Bamboo Architecture
Bamboo Master Studios has designed and built bamboo structures around the world for more than three decades.
We have worked in collaboration with companies including IBUKU in Bali, Bamboo Living in Hawaii, and Arquitectura Mixta in Latin America, creating everything from small pre-fabricated, shippable houses to the largest bamboo structures on earth.
Our goal is to push the boundaries of what is possible with bamboo.
Design Process
Project Assessment
Initial Concepts
We will explore solutions and styles to begin the creative process. We will also take into consideration site analysis, soil tests, seasonal wind, sun paths, sounds and views to determine the best concepts and master plan for the project.
Schematic Design
In this phase, we will further refine the spaces as we sketch up engineering drawings of the floor plans, elevations, and site plan. Site logistics will be considered in this phase.
Construction Drawing
Architectural drawings will provide the clearest outlines of the technical details of the construction, the costs, and logistics. We will produce drawings and detailed sketches for quotation and contracting purposes.
Engineering & Permitting
In accordance with local permitting requirements, we can run engineering tests to prove a structure’s safety, including resistance to seismic, and environmental forces.
Bidding & Contracting
Our engineering drawings, combined with the bill of materials, form the specifications required for the bidding process. This information is used to select a vendor for subcontracting a project, or for purchasing products and services that are required.
Construction Administration
We offer oversight and execution of a construction contract during the material procurement, preconstruction and construction phases of a project. We also provide training for the bamboo craftspeople that will build your project and consultation for overcoming construction challenges.
Bamboo Master Studios also use VR design tools to simulate and feel the space and detail construction.
Why Bamboo?
Durability
Bamboo’s tensile strength is greater than that of steel. The structure of bamboo allows it to absorb vibrations better than almost every man-made material. Its progressive failure mode means greater safety compared to metals that fatigue, bend and stay bent, or carbon fiber which fails suddenly.
Renewability
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth, replenishing itself annually with new shoots. One plant can live over a hundred years and provides more usable mature poles every year. This makes bamboo more sustainable than wood as a building material, simply because it grows back so quickly.
Versatility
Bamboo is an incredibly versatile building material, as it can be bent and shaped into almost anything imaginable, while still maintaining its natural form. This aspect of bamboo inspires our process in an important way, allowing us creative freedom that is not possible with other building materials.
SHINE | Bamboo Master Studios & Mark Alan Diaz
