effectively. It puts us in the right mindset, helping us achieve our daily productivity goals and checkmark all the tasks on our to-do list! Not only should our desks be clean, but they should also sport an ergonomic and functional design! And good looks are a bonus. And finding a desk that does all of the above can be a Herculean task. But worry not, I’ve found the perfect desk for you – the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk.

Designer: FlexiSpot

Designed by FlexiSpot, the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk is an ergonomic, height-adjustable desk that features a unique desktop – one that is made from bamboo. The bamboo desktop is the focal point of the desk, and it intends to bring an element of warmth to your home office. Also according to FlexiSpot it “has twice the durability of ordinary wood”. “Nothing beats the elegance of a natural bamboo strip built into an ergonomic desk,” said the brand.

The desk is equipped with a dual-motor lifting system that enables you to adjust it to your preferred height between 23.6 to 49.2 inches. It can hold up to 275 pounds. The desk features an anti-collision safety feature as well, that detects and prevents collisions before they happen, as well as a child lock that locks the height setting until it is deactivated.

The Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk features an inbuilt cable tray below the desktop that hides the cables and ensures that your work desk is organized and tidy. It also features an additional lacquer coating that provides it with a higher resistance to scratches, water, and insects. The unique desk is a sustainable and smart solution designed to uplift your home office.

The post Sleek Bamboo Standing Desk Perfectly Merges Utility, Aesthetics & Sustainability first appeared on Yanko Design.

Floating Bamboo House can become alternative housing for the Mekong Delta area

Posted on by

There are several countries in Southeast Asia where one of the tourist attractions is floating markets. You’ll see some in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and if you’ve never seen one before, it’s an interesting thing to experience. But for a lot of these countries, flooding and the harsh effects of climate change are also part of their reality. Housing can be a problem when it comes to places like this so it’s interesting to see how architects and designers are coming up with structures that will be able to withstand threats to their abodes.

Designer: H&P Architects

A Vietnamese firm has come up with a flood-resistant dwelling that’s specifically targeted for those who live near the rivers and may experience occasional flooding. The Floating Bamboo House is basically what its name says it is. It is made from various materials that will let the house survive threats from extreme weather conditions that may be the result of climate change. Materials include compressed weaved bamboo sheets, bamboo stems, bamboo screens and with the addition of leaves and corrugated iron. All of these materials are tied together with latches and ties.

The floating part is through the plastic drums that are found on the underside of the house. It is around 36 square meters and is designed like a traditional house with a triangular shape. Inside you get an open layout with two levels although later on, they will be adding a bedroom, kitchen area, and other things that will make it feel like a real home. There will even be a freshwater storage tanks and septic tanks. The roof will also have a rainwater collection system and solar panels to make it more sustainable. There are open facades in some parts so natural light and air can come in.

The space in the upper part can also be used as a classroom or library when the floor panels are removed. This is a pretty interesting concept even if it’s still in just the prototype stage. It was designed specifically for those living in and around in the Mekong Delta area as an alternative housing solution to adapt to the worsening conditions caused by climate change.

The post Floating Bamboo House can become alternative housing for the Mekong Delta area first appeared on Yanko Design.

Picturesque bamboo glamping villa looks like a large graceful bird in flight

Posted on by

“Birdie” by Thilina Liyanage assumes the shape of a massive bird with wings outstretched. The Sri Lanka-based artist has really harnessed the ability to use bamboo and wood to bring his larger-than-life nature-inspired creations to fruition. Birdie definitely seems like one of his magnum opuses.

Birdie finds itself in the middle of a forest, nestled among trees just like a real bird. This one, on the other hand, is made from wood, and can house as many as a family of 3 rather comfortably. The glamping villa sits on a pair of stilts, giving the occupants a stellar elevated view of the forest around it. The villa comes with two levels, the one on top being the bedroom (with an attached balcony), while the one below housing a living space and toilet along with a cantilever hammock to laze around on.

Designer: Thilina Liyanage

Relying on bamboo, wood, and tiles to fashion its unique exterior, the Birdie villa looks like a swan just about to go airborne. It helps that the entire house is on stilts, playing in with the illusion of the bird being in the air rather than on land. The bird’s chest and its wingspan almost become the entire villa’s interior space, offering enough room for a couple or family of three. The bird’s tail doubles as a balcony with ample space for recreation, and the bedroom is pretty spacious, making for a comfortable extended weekend surrounded by nature. For kids looking for a little entertainment in the woods, the Birdie even comes with a cantilever hammock off the first floor. The hammock is big enough for 3 people, making for a great lounging place on lazy days.

The post Picturesque bamboo glamping villa looks like a large graceful bird in flight first appeared on Yanko Design.

This concentric school library in Thailand was constructed using bamboo and adobe bricks

Posted on by

The Panyaden International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand had a beautiful bamboo sports hall added to its structure back in 2017. The Chiangmai Life Architects were responsible for this sustainable and thoughtful addition, and they’re back at it again! This time, they’ve designed an impressive new library for the school. The Panyaden Secondary School Library features a low-lying and organic design that is marked by concentric circles.

Designer: Chiangmai Life Architects

The complex and intriguing concentric design of the library is further accentuated by the fact that it is constructed from bamboo. Although, unlike the sports hall, bamboo isn’t the primary material used for construction – the walls are built from adobe bricks (made from sand and clay). The bamboo, on the other hand, was used to construct the two-tiered roof. The roof has been topped with thatching and features an oculus skylight. Beautiful bamboo archways provide support to the impressive roof.

“The Secondary School Library at Panyaden International School was designed to create an inspiring, peaceful and comfortable atmosphere for teenage students to read and study,” said Chiangmai Life Architects.

The place is marked by an interesting combination of traditional study spaces with desks and chairs, as well as more relaxed spaces that can be used as lounges and are scattered with bean bags and pillows. The combination of both kinds of spaces creates an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming, and comforting to the students. They can easily take a short break from their studies, as and when required, without actually having to leave the library for some reprieve. The sunken pod in the center of the library has been equipped with raised amphitheater seating, as well as a view of the skylight. The pod can be utilized for group discussions and readings. The pod is surrounded by built-in working tables, and then a bamboo archway that holds the main bookshelf section.

Besides the sunken pod and the study area, the library also houses a pair of noise-insulated study rooms that are perfect for group sessions, as well as a small office for the librarian. The library has also been equipped with a state-of-the-art central cooling system and a filtered air mechanism, which ensures the space always maintains a comfortable temperature and is well-ventilated.

The post This concentric school library in Thailand was constructed using bamboo and adobe bricks first appeared on Yanko Design.

Macha bamboo House sits in the middle of a plantation

Posted on by

Don’t you ever want to look outside your home in the morning or for a quick afternoon break and be immediately refreshed by the view and the surroundings? For those of us who live in the urban jungle, this is such a rare occurrence and we sometimes have to resort to looking at beautiful things on our screens. Or yes, we sometimes have to take vacations. What if you had a retreat house that you can get away to every once in a while and it’s right in the middle of a farm?

Designer: Abin Design Studio

The Macha House is one such place, located in a rural region of Kolkata, India. It’s a two-bedroom house with a terrace and the entire structure is mostly made from bamboo so you have not just a refreshing space but an eco-friendly one. It is also pretty simple and minimalist so you really get the feeling of being almost one with nature. The best thing about this house is that it’s in the middle of a guava orchard so you probably have one of the best views in the area.

From the outside, it actually looks like an observation platform and that’s what you’ll probably use it for most of the time. You get a really nice view of the plantation and the orchard remains undisturbed (well, probably most of the time). While the house is mostly built from bamboo, it also uses metal to bring you a more solid foundation. This is also to lessen the possible water damage since the region suffers from flooding often. The house is built nine feet off the ground to protect from wildlife and the aforementioned flooding.

But the main material for the Macha House really is bamboo, which is a traditional and natural material and matches the surrounding plantation. The rooms and service are in the center of the structure and it is surrounded by terraces which serve as your observation deck. You’ll probably spend most of your time there reading, playing games, talking, and maybe even working. The house contains wooden and soft furniture to keep with the natural feel.

The post Macha bamboo House sits in the middle of a plantation first appeared on Yanko Design.

Headphones concept uses bamboo for sustainability

Posted on by

Electronic devices and gadgets have become an integral part of our lives in the past decades or so. But they’re not the most earth-friendly and actually contribute a lot to global waste when they near their life cycle and cannot always be recycled. Eco-friendly designers are always looking for ways to create devices using sustainable materials while not sacrificing quality. A lot of them remain product concepts but hopefully, we get to see them become actual devices soon.

Designer: Aakansh Chaturvedi

Bambass is a concept for an open-back headphone that uses traditional bamboo weaving as a major component of its sustainable material. It is made up mostly of thin coiled bamboo stripes which are not just sustainable but also bring you a more insulated sound. You get a stainless steel strip to help support the headband that is made mostly from stacked stripes of bamboo. The joint for the earcups has a screw mechanism that allows you to adjust the cups to your comfort. Lastly, you get a single layer coating of melamine to preserve the life cycle of the bamboo material.

Aside from being a pair of headphones, Bambass also brings a cultural aspect to it by utilizing the art of bamboo weaving. They also utilized vegan leather for the covering so there can be different color options while still maintaining the sustainability part by lessening the carbon footprint needed to produce such a device. Since this is still a concept with product renders, we don’t know yet the quality of sound for headphones that will be using these materials.

It does look pretty good in terms of design as the use of bamboo and vegan leather with a little bit of stainless steel gives you a unique-looking pair of open-back headphones. Adding bamboo weaving for insulation is both eco-friendly and may actually sound better than the current devices in the market. Hopefully, this will just be the first design as the plan is to create more electronic products using sustainable materials so we as consumers will not contribute any more e-waste.

The post Headphones concept uses bamboo for sustainability first appeared on Yanko Design.

Knork Eco Party Plate makes sustainable partying a possibility

Posted on by

Sustainable entertaining is slowly becoming a thing, at least, for those people who are eco-conscious and willing to care more for Mother Earth. The KNORK Eco line continues to deliver genius design and epic functionality with another useful product that goes well with the Knork eco cutlery introduced a few years ago. Sustainable living starts when you make sustainable choices no matter how small or trivial they might seem—and this KNORK Eco Party Plate is another step in that direction.

Designer: KNORK

Click Here to Buy Now: $24.50 $34.99 (30% off sitewide with Coupon Code “YANKO”). Hurry, deal ends March 23.

The KNORK team can help by giving us “greener” choices. From the same company that delivered the bamboo-based KNORK Eco plastic cutlery, here comes the KNORK Eco Party Plate. The new product works with the KNORK Eco forks and the Knork stainless steel forks. As with the previous products, the eco plate offers more than just a cool design aesthetic.

The KNORK Eco product line proves you can combine great functionality with great design. It also brings authentic sustainability as Knork is known for its real, sustainable products that are uniquely made. The Eco line gets more points as the products are reusable and compostable. You can use them repeatedly without having to worry about the utensils getting damaged. They will only break down when you dispose of them, which will happen in two years.

Like the KNORK utensils, the Knork Eco party plate is also made from bamboo and sugarcane offcuts, specifically, those from furniture factories. This means another step towards a zero-waste future. We believe more related products will also be introduced as the campaign for a more sustainable society is moving forward.

The KNORK Eco party plate boasts an intelligent design. It’s not the usual round plate as the shape is similar to an artist’s palette. The center portion allows you to hold a wine glass while holding a plate. It’s for those parties when you just stand as you interact and eat or drink. There is also a portion when a Knork Eco utensil can also hang.

The Astrik resin material used on the eco party plant results from moldable polymer that appears and looks like plastic with a glossy finish. It is biodegradable and is also dishwasher- and food-safe. When it’s time for disposal, you can quickly introduce it to soil, and it will biodegrade in two years completely as compost. Astrik is sustainable, durable, and has been repurposed, so this KNORK Eco party plate can be easily harvested without the need to do further damage to landscape or soil. It is also heat tolerant, moisture resistant, and is very strong.

The KNORK Eco product line leaves a little environmental impact. It promotes sustainability during parties, and that’s how we want to entertain. After this KNORK Eco Party Plate, we’re looking forward to the KNORK Eco party cup.

Click Here to Buy Now: $24.50 $34.99 (30% off sitewide with Coupon Code “YANKO”). Hurry, deal ends March 23.

The post Knork Eco Party Plate makes sustainable partying a possibility first appeared on Yanko Design.

These floating bamboo bungalows make up an eco-tourist hotel that pays homage to the local turtles!

Posted on by

Turtle Bay is an eco-tourist destination in Thailand’s Hua Hin on Khao Tao Reservoir that combines sustainable design with local building material to home in on the hotel’s commitment to preserving the ecosystem that surrounds it.

Hua Hin, a popular seaside town in Thailand, is no stranger to turtles. In Thai folklore, turtles are known for bringing good fortune and prosperity, positioning the animal and lucky icon as a generous source of inspiration for designers and architects alike.

Welding the good fortune of turtles with the lush landscape of coastal Thai towns, architect Sarawoot Jansaeng-Aram from Dersyn Studio Co., Ltd. designed and constructed Turtle Bay, an eco-tourist destination that floats atop the lotus-covered Khao Tao Reservoir.

Taking up almost an acre’s worth of land, Turtle Bay is comprised of five floating bungalows that connect to one another via wooden walking ways. In Thai, Khao translates to ‘mountain,’ and Tao translates to ‘turtle.’ Finding inspiration in the reservoir’s namesake, Jansaeng-Aram designed each bungalow to appear like oversized bamboo turtles.

Leaning into the shingle-like shell of turtles, Jansaeng-Aram topped each bungalow with shingled roofs to bring out the stone and gravel chipped texture. Moving from the roof to the bungalow’s facade, Jansaeng-Aram turned to locally sourced bamboo building material for its flexibility and easy assembly process that doesn’t require heavy machinery.

The interior of Turtle Bay bungalows finds temperate conditions from a local building secret. “Poon Tum” is a locally sourced and sustainable building method trusted for its ability to maintain a moderate interior temperature. Found in the construction of ancient temples around Thailand, “Poon Tum” provides ample ventilation and long-lasting durability.

Speaking on the creative direction behind the chosen building materials, Jansaeng-Aram notes, “These ways of designing offer sustainable architectural design aspect like natural ventilation, called “Stack Effect” and extending the roof to create sun shading. Solar cell equipment [is] also used on some [roofs] where possible. The electric power generated from natural light during the daytime will be used to light up the electric-bulb during the night-time.”

Designer: Sarawoot Jansaeng-Aram from Dersyn Studio Co., Ltd.

The post These floating bamboo bungalows make up an eco-tourist hotel that pays homage to the local turtles! first appeared on Yanko Design.