BAMBOO ARCHITECTURE

in Competition and Exhibition

The International Bamboo Building Design Competition
and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
by Robert Henrikson and David Greenberg

Bamboo forest in Anji, Zhejiang Province, China

Black bamboo grove in Kipahulu, Maui, Hawaii

 BAMBOO ARCHITECTURE
in Competition and Exhibition
By Robert Henrikson and David Greenberg
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2011.
No part of this book may be copied or reproduced in any form
without the written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-10 1453854967, EIN-13 978-1453854969
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by Ronore Enterprises, Inc. PO Box 909, Hana, Maui, Hawaii 96718 USA
www.bamboosun.com www.roberthenrikson.com roberthe@sonic.net
www.bambooarchitecturethebook.com www.treehousesofhawaii.com hanatreehouse@yahoo.com

Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to Loana von Lonski for assistance in book layout,
David Greenberg for his photography of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and the Anji bamboo forest,
Photos of Whispering Winds Bamboo Farm in Kipahulu Maui on title page, page 2 and 3,
and INBAR - International Network of Bamboo and Rattan.
Cover design by Robert Henrikson and David Greenberg.
Cover photos of bamboo buildings and designs:

Starry Bamboo Indonesia Pavilion

Mandala at the 2010 Shanghai
by Gerard Minakawa. World Expo.
Erected at the Burning Photo by D. Greenberg.
Man Festival in Black
Rock City Nevada USA.
Photo by R. Henrikson.

German-Chinese
Vietnam Pavilion House
at the 2010 Shanghai by Markus Heinsdorff.
World Expo. at the 2010 Shanghai
Photo by D. Greenberg. World Expo.
Photo by D. Greenberg.

Pavilion Asian Water Villa

by Marek Keppl & Toma by I. Made Gde
Korec. Appreciation Dharmendra.
Prize, International Resort House Winner,
Bamboo Building Design Bamboo Building Design
Competition. Competition.

Bar Phong Tra India Pavilion Dome

by Vo Trong Nghia. at the 2010 Shanghai
Next to the Wind and World Expo.
Water Cafe in Vietnam. Photo by D. Greenberg.
 BAMBOO ARCHITECTURE
in Competition and Exhibition
The International Bamboo Building Design Competition
and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo

by Robert Henrikson and David Greenberg

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
Why bamboo is the next green building material ......... 3
Bamboo book thoughts .......................................... 5

2. International Bamboo Building Design Competition ........ 6

Prize Winners and Building Category Winners .............. 7
Visiting the Wind and Water Cafe in Vietnam ............. 10
Bamboo Competition Exhibitions ............................ 14

3. Bamboo Buildings from the Competition ................... 17

Featuring Award Winning and Innovative Buildings

4. Bamboo Designs from the Competition ..................... 33

Featuring Visionary Award Winning Designs and Finalists

5. Bamboo Architecture at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 ..111

Featuring Pavilions of Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Spain,
Norway and the German-Chinese House

6. INBAR Competition at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 ... 127

Featuring four Bamboo Building Entries

7. Flechtwelten Woven Worlds Exhibition in Coburg Germany .140

8. Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition in New York City ...142

9. Author Biographies ..............................................146

1
International Bamboo Competition

International Bamboo Building Design Competition

Visionary Designs for Ecological Living
The first International Bamboo Building Design 50 Finalists came from these 25 countries: Aus-
Competition was created in 2006 to develop new tria, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark,
award winning designs for bamboo buildings, raise Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
awareness of the use of certified structural bam- Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal,
boo for building code approved structures, and Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Trinidad &
introduce architects, designers and builders to Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.
bamboo as a structural material. The results of the competition are truly exciting
Contestants registered from 64 countries and sub- and innovative, providing a fresh outlook for the
mitted 250 designs in 12 building categories such possibilities for bamboo in a new green world.
as family housing, urban buildings, emergency Later in 2007 an installation of entries by the 50
shelters, commercial and public buildings and finalists opened at an exhibition concurrent with
even treehouses. Documenta in Kassel, Germany at the KunstHoch-
An international panel of 16 jurors selected the Schule Design University. Four videos projected
top 50 finalists. In the final round, the jury chose on two walls and two monitors showed 3d mod-
the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. Criteria for els and construction of these designs. The show
judging were Utility (functionality), Strength moved to Guangzhou, China and then to Beijing
(structural integrity), Beauty (aesthetic appeal), at the Great Hall of the People. It is our hope this
Concept and Design Development, Graphic Layout show will continue to travel to museums and gal-
and Use and Expression of Bamboo. leries around the world.

First Prize: Handmade School in Bangladesh, by Anna Heringer & Eike Roswag, Germany.
www.bamboocompetition.com
6
 Bamboo Architecture

International Bamboo Building Design Competition

Top Four Prize Winners

FIRST PRIZE:
Handmade School in Bangladesh.
Anna Heringer & Eike Roswag: Germany.
This school was hand built in Bangladesh with
the community support of craftsmen, pupils and
teachers guided by a European architects and
students. The aim was to improve building tech-
niques, while maintaining sustainability, strength-
ening regional identity.

SECOND PRIZE:
Wind and Water Cafe.
Vo Trong Nghia & Nguyen Hoa Hiep: Vietnam.
This Caf is located in Binh Duong, Vietnam and is
built to receive as much cooling as possible from
the areas prevailing winds. Bamboo is used struc-
turally and decoratively throughout, with wood
from the water coconut used as roofing.

THIRD PRIZE:
Transport Station in Bogota.
Luis Alejandro Valencia Ojeda: Spain.
This bus exchange station is suggested for the
tropical climates of Bogota, Colombia. The beau-
tiful curves of the bamboo ceiling provide shade
and comfort for waiting passengers. Ball and
socket joints are used for connecting the bamboo
poles.

APPRECIATION PRIZE:
Pavilion.
Marek Keppl & Toma Korec: Slovak Republic.
Using the parabolic curve and bamboos natural
flexibility to create a lightweight structure and a
pleasant, light filled environment for people to
gather. Rainwater runs down the outside surface
of the membrane on the conic cylinders and into
retaining canals in the foundation.

7
Visionary Bamboo Buildings

18
International Bamboo Competition

Wind and Water Caf in Vietnam

Second Prize Winner, International Bamboo Building Design Competition
Vo Trong Nghia, Principal Architect, and Nguyen Hoa Hiep

A one hour drive north of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Vo Trong Nghia, an architect and entrepreneur,
will take you to the Wind and Water Cafe. Here designed with natural and local building materi-
in Binh Duong province, Vietnams booming indus- als, using thick structural bamboo poles with a
trial park region, is a cafe oasis. Surrounded by water coconut roof. The 1200m2 cafe has a cres-
bamboo gardens, pools and fountains, Wind and cent shaped design around a water pond, on a
Water Cafe is a refreshing afternoon stop for tea, 3700m2 site. He designed it using the wind and
coffee, drinks and conversation. the water to replace air conditioners.

10
Visionary Bamboo Buildings

20
Visionary Bamboo Designs

38
 Bamboo Architecture

49
Visionary Bamboo Designs

50
Visionary Bamboo Designs

54
 Bamboo Architecture

95
 Bamboo Architecture

BAMBOO IN EXHIBITION
Bamboo Architecture at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
Commentary and Photography Indonesia Pavilion
by David Greenberg
This chapter gives a glimpse at the important role
that bamboo and rattan has played in the recent
World Exposition at Shanghai. Bamboo was chosen
as the dominant architectural material in eight
major pavilions. The theme of the exposition was
Better City, Better Life. Great architects from
around the world demonstrated most dramati-
cally the contribution that bamboo can play in a
better life.
India Pavilion
Part of the better life offered by the use of bam-
boo at the Expo is its unique quality to create a
strong spiritual feeling. In the Pavilion of Vietnam
this is done through the creation of a Buddhist
temple environment. The dome of the Pavilion of
India offers an even greater feeling of spiritual-
ity in its ever so delicate and towering design. It
may even challenge the great domes of European
cathedrals in sheer intensity of inspiring forms.

German-Chinese House Vietnam Pavilion

Norway Pavilion Spain Pavilion

111
Shanghai Exhibition

Pavilion of Indonesia

The Pavilion of Indonesia perhaps used bamboo

in the most creative ways imaginable from the
unique floors to the ceilings and from the walls
to the columns both structurally and decorative-
ly. The dominant feeling is very modern in many
ways not seen before. The facade itself shows the
integration of about eight totally different meth-
ods of use.
The large smooth curving wall is accented by a
decorative art work in front of it by varying sizes
of more funky poles of a darker color. The roof
overhang is made of simple pieces of bamboo fit-
ted just next to one another, while a five story
vertical screen is created by thousands of little
bamboo potted hanging plants. Though beautiful-
ly proportioned bamboo louvers form an interest-
ing focus on its classic architectural competition,
ones eyes cant help being attracted to the simple
bamboo sliced sections forming the false ceilings
throughout.
The entire theme of the pavilion seems to inves-
tigate new and creative ways of using bamboo ar-
chitecturally and decoratively.

112
 Bamboo Architecture

Pavilion of India

This rooftop photo shows grass and flowers on top of a membrane, which covers the bamboo dome below.

The Pavilion of India for the most part is contained height of 17 meters, the dome links 36 compound
in what must be one of the largest domes ever bamboo arched ribs with steel and bamboo rings
built with bamboo with the famed collaboration using steel-concrete grout joints which were de-
of architect Simon Velez. veloped in Colombia by Velez, the major inspira-
tion for the project.
Its simple but elegant design is breath taking and
becomes the background for a 3D show presen- The idea of it as a living structure included the
tation, a moving hologram explaining the history membrane covering the micro-concrete shell sur-
and future of India. Most of the dome is covered face over the dome and finished with a triple-
with grass and flowers for its green and red roof- layered geo fabric acting as a growing and nu-
top. trient distribution medium for herbs, forming a
productive landscape covered with living plants in
The very simple and almost crude like bamboo
a grand ornamental composition interwoven with
system for the seating benches for the show com-
copper plates.
pliments the dome in a lovely way.
Architects D R Naidu, Design-C, a unit of JWT In-
It is the worlds largest bamboo dome in the Cit-
dia, Sanjay Prakeash, Pradeep Sachdeva, Mohan
ies of Harmony themed-India Pavillion. With a
Rao, guided by Simon Velez.
115
 Bamboo Architecture

German - Chinese House

The German-Chinese House at the Shanghai Expo

is unique for many reasons, first of all because
of the creative genius behind the designs- Markus
Heinsdorff.
The structure though mainly bamboo can better
be described as a hybrid. The use of both stain-
less steel and clean vinyl is so important in its
construction as well as aesthetic. The purity and
beauty comes from the contrasting naturalness
of the bamboo with the precision of the stainless
steel connections and the covering of the clear
synthetic protection- thin film vinyl walls.
Perhaps its most striking feature is its unique aes-
thetic. It just looks so different from any other
structure at expo even though the bottom line
there seems to be the creation of architecture
that is different.

125
 Bamboo Architecture

Bamboo and Rattan

INBAR Product Ideas Competition at 2010 Expo Shanghai
by Giles Henley and Lou Yiping, INBAR The Den
(International Network of Bamboo and Rattan) by Olav Bruin

INBARs participation in the 2010 Shanghai Expo

aimed to further demonstrate the multiple uses
and potential for bamboo and rattan in modern,
urban life. An important part of this was the dem-
onstration of bamboo-based architecture. Bam-
boo was well represented at the Expo with eight
national pavilions and other structures using it as
a prominent part of their structure or design.
INBARs own pavilion, using bamboo sourced from
nearby Zhejiang province, introduced participants Bendy Hut
to the multiple household and recreational uses of by Mui Paul, UK
bamboo and rattan, through a display of products
ranging from bamboo bikes and surfboards to ex-
quisite vases, handbags and computers.
INBARs Congress held in May 2010 in Shanghai
brought together over 200 people working with
bamboo from government ministries, businesses,
NGOs, research institutions and creative indus-
tries to discuss how bamboo can create better
lives and urban landscapes. As well as sessions
on policies and ongoing research, an architecture
session brought renowned architects from all over Baby Clam
the world together to discuss some of the most by Hang Ngoc Linh and Tran Hoang Anh
fascinating and versatile applications of bamboo
both in cities and rural settings, including tech-
niques which were on display in the Expo grounds.

INBAR Pavilion

Phu Quoc Airport

by Ton Men Banh and Yu-Ri Shin

International Network of Bamboo and Rattan

(INBAR). 8, Futong Dong Da Jie, Wangjing, Chaoy-
ang District P. O. Box 100102-86, Beijing 100102,
P. R. China. Website: www.inbar.int
127
INBAR Competition

Bamboo is one of the most This 6 star hotel resort is lo-

widely used building materi- cated on Koh Kood, an island
als in the world, but mainly by in the Gulf of Thailand. This
poor people. Its nickname is Den provides an auditorium/
the poor man`s timber and cinema for films, lectures and
as soon as people have enough plays, a library with books on
money they will build a house permaculture and local tra-
of stone and concrete. ditions, an art room, a music
The aim of the project is to room and fashion room, thus
change the bad reputation of giving children both crea-
bamboo and inspire people tive and ecological education
and architects by showing it while playing.
is an amazingly beautiful ma- The main structure has been
terial which is also suited for made using Pai Tong bamboo
making modern architecture. (Dendracolamus asper) in
Besides, bamboo is one of the lengths up to 9m and a diam-
most environment friendly eter of 10-13cm. The second-
building materials. It can ary roof and belly structure
be harvested after 4-5 years is made from Pai Liang bam-
when the bamboo is strong boo (Bambusa multiplex) in
enough for structural purpos- 4m lengths and a diameter
es. Since the bamboo plant around 5cm. Both types of
grows new shoots each year, bamboo come from planta-
its a continuous process of tions in the neighboring Thai
harvesting and growing. province of Prachinburi.

128
INBAR Competition

Baggage Claim

Vietnams tourist industry is booming. One of the To cope with the increase in air traffic a new air-
most sought after destinations is the paradise port is being planned. The new terminal will have
island of Phu Quoc. Located in the Gulf of Siam an annual capacity of 2 million passengers.
60 km offshore from the coasts of Vietnam and The proposal by Ton Men Banh and Yu Ri Shin Ar-
Cambodia, its biggest industry used to be fishing chitects cleverly combines the arrival with a jetty
and the export of its famous fish sauce. Now out- for water taxis to collect tourists on arrival tak-
siders are starting to learn about its long pristine ing them to the hotels, resorts and beaches along
beaches, national park forest and coral reefs, all the south west coast. Here the elements of air,
tempered by its the sub tropical climate. land and water are combined. The new airport is
Where previously the only flight was from Ho Chi an important gateway; representing the culture,
Minh City, connections are now being made direct industry and materials of the region, not just an-
to the island from all over South East Asia. other off-the-shelf air conditioned box.

Model

136
Author Biographies

About the Authors

David Greenberg is trained as an architect and ur-
ban designer. He now spends half his time in Maui and
half in China in pursuit of his new found field of Sus-
tainable Ruralism, an integrated approach to helping
rural culture in an ecological way, in this very one sid-
ed non ecological urban oriented world even in China.
Greenbergs various projects both in Hawaii, but main-
ly in China are ever aware of the urgency of the impor-
tance of saving the planet by saving the rural, agricul-
tural, natural and social life of the non-urban areas.
He is closely associated with the Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Ecological and Environmental Division
as a board member of Intecopolis and gives lectures
throughout major Chinese cities on ecological matters.
Greenberg feels strongly about Chinas responsibility
to help rural areas be more sustainable. He has spent
the last few years working in Shenzhen with a people
participation group and consulting with a nationwide
Author Greenberg relaxing for a moment in the Peruvian
think tank, China Development Institute (CDI), and the Amazon Jungle in search of the perfect eco tourist resort
local government on ecological development. site, after lecture and exhibition in Lima on bamboo.
As a consultant on designing with bamboo for INBAR he
has lectured world wide, created exhibits and promot- For over 10 years, much of his practice has involved
ed creativity with bamboo on four continents in the eco-tourism projects. One of his keenest goals involves
belief that it is one of the important paths for a low the challenge of using bamboo in eco-tourist and pov-
carbon future. erty reduction projects.
Greenberg is probably most famous for his treehouse
designs especially The Big Beach in the Sky at the
Nanshan Buddhist Culture Zone near Sanya on Hainan
Island. He authored the book Treehouses in Paradise-
fantasy designs for the 21st Century, an Abrams book.
He loves to think of himself first and foremost as a 21st
Century Renaissance man with a bamboo staff.
TreeHousesofHawaii.com. hanatreehouse@yahoo.com.
david@bambooarchitecturethebook.com.
Bambooarchitecturethebook.com.

During the summer of 2010 he lived in one of Chinas

largest bamboo forests near Anji in Zhejiang province
promoting sustainable ruralism. He worked on the in-
tegration of culture, agriculture, art, and social as well
as spiritual matters on an 18 sq. kilometer site of bam-
boo. Eating bamboo for breakfast, lunch and dinner,
cooked many ways. Drinking a bamboo soft drink was
a daily occurrence as was meditating often with his
best friend, Master Chang, a Zen Monk who visited him
often in the middle of the bamboo forest.
146
 Bamboo Architecture

About the Authors

Robert has been a green business entrepreneur for over
30 years in sustainable development business models
for algae, bamboo and natural resources. He is an
Algae Alliance consultant on business development,
branding, sales and marketing, advising companies and
investors in algae ventures (AlgaeAlliance.com).
In 2011 he launched the International Algae Compe-
tition (AlgaeCompetition.com): A Global Challenge to
Design Visionary Algae Food and Energy Systems.
Robert was a founder of Earthrise Farms and for 20
years, was President of Earthrise, pioneer in algae. He
developed Earthrise brand products in the USA and 30
countries. Authored the book Spirulina World Food
in 2010, previously Earth Food Spirulina, translated
into 6 international editions (SpirulinaSource.com).

Robert Henrikson was the creator and director of

the International Bamboo Building Design Competition
(BambooCompetition.com), and the former CEO of a
leading company building certified, code-approved
bamboo buildings.
Robert is the co-author of the book Visionary Bamboo
Designs for Ecological Living based on the Internation-
al Bamboo Building Design Competition.

Robert is a photographer (Panmagic.com) and docu-

mentary filmmaker, and produced the DVD series Fold-
ing Time and Space at Burning Man over the past 5
years (Folding-Time.com).
Co-Owner of Hana Gardenland, a botanical paradise
retreat in Hana Maui, with vacation retreats, agricul-
tural and eco tourism (HanaPalmsRetreat.com). Co-
Owner of Wild Thyme Farm, a sustainable forestry and
permaculture farming eco-community near Olympia
Washington (WildThymeFarm.com).
RobertHenrikson.com. email: roberthe@sonic.net.
147