Bamboo U

Taking bamboo to outer space- more specifically Mars- is a featured topic at the end of this podcast. We also talk about engineered bamboo, round pole construction, and the future of bamboo construction. An absolute honor to have Atelier One’s Neil Thomas as a guest in today’s episode.

In today’s episode, we speak with Paola Rojas, an architect, and Bamboo U alumni. If you are an aspiring bamboo architect then this episode is for you! We talk about the challenges and lessons learned from getting started. From first bamboo projects all the way to collaborating to build reputable bamboo structures in Mexico.

This might have been my favorite conversation of the season! A really interesting discussion about digital design and augmented reality, and how these tools might impact the future of bamboo architecture. Kristof Crolla is an associate Dean at The University of Hong Kong and also the Founder, Principal of the Laboratory for Explorative Architecture & Design Ltd. (LEAD).

An exciting episode and topic for the future of bamboo architecture in the Americas. Jules De Laage is an architect, former Program Manager at Bamboo U and currently leading the team building Green School Tulum in Mexico. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to bring bamboo designs into a new context that faces environmental challenges like hurricanes, which requires an entirely new design vocabulary to emerge as a response.

The circular economy is a set of principles which serve as a guide in how we use our resources in an efficient and sustainable way. Felix Bock is the CEO and the Founder of ChopValue and we are honored to have him as a guest on today’s episode, to talk about turning waste into a resource and building a movement around the circular economy.

Sanne is a Bamboo U Alumni and an architect from Amsterdam. Together with her team, she is working on building an entire bamboo industry in Uganda- from plantation and harvesting to government support and building structures.

Jed Long began working with bamboo for temporary structures at festivals, today he is working with engineered bamboo.

We’re back with a brand new season, and we’re honored to have Luis Felipe Lopez as our first guest. Originally from Colombia, Luis is an expert bamboo engineer based in the Philippines where he works on sustainable social housing made using bamboo with his firm Base Bahay.

Dr. Friederich is planting Europe's first bamboo farm in southern Portugal. He says it could be the beginning of the bamboo industry in the region. Europe is one of the largest markets for bamboo products in the world and the demand for bamboo is growing. Although bamboo is not a native species, there are a few potential benefits to European bamboo farms. This includes fighting climate change, boosting local economies, and supporting the next generation of European farmers. Listen in to learn more.

Jules graduated from architecture school in Montreal Canada and decided to take a different path after he graduated. He went to Brazil to see his father, and quickly fell in love with bamboo. Then he moved to Bali to gain the relevant skills and expertise to become a bamboo architect because he believes bamboo is the perfect ambassador to introduce more people to the power of sustainable architecture. This podcast is about his journey to understanding the full capacity of bamboo as a building material.

This episode explores the role of craftsmanship in Bamboo construction. Moko has been working with Bamboo since he was a young child and comes from a long line of traditional Balinese Craftsmen. He has worked first for Green School, and then with Ibuku for more than 10 years. Besides being a production manager at Ibuku's factory he's also an instructor at Bamboo U and teaches people from all over the world how to build unique bamboo creations.

James Wolf and his wife Lam have been working with bamboo in Vietnam for over 20 years. He has started multiple successful bamboo companies combining his design skills with his passion for Bamboo. His products range from water fountains, to racing bikes, to 'squatty potties.' You'll need to listen to this episode to find out what that is. His mission is to design with bamboo not just because it is sustainable, but because it performs better than alternatives.

This interview is with Elora Hardy. She is the founder and creative director of IBUKU, a Bali based team of designers and architects who make innovative structures our of Bamboo. Her work has gained international attention, for reconnecting human spaces with nature, and reminding us that a inspirational and hopeful future is possible.

Bamboo offers design students new opportunities to understand form. This interview is with Scott Vandervoort one of our guest facilitators at Bamboo U. Scott has been teaching 3D design at Pratt Institute in New York for over 15 years, and has lectured internationally on form making. He runs training workshops on abstract visualization techniques and in developing hand eye coordination. Scott fell in love with bamboo while living in Bali in 2019. Listen in to learn more about how bamboo can help us expand our creativity and develop beautiful objects out of bamboo.

Arief is greening the world by planting bamboo. As our timber resources decline, bamboo is becoming an important alternative. But how do we ensure that we can grow enough bamboo to meet growing demand? Arief wants to establish 1000 Bamboo Villages. By empowering communities to plant and harvest bamboo sustainably; we can help them improve their livelihoods, restore degraded landscapes, and mitigate the impact of climate change. Tune in to learn more about his approach towards a sustainable bamboo forestry.

John Hardy saw the beauty in Bamboo, and realized it was one of the few materials we can promise future generations. This led him to build the Green School in Bali entirely out of bamboo, with his wife Cynthia. His innovative ideas were instrumental in sparking a bamboo design and construction movement in Bali. Tune in to learn about how he gathered a team of designers, educators, and builders to create an iconic campus made entirely out of bamboo.

Welcome to the intro episode of the Bamboo U podcast. My name is Orin and I’m really excited to bring you these interviews about design, creative thinking, nature-led architecture and bamboo! For those of you who haven’t heard of Bamboo U before, in this intro episode I will explain a little bit about what we do. As well as to tell you a bit about me, your host.