Experimental Bamboo

Bamboo is an ancient building material that fell largely out of favor in the twentieth century, only to be used as scaffolding in the construction of Asian skyscrapers or else to create atmosphere in polynesian-themed bars and restaurants that serve cocktails decorated with miniature umbrellas. But that may be changing now as our addiction to concrete is proving to be unsustainable. Bamboo is making a comeback as a “green” building material: it is natural, very fast-growing, light-weight, strong, flexible, affordable, and requires relatively little maintenance. Its only disadvantages are that it deteriorates when exposed to direct sunshine, and certain kinds of insects like to feed on it.  The other thing about bamboo is that, in structural applications, it has to be used whole. It can’t be sawn into lumber the way wood can, so it is only suitable for tropical open-air pavilions; certainly not air-tight passive houses in cold climates.