The Study of Bamboo in Architecture

The Study of Bamboo in Architecture Nicole Coker VTN Architects | Bamboo Wing | 2009

Table of Contents Introduction................4-5 Inspiration...................6-7 Uses of Bamboo In Architecture........8-12 Full Bamboo Construction...........13-18 Properties of Bamboo....................19-30 Bamboo in the United States................31 Uses of Bamboo in South Carolina........32 Asthetics of Space with bamboo...........................33-34 Bibliography...............35

“The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists�

- Japanese Proverb

IBUKU Architects | Green Village | 2009

Bamboo as a Architectureal Material: Introduction

IBUKU | Leaf Hou

use at Green Village | 2014

During this independent study, I seek to learn more about the plant of bamboo and how it can be used in Architectural design. The lengths of my study cover the basic knowledge of bamboo regarding the plant as a material. I have information on what bamboo is consisted of, some of the most commonly used bamboo species for building, how it grows, and what processes it goes through to be made usable for construction and design.

Within my study, I have also highlighted the places in the world that bamboo grows naturally and where it is planted and grown manually.

My study also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of bamboo vs. other materials used in architecture to give a comparison and strengthen the point that bamboo should be used opposed to other materials. My research also covers where bamboo is or was used for architectural purposes in the world. I have listed architects who have designed and built with the material

IBUKU | Green School | 2009

Inspiration My inspiration for beginning this independent study on bamboo as an architectural material began when I watched a TED talk presented by Elora Hardy. In this TED talk, Elora spoke about her experiences with building with bamboo. Her love for designing with this material was introduced to her by her father who grows bamboo near her home. At nine years old, her father and mother even designed her dream home out of bamboo.

During the TED talk, Elora explains some of the sustainable qualities that bamboo has. These sustainable qualities include its ability to grow on unproductive land, deep ravines, and mountainsides. and as well as its ability to survive on sunlight and rainwater alone. She explains that out of the 1,450-bamboo species that grow around the world, she uses only seven of them. One specie that she mentioned in her talk was the Dendrocalamus asper niger bamboo in which her father grows. This specie sends up a new generation of shoots each year and grows at a very rapid pace. Elora describes bamboo as sustainable timber ready to use in just three years. She tells us bamboo has the tensile strength of steel, the compressive strength of concrete and is earthquake resistant.

In finding all the sustainable and strength characteristics of bamboo, Elora founded IBUKU. IBUKU stands for mother and KU means mine, overall representing my Mother Earth. The IBUKU is a team of artisans, architects, and designers who have built over 50 unique structures in Bali. This team focuses on bamboo and its uniqueness. No two bamboo poles are the same. The IBUKU team specially hand picks each borax treated bamboo pole to match their scaled bamboo models. to create these beautiful structures. Bamboo poles are not straight so IBUKU is reinventing the way they think about architecture and inventing their own rules. Based on all these findings and beautiful architecture that IBUKU has designed and constructed out of bamboo, I have decided to further my research to understand why this seemingly sustainable material is not used in the United States and why specifically is it not used in South Carolina.

IBUKU’s Misson IBUKU pioneers innovations in bamboo design and construction, shining a light on this abundant grass as the building material of the future. Our designers draw out the beauty, strength and versatility from bamboo, creating refined designs for hand-made homes and global destinations.

IBUKU | Sharma Springs Residence | 2012

Why Bamboo?

IBUKU uses bamboo because of its strength, beauty, and flexibility, and also because with its 4-year growth cycle and carbon sequestration capacity it is the most environmentally conscientious building material conceivable.

Our engineers, architects and designers have created a completely new vocabulary. Not only is bamboo good for the environment, it also helps the people living in that space connect to nature which then enhances quality of life.

IBUKU | TRi Restaurant Furniture, Hong Kong

IBUKU’s Design Process Instead of conventional blueprints, we create to-scale structural models made of hand-whittled bamboo sticks. These models are replicated in 3D line in computer programs for our engineers to study and confirm that the building adheres to our strict codes. The design process doesn’t end there.

Our architects and engineers then follow the project in depth through completion to ensure structural integrity and longevity.

Scaled model by IBUKU

Uses of Bamboo In Architecture

Louis Kahn| Scaffolding| 1993

Louis Kahn| Scaffolding| 1993

Bamboo Scaffolding Bamboo Scaffolding is predominantly found in Asian Countries. Asians have been using this methods for years. As presented in the book Grow you r own House, bamboo is often used for large, open, and exposed constructions such as scaffolding because of its durability and elasticity. An interesting example also found in this book was that after a typhoon in Asian cities, the steel scaffolding is destroyed, the bamboo scaffolding still stood due to its elastic characteristics compared to steel.

O Studio Architects | Church of Seed | 2010

Form Making In designing the Church of Seed by O Architects, Figure B, bamboo was used to create form work for concrete to be cast in. According to an article written by Amy Frearson on dezeen.com, Vertical ridges in the surface of these inclined walls reveal the bamboo form work that the concrete was cast into.

Laminated Bamboo One of the most predominate uses of laminated bamboo is in flooring. As stated in the article The Benefits and Drawbacks of Bamboo Flooring, written by Joseph Lewitin in 2018, the advantages of bamboo flooring is that it is ecologically friendly, is easily maintained, it is water resistant, it is a natural material, has appealing aesthetic, and it is durable. Some of the disadvantages can be that bamboo flooring is easily scratched, can suffer from water damage, and humidity.

Three-layer solid bamboo parquet floor produced by Elephant Parkett

Figure A | Roofing by Simon Velez

Bamboo Roofing According to the book, Alternative Construction

by Lynne Elizabeth and Cassandra Adams, bamboo is frequently used for roofing applications because it has high strength-to-weight ratio and its flexibility. These types of roofing structures are particularly found in seismic areas because of the non-rigidness of the walls. Figure A is a roofing system created by Simon Velez.

Bamboo Raft | Made by Indonesians

Bamboo as floating devices Bamboo because of the hollow and typically airfilled chambers makes it extremely buoyant, so it is able to float and hold considerable weight.

This device as been used for thousands of years for fishermen and people at war.

Bamboo Walls | Latin America

Wind Breaking Bamboo fencing is one of the numerous ways bamboo can be utilized. Fencing is used as a wind breaking device as well as defense mechanisms. In the book, Grow your own House, it states that the simplest technique is to create a block or palisade wall of vertically arranged bamboo canes. Some fences can be arranged vertically or horizontally, interwoven, or in some instances, filled with leaves and clay.

IBUKU | The Millennium Bridge | 2011

Bamboo Bridges The Millennium Bridge is a testament to the strength of bamboo. It is the largest bamboo bridge in Asia, with a span of 23 meters and an impressive Minangkabau inspired roof. Due to its tensile strength and ability to hold heavy loads bamboo is suitable for bride construction.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Architecture ZBC Bamboo Pavilion | 2016

Temporary Bamboo Pavilions The ZBC Bamboo Pavilion maximizes the use of bamboo’s unusually high flexibility and strength.

The shell structure consists of a bending - active diagrid built from three layers of bamboo that fold into three large hollow columns as explained in the book, Journal of Architectural Education, Volume 72, Issue 1 in March 2018.

Simon Velez | Factory Hall 1993

Full Bamboo Construction Bamboo has a vast range of uses, but what this research is focused on is bamboo and its ability to be used as the main material is architectural design and construction. There are several buildings around the world made almost entirely of bamboo and about one billion people who live in bamboo homes. The firms that have taken bamboo and used it in almost every aspect of design is IBUKU, the architect Simon Velez, and Vo Trong Nghia Architects.

IBUKU| The Green School and other bamboo projects

Location : Sibang Kaja,Bali Client: Green School Site Area: 45,000 sqm Floor Area: 2,740 sqm Bamboo Material Use (structure): 37000 m Build Time: 12 months ( May 2008 – May 2009) Completion: May 2009

Location: Sibang Kaja,Bali Client: Green School Site Area: 45.000 sqm Floor Area: 140 sqm Bamboo Material Use (structure): 7000 m’ Build Time: 4 months Completion: May 2012

Location: Sibang Gede, Bali Client: Individual Site Area: 716 sqm Floor Area: 260,98 sqm Build Time: 12 Months Completion: September 2015

Location: Bongkasa, Bali Client: Individual Site Area: 875 sqm Floor Area: 120 sqm Build Time: 5 Months Completion: September 2014

Vo Trong Nghia Architects Vo Trong Nghia Architects is founded by Vo Trong Nghia. Nghia has developed sustainable architectural design by integrating inexpensive, local materials and traditional skills with contemporary aesthetics and modern methodologies. (VTN, 2016)

Vo Trong Nghia| Roc Van Restaurant and other bamboo projects

Location : Xa Phu Cat, Huyen Quoc Oai, Hanoi Client: La Vong group JSC. Site Area: 6560 m2 Floor Area: 1100 m2 Program: Restaurant Completion: April 2015

Location : Morelos, Mexico Client: Jardines de Mexico Floor Area: 4,500m2 Program: Restaurant Completion: 2011

Location: Truong Sa Road, Ngu Hanh Son District, Danang, Vietnam Client: Thanh Do Investment Development and Construction JSC Floor Area: 773 m2 Completion: March 2015

Location: La Vong, Hanoi, Vietnam Client: La Vong Commerce and Service JSC Floor Area: 490m2 Program: Restaurant and reception hall Completion: Under construction

Simon Velez Almost 35 years ago, Simon discovered a construction technique that allowed him to use bamboo as a true ‘vegetal steel.’ This technique is very simple and consists of injecting cement mortar in the empty chambers of bamboo where there are structural unions. We still do not know the resistance in traction of bamboo. We only know that it is much stronger than steel. Simón’s basic theory is that architecture must be more vegetarian. Simon also specializes in joints made of bamboo to make construction with bamboo feasible.(Simon Velez Projects, 2015)

Simon Velez| ZERI Pavilion and other bamboo projects

Location : Manizales, Columbia Client: Manizales Chamber of Commerce Site Area: 10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft Program: Expo Hannover in 2000 Completion: 2000

Introduction: Bamboo Basics

Bamboo is a plant that is grown from a seed or rhizome. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a rhizome is a horizontal underground plant stem that allow the parent plant to propagate vegetatively (asexually). Rhizomes are very important in bamboo because this is how they spread to continue their growth. There are two different rhizome systems that bamboo grows in that classifies bamboo growth as clumping or running. The first rhizome system is called the pachymorph (sympodial). In this system, the apex of a rhizome gives rise to a shoot that grows into a culm, the woody stem of bamboo. (Janssen, 10). This bamboo appears to grow in large clumps that are close together (Figure 1) image of clumping bamboo. The second rhizome system is known as leptomorph (monopodial). In this system the lateral bud from each internode develops into a culm or a rhizome. As the apex of the rhizome grows horizontal to the ground, the clump of monopodial bamboos has a spreading habit, with each culm growing at a distance from the other. (Janssen, 10) The main difference between the two systems is that clumping bamboo stays in a centralized location, while the running bamboo reproduces and spreads across vast areas expressed in Figure 2. Image of running bamboo

The structure of bamboo is another important aspect to the plant and its uniqueness. The bamboo plant consists of six basic structural elements: diaphragm, ring, node, internode, culm wall, and cavity. According to the book Building and Designing with Bamboo, most bamboos are hollow. In the hollow inner area, some horizontal partitions called “diaphragms” can be seen. On the outside, these partitions are denoted by a ring around the culm. A diaphragm and the ring on the outside together form a “node”. Branches grow from these nodes. The part between two nodes is called an “internode”. The internodes of most bamboos are hollow; that is, they have a “cavity”. (Figure 3) (make drawing of bamboo)

Bamboo is part of the true grass family, and makes up the largest and most productive member of the grass family. Over 1,000 species and 91 genera of bamboo exist throughout the world and they grow in a wide range of climates and regions according to the website Complete Bamboo. Bamboo is one of the most rapid and tallest growing material found in the world. Bamboo spans from heights of 11 inches minimum and depending on the specie, can grow to heights over 100 feet with 8 inches in diameter. (CompleteBamboo.com) Regarding speed of growth, the bamboo plant is one of the top producers of biomass, producing about 10 tons per hectare. According to an estimate, bamboo accounts for one-quarter of the biomass in tropical regions and one-fifth in sub-tropical regions. (Janssen, 10) According to the article Bamboo Architecture and Construction with Oscar Hidalgo, Cassandra Adams notes that bamboo can be used for different things at certain ages in the growth cycle. She states that within 30 or more days, bamboo is good for consumption as food, 6-9 months can be used for basket making, 2-3 years for bamboo boards and lamination, 3-6 years for construction, and 6 years and up if the bamboo is not cut for use, after its 12th year it begins to lose its strength.

One must not forget to adequately emphasize bamboo’s role as a means for erosion control, riverbank protection, landslide prevention and land rehabilitation.

Bamboo’s extensive network of rhizomes and roots binds the top one foot of soil, which is critical for land productivity, and effectively resists erosion by forces of nature such as wind and water. There are cases reported wherein bamboo was planted to successfully prevent the erosion of a riverbank and thus protect a village from being washed away.

There are over 1500 species of bamboo grown around the world. Listed below are all the places that have been recorded around the world that grows bamboo according to World Bamboo Resources by Maxim Lobovikov in 2005. Bamboo that is suitable for constructuon can be grown in temperare regions in North America but only around a thousand poles are grown. (Adams and Elisabeth, 2005)

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C IBUKU | Yoga Pavilion at Four Seasons | 2015

Locations where Bamboo Grows

North America Belize jamacia

South America Brazil Eucador

Africa Congo Ethipoia Gambia Kenya Rwanda Uganda

Asia Bangladesh Cambodia India Japan Malaysia Myanmar Nepal Philippines Thilannd Vietnam

Bamboo Species used in construction Guadua angustifolia Type: Guadua angustifolia Maximum Diameter: 25cm Average Diameter: 9 to 13cm Maximum height: 15 to 30m Pace of growth: 6 months to reach max height and 4 to 6 years for harvesting Productivity: 1,200-1,350 culms per hectar per year Location: Central and South America Native to: Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela Uses: furniture & crafts work, raw construction material, panels (plywood, laminates, floors), bio-energy industry, musical instruments, houses, etc.

Petung Dendrocalamus asper Type: Petung Dendrocalamus asper Maximum Diameter: 18cm Average Diameter: 10 to 18cm Maximum height: 20m Pace of growth: Fulll materiey at 3-4 years old Productivity: clump may attain a diameter of 3 meters or more and contains about 60 culms Location: Africa - Madagascar; Southeast Asia - China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia.

Uses: Construction material, music instruments, water-pipes, furnitures, agricultural-equipment, and hand crafts

Phyllostachys nigra Type: Phyllostachys nigra Average Diameter: 2.25 in Maximum height: 10 to 35 ft Pace of growth: 3 to 5 feet every year Location: China Uses: medicines, decor, rafters in construction

Phyllostachys bambusoides Type: Phyllostachys bambusoides Average Diameter: 4-6 in Maximum height: 72ft Average Height:50ft Pace of growth: 40 inches per day Location: China, Japan Unites States: California, Oregon, and Washington State Uses: posts, beams, scaffolding

Species Selection One of the most important factors in selecting bamboo for construction is temperature.

Phyllostachys have strong temperate running bamboos that can withstand 0 degrees Fahrenheit and hot, humid summers. These species include Phyllostachys bambusoides, Phyllostachys pubescens (moso), Phyllostachys nigra. In selecting bamboo for construction inspectors check for hardiness, quality of poles, edible shoots, forage quality, and flowering dates. ( Adams and Elizabeth, 2005)

Comparison of materials: Strength, Stiffness, Tensile strength, Compressive strength, etc.

Durability When it comes to bamboo, durability is one of the main concerns. According to Jules Janssen in the book Designing and Building with Bamboo, bamboo is less durable than wood because it lacks certain chemicals needed for natural preservation. However, with the help of treatment to the bamboo before use, the durability of the material can be increased.

Treatment:

In terms of treatment of the bamboo plant there are two ways that are available for preservation depending on what the bamboo is being used for. The two types of treatments are traditional and chemical. Traditional preservation includes methods such as curing, smoking, soaking and seasoning, and lime washing. The actual success rates of these methods are not known, but are still noteworthy. The following methods and information regarding preservation explained in this paper for both traditional and chemical where gathered from the book Building and Designing with Bamboo by Janssen.

When it comes to bamboo, durability is one of the main concerns. According to Jules Janssen in the book Designing and Building with Bamboo, bamboo is less durable than wood because it lacks certain chemicals needed for natural preservation. However, with the help of treatment to the bamboo before use, the durability of the material can be increased.

IBUKU | Minang House at Bambu Indah | 2007

Treatment

In terms of treatment of the bamboo plant there are two ways that are available for preservation depending on what the bamboo is being used for. The two types of treatments are traditional and chemical. Traditional preservation includes methods such as curing, smoking, soaking and seasoning, and lime washing. The actual success rates of these methods are not known, but are still noteworthy. The following methods and information regarding preservation explained in this paper for both traditional and chemical where gathered from the book Building and Designing with Bamboo by Janssen.

In terms of chemical preservation, these methods are most useful for large-scale projects such as building, which is what this research is primarily focused on. The chemical preservation in bamboo is quite unique since no waste is created when preforming the chemical treatments. When treating bamboo, chemicals that are cost effective and environmentally safe are generally used. These chemicals are based on the element of boron and the most effective chemical preservation products include boron-based fertilizer, disodium octoborate tetrahydrate (chemical formula Na2 B8 O13.4H2 O), with 66% active boron content. Ultimately, once this is used with the bamboo, the sugar and starch from the plant mixes and creates a great fertilizer hence the important aspect of no waste. In summary, there are two major ways to introduce the chemicals to the bamboo plant: modified Boucherie process for whole green culms and dip-diffusion for split culms.

Below is the chemical preservation method of Modified Boucherie. The steps and processes are laid out by the book, Building and Designing with Bamboo. “In this method, the preservative is passed under pressure through the culm vessels till it comes out at the other end of the culm. This can be applied only to fresh bamboo, within 24 hours after the harvest. As the preservative is passed through the vessels, the remaining 90% of the cross-section does not get any contact with the preservative. The preservative liquid is kept in a closed drum, which is connected to one end of the bamboo with rubber tubes and sleeves tightly clamped around the end of the bamboo (Figs.

38, 39). An air pump provides the pressure. Air in the upper part of the sleeve has to be removed; otherwise, the upper part of the culm will remain unpreserved, resulting in badly treated culms. At first, sap will start dripping from the lower end without preservative in it. As the process continues, the concentration of preservative in the sap will increase. The process has to be continued till the whole length of bamboo gets sufficient quantity of preservative. To determine end of process, the concentration of the solution dripping from the lower end must be checked. If it nearly equals the concentration of the preservative in the tank, the process is complete. The liquid passing out of the culm may be recycled after cleaning and adding chemicals to achieve the original concentration. After treatment, the culms must be stored under shade to dry� will be more supposable to fungi infestations almost as if it were never treated.

Availability of Bamboo The study below represents the availability of bamboo based off of a study represented by the book World bamboo resources A thematic study prepared in the framework of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 by Maxim Lobovikov.

Bamboo and Shear Stress Let us consider an example, taking the bending stress as 62 N/mm2, and a bamboo specimen with an outer diameter (D) of 100 mm and moment of inertia (I) of 2.69 3 106 mm2. A four-point bending testwith a span of 3 600 mm is employed. Based on these values, M = s 3 L 4 R = 3.34 3 106 Nmm. The point load F = M 4 1 200 mm = 2780 N. This causes a shear stress in the neutral layer of 2 3 F 4 A = 2.2 N/mm2. This is the critical shear stress.

Consequently, a typical failure pattern in bending test in bamboo is that the bamboo splits into four quarters.

In a massive cross-section like that of timber, the shear stress is 1.5 3 F 4 A, which in this case is 1.65 N/mm2 only.

Does this mean a disadvantage for bamboo? Yes and no. The disadvantage is that owing to the hollow form, bamboo is in a weaker position than timber. Consider a sample of bamboo with 100 mm outside diameter and a wall thickness 6.9 of 9 mm.

A sample of wood of the same cross-section will have an area of 51 3 51 mm.

In the neutral layer, bamboo has only 2 3 9 = 18 mm to cope with shear, while wood has 51 mm.

For joints made with fasteners such as bolts, this poses a problem. The advantage is that bamboo does not have rays like timber. Rays are mechanically weak and as a result, bamboo material is better in shear than timber material. However, this advantage gets nullified in most cases owing to the hollow form. Carrying out tests on bamboo is not easy. There at least two planes in a shear test on bamboo, and these are asymmetric as well. How to accurately determine the ultimate shear stress? Research done by the author has shown that this is a simple and reliable test method. Tests with bolts through a piece of bamboo are not only important for the design and calculation of joints, but also challenging (Fig. 46: Test on shear with bolt in bamboo). One has to determine the cause of failure, which could be: - pure shear in the bamboo between the bolt and the free end; or - the bolt acting as a wedge, opening the bamboo; or - the bamboo in direct contact with the bolt being not strong enough to resist the pressure.

(This entire study was conducted and recorded in the book Designing and building with Bamboo by Jules Janssen)

IBUKU | TRi Restaurant | 2015

Compression Test Most people consider compression test as simple, and in the case of timber it is simple – put a piece of timber between two steel plates and press. The hollow form of bamboo, however, makes the test more complicated.

Assume that compression tests are run on timber and bamboo specimens, each with a cross section of 2 570 mm2. This means adiameter (D) of 100 mm and a wall thickness (t) of 9 mm for bamboo, 51 3 51 mm fortimber. From these dimensions, one can see that the material in bamboo is at a greater distance – about 50 mm, half the diameter – from the center than in timber – between 13 and 17 mm (the size of timber is 51 mm, so the distance from the center to the side is 25.5 mm, and half of this is 13 mm; along the diagonal it is 17 mm).

Compression means longitudinal shortening and, consequently, lateral strain (called Poisson’s Effect). Because of the greater distance to the center, this effect is much more important in bamboo than in timber. During a compression test on bamboo, one can see the bamboo becoming thicker in the middle, but the two steel plates are keeping the specimen together by friction. This impedes lateral strain at the top and bottom, giving a false impression of the compression strength. Fig. 48 shows clearly how bamboo becomes like a beer barrel, and how the steel plates on top and bottom keep the bamboo specimen together.

Fig. 48: Bamboo in compression between steel plates Fig. 49: A reliable compression test using friction-free plates A reliable compression test on bamboo has to be run between steel plates with frictionfree surface, such as those coated with Teflon or wax. An example can be seen in Fig. 49, showing a compression test between such steel plates. Fig. 50 shows this steel plate in detail; the Teflon cannot be seen but a series of thin steel wedges, which can move freely in the radial direction, are clearly visible. This allows the bamboo also to move freely in the same direction. Remarkably, this phenomenon was being discussed in China as far back as in 1921

by Meyer and Ekelund (1923). They tested with lead plates between the steel plates and the bamboo, and without lead plates. In the first case, “When the pressure approached the ultimate stress, big cracks appeared on the sides of the specimen, which opened wider and wider and the piece finally broke down”. In the last case, without lead, the samples were about 20% stronger than with lead, “as the increased friction at the ends kept the fibers together, thus delaying the cracking”. This phenomenon remained unrecognized until 1991 when Oscar Arce (1993), during his Ph.D. study at TUE, affirmed the need for friction-free plates for correct compression test. Fig. 50: Detail of the friction-free steel plate used in the test As in the case of bending, it is lignin, with its weak resistance against strain, which determines the compression strength. Notably, the percentage of cellulose is not important. One has to keep in mind that the use of a compression test is to predict the behavior of a bamboo column or a member in a truss, not between steel plates. This means that the test with Teflon-coated plates predicts the behavior of bamboo in compression in a structure better than the test between steel plates.

(This entire study was conducted and recorded in the book Designing and building with Bamboo by Jules Janssen)

IBUKU | TRi Restaurant | 2015

Bamboo Structures in the United States Overview of Advantages of building with bamboo 1.) Speed of growth: Bamboo can grow 60 to 150 feet in months and reach maturity in 3-6 years while regular timer takes more than a hundred years to mature 2.) High strength-to-weight ratio: Bamboo is extremely strong compared to its weight 3.) Flexibility: Bamboo flexibility allows it to be versatile and thrive in seismic areas and areas that have frequent earthquakes 4.) Recyclable material: Bamboo can grow in unproductive soils and mountainsides. It has the ability to revitalize land and bamboo reproduces by springing new shoots every year.

5.) Temperature: There are some bamboo species like the phyllostachy family that can withstand temperatures as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit and hot humid summers 6.) Treatments established: As described earlier, there are found methods of treatment of bamboo so that it can be used in construction 7.) Abundance: Bamboo has the ability to reproduce on its own making bamboo a very abundant source

Disadvantages of Bamboo in the United States 1.) Lack of knowledge: In the United States, farmers and planters are uneducated on how to properly grow and cultivate bamboo 2.) Unsustainable importation: Due to the lack of knowledge in growing and cultivating bamboo can be unsustainable importing it into the US. However, the poles that we receive from China are usually culled, older, ungraded, or highly blemished.

3.) Vulnerable to insects: Without the proper treatment bamboo can be extremely venerable to insects and fungi 4.) Building codes: Due to bamboo not being a straight material like wood, architects like IBUKU have had to come up with their “own rules� when building with bamboo. In the United States there are no official codes regulating construction for building with bamboo which is why there are not many buildings here. According to the article Sustainable structures: Bamboo Standards and building codes by Gatoo, Sharma, Bock, and Mulligan, to adopt and implement structural and engineered bamboo as a construction material, a major barrier of the lack of standards and building codes needs to be addressed. Although design and testing standards exist for full culm bamboo (ISO, 2004a, 2004b, 2004c), they do not provide the foundation from which builders, engineers and architects can design and construction.

Potential uses of Bamboo in South Carolina With bamboo being a sustainable material if grown and cultivated properly in the United Sates, it can lead to a more sustainable future and add to the 1,713 LEED certified projects currently in South Carolina.

Goals to achieve in order to being using Bamboo in the US and specifically in South Carolina 1.) Education: The first step in using bamboo as a architectural material is to get educated. If farmers and planters were able to learn the proper growing, cultivation, grading, and treatments, bamboo could become a sustainable material used for construction in the US. 2.) Building Codes: Currently, there are no building codes regulating the use of Bamboo as an architectural material. According to the article Sustainable structures: Bamboo Standards and building codes by Gatoo, Sharma, Bock, and Mulligan, The next phase is application to specialized markets that encourage the development of additional technical aspects of the product. The product is then deployed in the mainstream market, which in turn leads to the final phase of replacement of the inferior products or processes. Structural bamboo and engineered bamboo have Both reached the initial and specialized market phases and are on the cusp of being deployed as mainstream products. While the movement forward is positive, the adaptation of bamboo as a building material requires not only technological substitution but also a holistic transformation. Examples of full culm and en-

gineered bamboo construction: (a) rural construction, Estancia, Philippines; (b) Tiga Gunung, Bali, Indonesia, by Jo¨ rg Stamm; (c) KPMG-CCTF community centre, Cifeng village, Sichuan province, China (by Lin Hao, reproduced with permission of Zhou Li and Lin Hao)E. body of standards, is necessary to promote the material in construction. To be accepted by both designers and policymaker as an engineering material, standardization is needed to develop the widespread use of bamboo (Janssen, 2000). Without further standardization of the material, the growing interest and motivation for creating more sustainable infrastructure from bamboo will not be achieved.

3.) Creation of Jobs: If bamboo bcame a material used in the United States, more jobs woul become avalible.

IBUKU | TRi Restaurant | 2015

Aesthetics of Spaces Built with Bamboo

IBUKU | Aldo’s Kitchen| 2007

In closing, bamboo is a material that can change the way architects and engineers design in the future. It has the ability to be a sustainable source used to create LEED certified buildings across the United states. Not to mention its beautiful presence and aesthetic within buildings that IBUKU has created.

Bamboo as an architectural material has come very far in South America, Asia, and Africa and with the increased interest in the United States we as architects can begin the journey in creating building codes for bamboo. This will allow for architects all around the world to create architecture that is not only sustainable, but also aesthetically pleasing designs.

Bibliography

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https://www.pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Dendrocalamus asper Information on Dendrocalamus asper and images

Elizabeth, L., & Adams, C. (2005). Alternative construction: Contemporary natural building methods.

Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

This book was used to understand and learn more about the use of Bamboo in construction. It gives comparisons to other materials to bamboo. It also speaks to the coding of bamboo.

Frearson, A. (2013, November 13). Church of Seed by O Studio Architects. Retrieved from https://www. dezeen.com/2012/02/08/church-of-seed-by-o-studio-architects/ Information about bamboo formwork and images

Gatoo, A., Sharma, B., Bock, M., & Ramage, M. (2014, October). Sustainable structures: Bamboo standards

and building codes. Retrieved May 4, 2018, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284345386_Sus tainable_structures_Bamboo_standards_and_building_codes Information on Bamboo building codes

Janssen, Jules J. A. Designing and Building with Bamboo. © International Network for Bamboo and Rattan,

2000, humanitarianlibrary.org/sites/default/files/2014/02/INBAR_technical_report_no20.pdf.

Information on bamboo strength, shear stress, tension, properties, and images.

LEED in South Carolina :: Green Building Information Gateway. (2018). Retrieved May 4, 2018, from http://www.gbig.org/collections/12452 Information on LEED certified projects in South Carolina

Lewitin, J. (2018, January 18). Everything You Should Know About Bamboo Flooring. Retrieved May 1,

2018, from https://www.thespruce.com/benefits-and-drawbacks-of-bamboo-floors-1314694 Information on laminated bamboo flooring

Lobovikov, Maxim, et al. “Non-Wood Forest Products.” World Bamboo Resources a Thematic Study Pre

pared in the Framework of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005, vol. 18, 2007, pp. 1–80., www.fao. org/3/a-a1243e.pdf.

In this journal excerpt there was information regarding bamboo in terms of what it consists of, how it grows, and where it grows by the FAO and INBAR launching a systematic assessment of bamboo resources. In this excerpt I gathered information regarding the characteristics on bamboo and where it can by found based on this study.

Meyers, Glen. “Bamboo in America.” Green Building Elements, 11 Aug. 2010, greenbuildingelements. com/2010/08/11/bamboo-in-America/.

This online source provides an overview of what the bamboo population looks like in America. It gives the specified numbers of species grown in other parts of the world as opposed to the United States and also gives examples of some of those places in the US where bamboo is found in the article.

Millennium Bridge at Green School. (2017, November 02). Retrieved from http://ibuku.com/mill num-bridge/ Information on Bamboo bridges and images

Phyllostachys nigra - Black Bamboo. (2008, August 31). Retrieved May 4, 2018, from http://www.complete bamboo.com/species_bamboo/phyllostachys_nigra.html Information on Black bamboo and Phyllostachys bambusoides

Schroder, S. (2014, November 09). What is Guadua angustifolia. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from https://www. guaduabamboo.com/guadua/what-is-guadua-angustifolia Information about Guadua angustifolia and images

Simon Velez Projects. (2015.). Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://www.simonvelez.net/projects.html Information about Simon Velez, bamboo projects and images

VTN. (1, January 2016). Projects. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://votrongnghia.com/ Information about VTN Architects

ZERI Pavilion - Expo Hannover. (2018). Retrieved from https://architizer.com/projects/zeri-pavilion-ex po-hannover/ Information on ZERI Pavilion

IBUKU | Yoga Pavilion at Four Seasons | 2015

Bamboo Wing 2009. VTN Architects