Pivotal Times For Traditional Architecture
The fundamental sense of impermanence of Bamboo as an architectural material (as opposed to concrete for instance) beautifully coincides with the impermanent character of traditional Indonesian vernacular architecture.
From wooden Javanese Joglos to Bornean Longhouses to Toraja Tongkonan (Sulawesi), The Indonesian people have been utilising ‘low footprint’, impermanent or ‘knock-down’ structures as their primary vessels of dwelling for centuries. Often touching the ground very minimally, elevated on wooden pillars or cantilevering from trees, the notion of natural and impermanent architecture, both moveable and deconstructable, is native to Indonesian conception of building tradition.
This is where bamboo becomes the hero of the natural domain
While bamboo has also been traditionally used across the archipelago in tandem with timber, it has been slightly abstracted from the traditional identity of Indonesian vernacular. Thus, with the modernisation and advancement of bamboo construction we are in pivotal state of opportunity in which Bali’s tourism industry can become an extremely powerful vehicle for the exposure of tourists to the experience of a bamboo living and increase the development of bamboo building culture across the world.
When we harvest precious wood to be fashioned into timber and architecture in general thereafter, we rarely consider the decades and sometimes centuries that are required in the materialisation process of a single tree. Thus, cutting down a tree that took several decades to mature in order to conceive a building that takes several years to erect is surely a flawed equation of artificial exponential (urban) development overtaking the growth of a natural resource which simply cannot be substantially accelerated.
This is where bamboo becomes the hero of the natural domain; with the structural strength of steel and the growth rate of grass it stands a chance to sustain the speed of the construction industry. This is not to suggest that bamboo should become the equivalent to steel, wood or concrete but rather birth a different kind of architecture which responds to the fluid and irregularity of this ‘miracle grass’.
So, if we are to elevate the influential role of bamboo in its relationship to the tourism industry and its experiential demands, a fundamental change in perception is in order, one that begins to understand its language of movement and material behaviour. Therefore we need to ask ourselves, what does it mean to be bamboo? To move to the pace of bamboo as we learn to search for the shapes and forms that align with its inherent character?
This is no simple task and certainly not an easy challenge; bamboo will only bow to those who are truly committed to ‘speaking’ its particular language.
In this regard, as an architect committed to that relationship with bamboo, I have the utmost respect and humility towards the people that have mastered bamboo craftsmanship. The choreographic skills required to work with the knife, head and feet through constant mediation that takes place above ground and under the skies is a lifelong journey.
Alongside the essential craftsmanship required for engaging with bamboo we must embrace the strategic role of innovation in expanding the territory of bamboo’s material and architectural applications so that it can truly revolutionise the building / construction world as we know it. Ultimately, a bamboo strip is the building block suitable for the production of a vast array of materials and consumable products. In this aspect the company Moso that has been showcasing many bamboo based material and architectural applications, setting a strong benchmark within the realm of bamboo innovation.
It is time to question our inherently flawed building rituals and preferences. It’s time to look around us and build a better future in integral respect to the natural domain that has sustained us through our relatively short presence on this planet.
I truly believe bamboo is a big part of the sustainable equation and I invite you to join me alongside thousands who are joining the bamboo journey.
This is a story of the Futurist Club
by Science of the Time
Written by: Pablo Luna
Pablo Luna Studio focuses on the design, development and production of art and architecture with bamboo. The studio researches and experiments various techniques with bamboo and publishes their findings. The aim is to disseminate knowledge about the potential of this versatile grass and to create and share bamboo on a broader level while challenging its perceived boundaries. By combining technology and natural materials, the studio investigates the ways in which the two interact to create new possibilities with this natural but magical grass.
Pablo studied architecture at Columbia University in New York City. During this time, he connected with John Hardy, a world-renowned entrepreneur whose primary medium is bamboo. A day after graduating, he flew to Bali to work with John and his journey with bamboo began. Once on the island, his understanding of what it meant to design and work with this living grass came to fruition. Gaining confidence in his ability to create after building a yoga pavilion, a minang bridge, a meditation shala and a tree house led him to the realization that the possibilities with bamboo were limitless. It was then that Pablo Luna Studio was created — to further the study of this adaptable material.
One of the beautiful aspects of bamboo is that no two pieces are alike. Each one is unique and can thus be used to create different art forms. Hence, the studio’s art is driven by its interests in creating art and architecture that incorporates natural materials, movement, and human stories. The entire team strives to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large.
Art, for them, is a crucial means for discovery. This is why their creations with Bamboo include jewelry, sculpture, film, and installation. Not limited to the confines of the museum and gallery, their practices engages the broader public sphere through architectural projects, interventions in civic space, and issues of sustainability and climate change.
The jewelry collection began as an experiment while teaching students how to create architectural models and furniture at Bamboo University in Bali. The first pieces were inspired by works of the local Balinese craftsmen: elegant knife movements, attention to detail and mastery of the material. The way bamboo is handled and perceived in the Balinese community shed light on the opportunity for craftsmanship in the studio.
Pablo Luna Studio’s is creating architecture that brings the appreciation and understanding of bamboo to a new level. Through experimentation and research the ever dedicated team will continue to document and create new possibilities with this versatile material that reach far beyond our imagination.
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