7 BAMBOO STRUCTURES THAT CONNECT WITH NATURE, BAMBOO ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN!
By Esteban Morales, Structural Engineer
From a gigantic lotus petal in Thailand, to the interior of a luminous dragon's mouth in the Riviera Maya, or from the belly of a massive manta ray in Bali, we embark on a journey exploring 7 of the most prominent sustainable bamboo structures built in recent years. As a structural engineer, I have calculated these structures using bamboo as the predominant building material, ensuring they perform effectively against natural disasters like strong winds and earthquakes.
1. Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School
Let's begin our journey in Thailand with the Sports Hall for Panyaden International School. A locally sourced bamboo construction shaped like a lotus petal, this structure embodies the spirit of the Buddhist philosophy of living lightly. It is a spatial bamboo structure that utilizes the material's ability to bend without failure and resist both tension and compression forces. The design accounts for wind speeds of 108 km/h and high-intensity earthquakes with ground accelerations up to 70% of gravity.
Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School
2. Luum Temple
Emerging from the Maya Jungle in Mexico, a temple resembling a five-petal flower bamboo pavilion appears amidst the tree canopy. Constructed with flexible bamboo slat bundles, its structural system design required in-depth study of hyperbolic geometry, wind tunnel testing, and the ductility of mechanical connections between bamboo elements. Engineered to withstand winds up to 250 km/h, it has successfully weathered several intense hurricanes since 2018.
Luum Temple
3. Tekit Tower
Continuing in the tropical lowland jungle of Mexico, home to jaguars and cenotes, stands an almost 11-meter bamboo tower. It offers a unique vantage point to witness sunrise and sunset. The structure incorporates natural materials like large wooden logs for the embedded central column, surrounded by articulated sustainable bamboo arches and laminated bamboo strips diaphragms evenly distributing the load. The design mimics hyperbolic geometry symbolizing the subjective evolution of consciousness. Engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 200 km/h.
Tekit Tower
4. Kanai Access
Beneath a viaduct on the main road in Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, a dragon with enormous jaws, possibly Quetzalcoatl, captivates with its sacred geometry and strange luminosity. Once again, laminated bamboo predominates in the form of arches and gridshells, resisting lifting forces of up to 20 tons induced by winds reaching 260 km/h.
Kanai Access
5. Kanai Cenote
A distance from Quetzalcoatl's jaws, part of the dragon's body seems to showcase scales in the form of Ogee arches. Ogee arches offer various structural advantages. In this case, they required undefined shapes, degenerate geometries, and laminated bamboo slats with a very small cross-sectional area, demanding meticulous adherence to all structural considerations and material treatment. Engineered to withstand winds of up to 260 km/h.
Kanai Cenote
6. Naviva Resort - Bridge Canopy
Now, from the Pacific Ocean in Punta Mita, Mexico, another modern bamboo architecture slat structure is placed on a bridge. This bamboo structure was designed to withstand earthquakes and highly intense hurricanes. The key, in this case and others with laminated bamboo, lies in using articulated and ductile connections, allowing bamboo to primarily work under tension and compression.
Naviva Resort - Bridge Canopy
7. Manta Yoga Shala
Near a cliff in Bali, a structural design I calculated for architect Pablo Luna resembles a giant manta ray made entirely from bamboo. Once again, I delved into studying the anatomy of this powerful creature and connecting it with the force of hyperbolic geometry that has manifested strongly in recent years. This hyperbolic bamboo structural beauty, was engineered to withstand winds of 120 km/h and high-intensity earthquakes.
Manta Yoga Shala
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Esteban Morales is a Colombian structural engineer who, for the past 10 years, has served as the lead engineer on over 25 projects predominantly featuring bamboo, wood, and earth structures in various countries. He is the author of the book "BAMBOO STRUCTURES", serving as a guide for those venturing into bamboo structure design.