Tag Archives: bamboo

Bamboo Architecture designed to prove that this trending + sustainable material is here to stay!

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Bamboo is gaining a lot of popularity as a sustainable material in the world of architecture! Bamboo is being used to create beautiful and majestic structures, that are green and respect their surrounding environment. It is imperative to build homes, resorts, offices and etc that are in harmony with the natural environment around them. And we’ve curated a collection of impressive architectural structures built from bamboo, that prove sustainability, comfort, and luxury can be combined together! From conic ecotourism cabins designed with bamboo framing in Mexico to bamboo villas that curve into lotus flowers  – these architectural designs truly represent the versatility and scope of bamboo!

The bamboo structure is built from a series of intersecting 14-meter tall bamboo arches spanning 19 meters, interconnected by anticlastic gridshells which derive their strength from curving in two opposite directions. It employs one of nature’s greatest strategies for creating large spaces with minimal founding pillars. For example, in a human ribcage, there are a series of ribs working in compression are held in place by a tensioned flexible layer of muscle and skin. This creates a thin but strong encasement for the lungs. Similarly in Arc, arches working in compression are held in place by tensioned anticlastic gridshells. These fields of gridshells appear to drape across the spaces between impossibly thin arches soaring overhead and although the gridshells appear to hang from the arches, they actually hold them up.

Located next to the river, the Cocoon Villas as currently envisioned offer panoramic views of the surrounding environment through a glass facade that’s crisscrossed with diamond bamboo joists. The diamond bamboo framing supports and protects each villa’s structure with natural waterproof and insect repellent properties, similar to Kevlar. Each villa comprises two floors, the ground level is reserved for social gatherings whereas the top floors are kept for sleeping and panoramic vista points. In addition to its protective measures, the bamboo joists play with the natural sunlight to form unique shadows throughout the home during the day.

Taking inspiration from lotus flowers and magical realism, Liyanage’s Hideout Lotus Bamboo Villa rises above the ground on bamboo pillars to form a raised, single-story home resembling the look of a giant rattan table with an intricate, interwoven bamboo lotus mounted on top. From an exterior perspective, the Hideout Lotus finds a common outdoor area just below its mounted single-level lotus-inspired living area. Four curved bamboo pillars stack atop one another to create borders around the common area, creating a tiered walking space that contains the villa’s canopied deck.

The Ulaman Eco-Retreat Resort made mostly from bamboo is here to show you that sustainability can be well integrated into luxury. Designed by Inspiral Architects, this eco-resort is located in Bali’s Kaba-Kaba village. It has been constructed using materials found directly on the site and the immediate locality which helped the resort become completely carbon zero. Apart from bamboo, rammed earth has been used for the resort‘s ground-level walls. Rammed earth is a wonderful green alternative to concrete which is responsible for more than 8% of the construction industry’s emissions which contributes to 30% of global greenhouse emissions.

Designed by o9 Design Studio, native bamboo and rattan clad were used to build the Chi-bu resort, on the outskirts of Saigon, Vietnam. The materials are all locally sourced, and traditional techniques were merged with cutting-edge design philosophies to construct the resort. It consists of seven bungalows surrounded by a river and wild gardens! It’s a relaxing haven!

You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space. The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward.

Architect Julio Ignacio Paez built a community space for the indigenous people in Misiones, Argentina. It is an imposing bamboo structure, accentuated with a large bamboo roof covering. It has been described as ‘the door to the jungle’ and helps to support and empower the Guarani communities. The use of bamboo creates a symbolic and aesthetic connection with the community and allows them to be involved in the construction process as well.

The Eibche by Shomali Design takes the cabin game to a new level by incorporating the best of Balinese culture, modern architecture, and cozy interiors. The elevated structure weaves concrete and bamboo into its design. The team has used locally sourced building materials – wood for the structure and a brick-stone combination for the foundation. The frame is then ‘cemented’ by concrete which brings in a hint of modern minimalist architecture. The designers chose organic materials in order to create harmony with the environment so Eibche showcases a lot of bamboo poles, woven bamboo, coconut wood, and teak wood in both the interior as well as exterior.

Architect Rizvi Hassan utilized bamboo to build a community center for Rohingya women living in a refugee camp. The women can bathe and receive counseling at the community center. Featuring a circular courtyard, which is sheltered except for an open space in the middle, the center is called Beyond Survival: A Safe Space for Rohingya Women and Girls. It is located in Camp 25, a refugee site in Teknaf, Bangladesh.

Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari built 45,000 homes from bamboo, mud, and lime. The homes are part of ‘the world’s largest zero-carbon shelter program’. The bamboo homes were built for victims of natural disasters in Pakistan. They are free of carbon emissions, but at the same time are also very economical and affordable. Ancient wisdom and techniques were employed in the construction and creation of the homes. Lari says that these techniques are much forgotten by the major architects and firms of today.

This bamboo building in Bali is a marvel born from engineering, sustainability and architecture!

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Bamboo-based architecture is common in Bali, but even then the Arc gymnasium by Ibuku is a feat unlike any other in the world of sustainable architecture! The structure has been designed for a private school campus featuring a complex double-curved roof made entirely from bamboo. The Green School has a 12-year history of pushing boundaries and pioneering for sustainable education and Arc is the first of its kind!

Designer: Ibuku

The bamboo structure is built from a series of intersecting 14-meter tall bamboo arches spanning 19 meters, interconnected by anticlastic gridshells which derive their strength from curving in two opposite directions. It employs one of nature’s greatest strategies for creating large spaces with minimal founding pillars. For example, in a human ribcage, there are a series of ribs working in compression are held in place by a tensioned flexible layer of muscle and skin. This creates a thin but strong encasement for the lungs. Similarly in Arc, arches working in compression are held in place by tensioned anticlastic gridshells. These fields of gridshells appear to drape across the spaces between impossibly thin arches soaring overhead and although the gridshells appear to hang from the arches, they actually hold them up.

Its unique shape forms a protective roof sheltering a multipurpose sports court with a floor area of 760 square meters. The lightweight building’s geometry brings the structure into a state of equilibrium, which means a dramatically decreased necessity for structural material. This also means an unprecedented inner volume with an impossibly thin structure and without any distracting trusses. The Arc is truly a magnificent, minimal, and organic structure that shows we can dream big, make an impact, and strive to be more sustainable on a grand scale without compromising on our purpose.

“The concept structure for The Arc is totally unprecedented,” claimed Ibuku project architect Rowland Sauls. “Embarking on a design never before executed required some bravery and optimism. We were creative and stubborn enough to research and develop the answers needed for the success of the project.”

“The gridshells use shape stiffness to form the roof enclosure and provide buckling resistance to the parabolic arches,” said Atelier One director, Neil Thomas. “The two systems together create a unique and highly efficient structure,” he added, “able to flex under load allowing the structure to redistribute weight, easing localised forces on the arches.”

This sustainable dish cleaning brush is infinitely reusable thanks to its replaceable bamboo bristles!

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In 2018, we produced 380 million tonnes of plastic, can you imagine how much that number has grown in the last three years especially during the pandemic where we saw a steep rise in the use of plastic? NOS had created the Everloop Toothbrush which was wildly successful, so they created a family member for it – the Everloop Dish Brush. Every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists today in some form or another, either in a landfill or the ocean. That’s a pretty scary statistic when you imagine that there are more than 7 billion people on this planet using toothbrushes that they throw out every 3-4 months on average.

We eat more times than we brush, so it is natural that we use far more dish scrubbies, dish sponges, and dish brushes which just adds to the mounting plastic waste problem. With the Everloop dish brush’s design, you can continue to maximize the functionality of your product while reducing waste. The head of the brush has a concave lid mechanism that compresses the bristles against the inner part of the brush. The bristles are snapped into place and you can clean effortlessly. This concavity also works as a soap container and dosifier while you clean your tableware – can you hear the Monica Gellers of the world scream with joy at this?

To replace bristles, use any flat piece from your kitchen as a lever to open it and replace it with a new set of bristles. The body of the brush is made from recycled plastic collected from discarded accessories and the bristles are made from natural fibers (bamboo, castor beans, etc) just like the Everloop Toothbrush. After the bristles wear out, you can dispose of them without guilt because they have ZERO plastic. The bristles are 100% compostable compared to the disposable heads in the market which just add to plastic pollution. Each dish brush comes with 5 sets of bristles and you can buy more replacements later too. Even the packaging is made out of 100% compostable thermoformed paper pulp! Could this BE any more perfect?

Designer: NOS Design

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Sony debuts original sustainable packaging as part of its initiative to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2050!

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Brands across the globe have taken green initiatives to communicate to consumers their commitment to sustainability. While some companies are rolling out products with longer life cycles that reduce waste and overall consumption, other brands are seeking out sustainable building materials for their products and their packaging. Multinational conglomerate Sony has commenced its own sustainability effort by sourcing recycled paper goods and building material from locally grown annuals to replace their previous packaging, which came from mature perennial trees.

Sony’s Original Blended Material, the brand’s new sustainable packaging, consists of 100% paper material derived from bamboo, sugarcane, and post-consumer recycled paper. Whereas most paper packaging comes from mature perennial trees, Sony’s new Original Blended Material is responsibly harvested from annuals like bamboo and sugarcane, generating less CO2 in the process. Annuals, like bamboo, carry CO2 absorption and emission cycles that last only for one year, decreasing the perennials’ emission cycles that can last several decades by more than half. Similarly, the release of CO2 gas emissions given off from sugarcane fiber production for power generation is halted by using the fiber as one of Sony’s Blended Materials. While the bamboo and sugarcane fiber is both sustainably grown and harvested in local farms, Sony also cuts back on shipping and handling by incorporating post-consumer recycled paper goods into the Blended Material, giving packages a crisp, organic look.

Currently, Sony has developed the Blended Material specifically for their new WF-1000XM4 headphones, but future variations of the organic packaging accommodate differently shaped products by adjusting the construction formula. In addition to acquiring sustainably sourced building materials and cutting back on the effects of shipping and handling, Sony’s Original Blended Material ditches ink for embossed signatures and supplemental package coloring for a more organic look.

Designer: Sony

By adjusting the construction formula, Sony’s new Original Blended Material can be made to fit differently shaped and sized products.

Sony ditches ink for embossing their signature.

Without coloring, Sony’s Original Blended Material achieves an organic look.

Constructed for their new WF-1000XM4 headphones, Sony’s Original Blended Material echoes Sony’s initiative to eliminate plastic packaging from newly designed small products, an initiative set for their medium-term environmental target for ‘green management’ by 2025.

Bamboo Architectural Designs that prove why this material is the future of modern, sustainable architecture: Part 2

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Bamboo is gaining a lot of popularity as a sustainable material in the world of architecture! Bamboo is being used to create beautiful and majestic structures, that are green and respect their surrounding environment. It is imperative to build homes, resorts, offices and etc that are in harmony with the natural environment around them. And we’ve curated a collection of impressive architectural structures built from bamboo, that prove sustainability, comfort, and luxury can be combined together! From a luxury resort to a community centre for female refugees – these architectural designs truly represent the versatility and scope of bamboo!

The Ulaman Eco-Retreat Resort made mostly from bamboo is here to show you that sustainability can be well integrated into luxury. Designed by Inspiral Architects, this eco-resort is located in Bali’s Kaba-Kaba village. It has been constructed using materials found directly on the site and the immediate locality which helped the resort become completely carbon zero. Apart from bamboo, rammed earth has been used for the resort‘s ground-level walls. Rammed earth is a wonderful green alternative to concrete which is responsible for more than 8% of the construction industry’s emissions which contributes to 30% of global greenhouse emissions.

You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space. The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward. The kit comes with all accessories needed – 350 precision-made bamboo strips, nuts, bolts, and an installation guide to make the 3m x 3m ‘zome’.

Warith Zaki and Amir Amzar plan to use the bamboo grown on Mars to actually build the first colony, named Seed of Life, on Mars. The conceptual colony design is actually a series or cluster of structures woven by autonomous robots from bamboos. The aim of the project is to create structures that do not rely on construction materials being shipped from Earth or to use 3D printing. “After doing a lot of research on Mars colonization, we realized that half of the ideas would go about deploying fully synthetic materials made on earth to build shelters, while the other half is about using the locally available regolith,” said Zaki and Amzar. “Human civilization has yet to build anything on any other planet outside of Earth. That fact alone opens up infinite possibilities of what could or should be used. Sure, 3D printing seems to be a viable proposition, but with thousands of years worth of experience and techniques in shelter construction, why shouldn’t we tap on other alternatives too?”

Architect Rizvi Hassan utilised bamboo to build a community centre for Rohingya women living in a refugee camp. The women can bathe and receive counselling at the community centre. Featuring a circular courtyard, which is sheltered except for an open space in the middle, the centre is called Beyond Survival: A Safe Space for Rohingya Women and Girls. It is located in Camp 25, a refugee site in Teknaf, Bangladesh.

Hague is a student at the University of Westminster where she is pursuing her Masters in Architecture. Her design features shellac-coated bamboo to emphasize the use of biomimicry in different disciplines of design – in her case it is providing eco-friendly architectural solutions inspired by nature. For the main structure, Hague drew inspiration from the Mimosa Pudica plant which closes its leaves when it senses danger and that is how she came up with collapsible beams featuring inflatable hinges. It gave the greenhouse a unique origami effect (it actually looks like paper too!) and also enables the structure to be easily flat-packed for transportation/storage.

This bamboo sports hall in Chiang Mai, Thailand was built by Chiangmai Life Architects. It was modeled after the petals of a lotus flower, and has been built using only bamboo! The use of bamboo ensures a cool and pleasant environment in the sports hall at all times. The structure has a zero-carbon footprint!

Designed by o9 Design Studio, native bamboo and rattan clad were used to build the Chi-bu resort, on the outskirts of Saigon, Vietnam. The materials are all locally sourced, and traditional techniques were merged with cutting edge design philosophies to construct the resort. It consists of seven bungalows surrounded by a river and wild gardens! It’s a relaxing haven!

Casa Covida is a unique home that blends these age-old construction practices with the marvels of modern technology like 3D printing to elevate sustainable architecture to a new level! Even today, earth-based houses are used by almost 30 percent of the world’s population because they are low-tech, affordable, and simple. These are not just tiny huts, they cover everything from hand-made earthen buildings to traditionally modern homes – the binding factor is the use of rammed earth techniques as well as sustainable materials like bamboo or wood. These materials are local and easy to source – what could be easier than to use the earth beneath one’s own feet?

The Eibche by Shomali Design takes the cabin game to a new level by incorporating the best of Balinese culture, modern architecture, and cozy interiors. The elevated structure weaves concrete and bamboo into its design. The team has used locally sourced building materials – wood for the structure and a brick-stone combination for the foundation. The frame is then ‘cemented’ by concrete which brings in a hint of modern minimalist architecture. The designers chose organic materials in order to create harmony with the environment so Eibche showcases a lot of bamboo poles, woven bamboo, coconut wood, and teak wood in both the interior as well as exterior.

These bamboo nest smart-towers were built for Paris…but in the future by Vincent Callebaut! These twirling towers are the perfect combination of architecture meets sustainability and nature!

For more impressive environment-friendly bamboo architectural designs, check out Part 1 of this post!

This DIY kit lets you build your own giant dome with bamboo!

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In a world where everyone is moving toward’s sustainability, architects are also building their structures with materials that are sensitive and kind to nature with materials like bamboo! Bamboo is a durable, cost-effective, and accessible building material that is being used to create majestic structures that respect their surrounding environment. You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space.

The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward. The kit comes with all accessories needed – 350 precision-made bamboo strips, nuts, bolts, and an installation guide to make the 3m x 3m ‘zome’. Giant Grass wanted to scale its design and building process to make it more accessible and affordable. The geometric shape of the structure is different than a traditional dome, but the lightweight structure follows similar design principles in regards to symmetry, proportions, and triangulations. ‘Zome’ creates a far more useable space compared to a dome – a 3m diameter dome spans 1.5m in the center while a 3m diameter zome around 2.8m.

It is easy to assemble and doesn’t require any special tools or construction experience. You can make your ‘zome’ in 2-3 hours and dismantled it in just 3o minutes. The bamboo strips are covered with UV-resistant coating and will grey over time like timber unless they are covered with oil which can retain the yellow aesthetic. The ‘zome’ weights less than 35kg and can be transported by two people easily. ‘Zome’ kits give you more power to create a space that you are proud of while being mindful of its environmental impact!

Designer: Giant Grass

These minimal bamboo-inspired pens come with a magnetic base to keep them self-organized!

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All designers can relate to the frustration of not being able to find that specific nib for their own. And maybe it’s Murphy’s Law but the case of the missing nib always happens when you are ready to start sketching. Keeping this in mind, Kim Minsu created ‘Organize’ – a pen and stand set that (yes, you guessed it) organizes your stationery. Just like a self-rigging toy, when left on the flat base it will return to the upright position thanks to the rounded and weighted bottom.

The minimal form has been inspired by bamboos, specifically those little ones we keep in our homes for good luck. So when not in use Organize looks like an aesthetic piece in your interior setup.

Designer: Kim Minsu

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This pelican-beak restaurant overlooks a cliff with an absolutely stunning view

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It’s probably because I haven’t traveled around a lot in the past year and a half, but Thilina Liyanage‘s renders are looking increasingly realistic and awe-striking… and I can’t blame myself for feeling that rather lost feeling of wanderlust. Sri Lanka-based Liyanage’s been responsible for creating some of the most awe-striking architectural designs that relate beautifully to their surroundings – like a jagged cabin sitting upon a rocky beach, or a goldfish-shaped bar overlooking an ocean. This time, Liyanage’s design gives you a birds-eye view of a valley, while being shaped like a bird’s beak!

The Sky Restaurants, as they’re called, cantilever off the precipice of a mountain, giving you a certain thrill as you dine. Its design takes cues from a pitcher-plant, using a boat-like base that projects from the slope, with a slightly raised roof to protect you from the elements while also giving you a stunning view of the mountainous terrain in front of and below you. Like a lot of Liyanage’s designs, the Sky Restaurant uses curved bamboo pieces, giving it a distinctly tropical feeling that does set up a contrast against the mountains… but then again, look at it from above and it almost looks like fairy-lights strung around the mountain!

Designer: Thilina Liyanage

Bamboo Architectural Designs that prove why this material is the future of modern and sustainable architecture!

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In a world where everyone is moving toward’s sustainability, architects are also building their structures with materials that are sensitive and kind to nature. One such sustainable option is bamboo! Bamboo is being used to create beautiful and majestic structures, that are green and respect their surrounding environment. It is imperative to build homes, resorts, offices and etc that are in harmony with the natural environment around them. And we’ve curated a collection of impressive architectural structures built from bamboo, that prove sustainability, comfort and luxury can be combined together! You don’t have to sacrifice one to obtain the other. From luxurious resorts to greenhouses, there’s nothing bamboo can’t be used to build!

The Ulaman Eco-Retreat Resort made mostly from bamboo is here to show you that sustainability can be well integrated into luxury. Designed by Inspiral Architects, this eco-resort is located in Bali’s Kaba-Kaba village. It has been constructed using materials found directly on the site and the immediate locality which helped the resort become completely carbon zero. Apart from bamboo, rammed earth has been used for the resort‘s ground-level walls. Rammed earth is a wonderful green alternative to concrete which is responsible for more than 8% of the construction industry’s emissions which contributes to 30% of global greenhouse emissions.

Hague is a student at the University of Westminster where she is pursuing her Masters in Architecture. Her design features shellac-coated bamboo to emphasize the use of biomimicry in different disciplines of design – in her case it is providing eco-friendly architectural solutions inspired by nature. For the main structure, Hague drew inspiration from the Mimosa Pudica plant which closes its leaves when it senses danger and that is how she came up with collapsible beams featuring inflatable hinges. It gave the greenhouse a unique origami effect (it actually looks like paper too!) and also enables the structure to be easily flat-packed for transportation/storage. Rows of these bamboo-paper greenhouses can be connected to shared houses constructed from the soil, which has a high thermal mass, providing shelter from extreme temperatures in India.

Sitting in the heart of a forest in the beach town of Tulum Mexico, the Luum Temple serves as not just a tranquil spot to meditate and connect with nature, but also as an indication of more sustainable forms of architecture. Amidst Tulum’s rapidly-growing unchecked architectural development, the Luum is an eco-friendly bamboo structure located in a conserved area in a native jungle, within a conservation-minded residential development called Luum Zama. The temple’s design is highly influenced by parametric architecture and features five catenary arches made from Bamboo. Designed by CO-LAB Design Office, the temple’s design uses bamboo sustainably grown in the neighboring Chiapas state. Flat sections of bamboo were bent and cold-molded on site, before being shaped into the 5 catenary arches.

I’m fully aware of how bad my pun game is right now, but Thilina Liyanage’s Beach bar looks absolutely ‘fin’credible! Designed to resemble a scaled-up model of a goldfish, the Beach Bar looks stunning from every angle. The fish’s hollow body serves as the bar + counter area, while the space right beneath the tail provides ample seating. Made with an underlying bamboo structure, the Beach Bar comes with a fish-scale-inspired golden fabric clad that gives the bar its fishy appearance from the outside, while providing partial shade on the inside during the day. Once the sun sets, though, the lamps on the inside help give the fish a distinct diffused warm glow, making it look like the goldfish is glowing – a sight that’s even more fascinating when viewed from the top!

The Eibche by Shomali Design takes the cabin game to a new level by incorporating the best of Balinese culture, modern architecture, and cozy interiors. The elevated structure weaves concrete and bamboo into its design. The team has used locally sourced building materials – wood for the structure and a brick-stone combination for the foundation. The frame is then ‘cemented’ by concrete which brings in a hint of modern minimalist architecture. The designers chose organic materials in order to create harmony with the environment so Eibche showcases a lot of bamboo poles, woven bamboo, coconut wood, and teak wood in both the interior as well as exterior.

Casa Covida is a unique home that blends these age-old construction practices with the marvels of modern technology like 3D printing to elevate sustainable architecture to a new level! Even today, earth-based houses are used by almost 30 percent of the world’s population because they are low-tech, affordable, and simple. These are not just tiny huts, they cover everything from hand-made earthen buildings to traditionally modern homes – the binding factor is the use of rammed earth techniques as well as sustainable materials like bamboo or wood. These materials are local and easy to source – what could be easier than to use the earth beneath one’s own feet? While some people might think these techniques are outdated, many designers and architects are experimenting with them by mixing them up with 3D printing technology.

BiodiverCity is one of Bjarke Ingel’s most recent projects, it is a city of three islands connected by autonomous vehicles for land, water, and air to make this a transport emission-free habitat off the coast of Malaysia. Three islands will be built in Penang and will serve as cultural, business, and residential hubs. The most striking thing about the development is that all the transportation on the 4,500 acres will consist of autonomous boats, vehicles, and air travel, making the islands car-free and pedestrian-friendly. Construction is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, in fact, even more than the aviation industry. So to reduce the impact on the environment, most buildings will be prefabricated or 3D printed on-site and others will use a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and “green concrete” which is made from recycled materials like aggregate.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects built a 16-meter high bamboo dome for the Vedana Restaurant which floats on an artificial lake. The restaurant is a part of the Vedana Resort, situated in the Cuc Phuong National Park in the Ninh Binh Province of Vietnam. 18-meters wide, the bamboo dome is an imposing and majestic roof, created from 36 bamboo modules. It seems to consist of three thatched ring-shaped structures, but in reality, it is a single structure. The dome is reminiscent of the traditional Vietnamese roofs.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects strike again with their Huong An Vien Visiting Centre which is a part of the Huong An Vien Cemetery. The cemetery is located near the city of Hue in Central Vietnam. Featuring a curved bamboo roof, the structure is a dynamic and open space surrounded by trees, flowers, and greenery. Low-hanging eaves shelter the center from harsh sunlight, rain, and other weather conditions, and at the same time, they also manage to preserve the openness of the space. The center mimics the soft and traditional architecture of the city of Hue, which is located about 10 kilometers away from it.

The Lexus Design Awards announced their winner for the 2020 edition of their award program. The winning project, Open Source Communities by Kenya-based BellTower design, captured the jury’s hearts for being innovative, well-structured, extremely detailed, and having a widespread impact by providing low-income communities with clean water. At the heart of the Open Source Communities is its water resource center – a sustainably built, community-owned structure that helps provide clean water to all residents. The center is made entirely from locally available materials like bamboo and recycled plastic composite bricks, and is entirely prefabricated, allowing for quick on-site assembly. The center’s iconic design comes from its split roof which helps harvest water as well as effectively provides shade and ventilation.

This bamboo beach-shack was designed to look like a massive goldfish!

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I’m fully aware of how bad my pun game is right now, but Thilina Liyanage’s Beach bar looks absolutely ‘fin’credible! Designed to resemble a scaled-up model of a goldfish, the Beach Bar looks stunning from every angle. The fish’s hollow body serves as the bar + counter area, while the space right beneath the tail provides ample seating. Made with an underlying bamboo structure, the Beach Bar comes with a fish-scale-inspired golden fabric clad that gives the bar its fishy appearance from the outside, while providing partial shade on the inside during the day. Once the sun sets, though, the lamps on the inside help give the fish a distinct diffused warm glow, making it look like the goldfish is glowing – a sight that’s even more fascinating when viewed from the top!

The Beach Bar has a staircase entrance near the tail area, with multi-level seating, and a balcony located right at the mouth, giving you a stellar view of the ocean. Liyanage’s Beach Bar, sadly, exists just as a concept… although the designer has made his 3D model available for free to download… so you could potentially pop on your VR headset, make yourself a cocktail, and indulge in a virtual walkthrough!

Designer: Thilina Liyanage