(Part 3) + Chapter 5.0

In addition to its green benefits, bamboo processing procedures are fairly environmental friendly since the beginning. Accounting for jungle deforestation alone, the United Nations (UN) has announced in 2006 that it is responsible for 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide released yearly (Benjami, 2010). Looking into Malaysia, timber harvesting has always been a threat to the island of Borneo. It is hard to swallow the fact that our deforestation rate is three times faster than the rest of Asia combined (Max, 2011). This situation calls for a quick fix. According to professor of ecology Manuel Ruiz-Perez, except when replacing natural forests or very old plantations, bamboo actually comes with positive environmental balance. The gist is that bamboo matures and regenerates quickly unlike any typical tree. Therefore harvesting it can barely damage the environment. During the starch removal treatment, bamboo is smoked (see Image 3.9) without involving chemicals. Furthermore, the decay protection requires only soaking in boric salts (see Image 3.10), which again isn’t hazardous whatsoever. Malaysia is blessed with heavy rainfall and abundance of sunlight throughout the year, there is close to no doubt that bamboo can flourish easily. If it is planted locally, there will be no carbon footprint from shipment and preservatives, a key consideration when one speaks of green. To make things happen, the public has to first acknowldge, which subsequently leads to the surge in commercial value. Ultimately, farmers and developers will invest because it’s profitable. By virtue of its low heat retention, a bamboo building saves a lot on cooling throughout its operating life. After all said and done, it is clearly environmentally responsible to the end of its life cycle.

Image 3.9

Smoking Bamboo

Image 3.10

Bamboo in Boric Salts

In at least one case, that of Green School (see Image 3.11, Image 3.12 and Image 3.13) in Bali, Indonesia, bamboo’s scientific advantages were exploited to their limits. As the name suggests, the award winning school educates students about environmental practices, renewable energy, and organic farming aside from the normal school syllabus. With no walls, the building relies completely on natural resources namely sunlight and breeze, in other words it is sustainable to the very detail. Regardless of that, bamboo was employed as the primary building material for the 7785 sq m big architecture, demonstrating bamboo’s remarkable construction strength. Perhaps the public is more easily convinced with a living model, there is a saying that goes “seeing is believing”. Apart from that, the school was constructed solely by Indonesian empirical builders. Elora Hardy, the architect behind, was fully aware of the locals’ bamboo expertise and thence made use of it. The strategy sets a good lesson for Malaysians, utilizing a material the local builders are familiar with, creating job opportunities while keeping bamboo architecture in Malaysia alive.

Image 3.11

Green School, Bali

Image 3.12

Interior View of Green School

Image 3.13

Interior View of Green School

-Incomplete-

5.0 Nourishing an Architectural Identity

When Malaysia declared her independence in 1957, nearly all architects were educated abroad. They believe local employers would better recognize their qualifications considering the standard and quality of Western education back then. However, there was a price to pay. Theories by iconic architects like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright were used as the basis of teaching therefore their works naturally became reference as the favourable trend of the time. When these graduates return, they spread the Western based Minimalist Style throughout the nation. Coincidentally during the same period of time, Malaysia was at her peak of economic and population growth. The restless need to keep up with it didn’t give architects the profusion of time to experiment architectures. Therefore, the foreign architecture style was employed all along, even today (see Image 5.1).

Image 5.1

Western Concept Housing in Malaysia

For the past fifty years, Mies’ Seagram Building (see Image 5.2) became the most commonly imitated building in the history of architecture. It has received much attention in the press, not all of it favourable, and it remains a prime object of architectural pilgrimage whether by students or practising architects. Even in Malaysia, poor imitations by architects with shallow comprehension have littered our cities. Is this repeated use of curtain wall sufficient to articulate the rich and diverse content of our nation?

Image 5.2

Seagram Building

(Part 2)

Be that as it may, do the people really trust bamboo’s safety in the first place? Durability is by far the most concerned reason when it comes to bamboo construction. Results from a recent survey points that more than one fifth of Malaysians are not ready to accept it for that reason. Bamboo is nevertheless more than what meets the eye. As a matter of fact, it is already used to build countless temporary structures like scaffolding (see Image 3.4) and pavilions (see Image 3.5) in many countries, particularly China and Colombia. But what of permanent structures?

Image 3.4

Bamboo Scaffolding

Image 3.5

Bamboo Pavilion, Taiwan

Thanks to its peerless makeup, bamboo is naturally built for strength and durability. Unlike wood, it has neither ray nor knots, resulting to a greater stress tolerance throughout the length of each stalk. Therefore, it can be employed as wall, roofing, flooring or even structural components. A structural engineering study unravels bamboo’s higher tensile strength over manifold alloys of steel, even possessing higher compressive strength than concrete (Anon, 2004). The science behind came from the age when the culms were harvested. Bamboo grows to its full dimension in a growing season, and spends the coming years hardening their “arteries”, where the capillaries thicken towards the inside without affecting the diameter. What started off as wholly sugar and water lignifies into hard and compact cellulose (see Image 3.6) (Boehland, 2006). These dense fibers give each bamboo their flexible nature, the ability to bend without snapping. It is enough to say that owing to its impressive strength and extereme light weight, it now earned itself the title “organic steel”. Beyond having this, it has a high silica content in its natural state that cannot be digested by termites (Anon, 2004). Unfortunately, we by birth see all natural materials as insects’ dwelling despite without the slightest clue. It is the matter of perception that breeds distrust and possibly fear, worsen by the scarcity of good local bamboo models. In the nick of time, Colombian architects Simon Vélez and Marcelo Villegas erected a 2000 square meters bamboo pavilion (see Image 3.7) to obtain German building permit from the ZERI Foundation in 2000. A series of stress and weight tests was conducted, and the results exceeded the required standards in Germany. In addition, structures of the pavilion require heavy equipments like large wrecking balls to bring down. Since its completion 12 years ago, the pavilion still stands today and is expected to last. In the same survey where repondents initially doubted its strength, nearly all were convinced by the mentioned test. (For full survey results, refer to Appendix I)

Image 3.6

Electron Microscope Photos of Bamboo’s Fiber at One Year (Left) and 12 Years (Right) Show How 

the Loose Network of Fibers Gains Density as it Ages

Image 3.7

Bamboo Pavilion by Simon Velez and Marcelo Villegas

Indeed on the other hand, the downsides are inevitable. Bamboo’s ability to bend without breaking makes it unfitting for floor structure due to the lack of tolerance for deflection. When extended over a large span of area, only a small amount of force is needed to cause wavering. Consequently, it creates discomfort upon walking and the emersion of safety affairs. On a positive note, architects in Colombia uncovered the method to stiffen by filling each bamboo with cement. This way even helps to alleviate bamboo’s inconsistent characteristics as a natural material. But the roundness of bamboo’s natural form too stands in the way because it hints that the joints will be geometrically complicated. Fortunately over the years, Velez has invented countless joineries, notably the “Fish-Mouth” joint (see Image 3.8), which solved this problem faced by numerous modern architects attempting to use bamboo.

Image 3.8

Illustration of Fish-Mouth Joint

Chapter 3.1 A Sustainable Alternative (Part 1)

The “Green Movement” is a notable trend growing rapidly in Asia. Although many may heard of it, only some truly understands what it really means. Green is not, by definition, the same as sustainable. Green is a relative measure that does less harm. A building is regarded Green if it consumes or emits less than a preordained benchmark. Being sustainable on the contrary is to live within the Earth’s carrying capacity, not consuming and emitting any faster than what can be replaced or repaired naturally, in plain English to cause no harm (Kishnani, 2012). Statistics may show the increasing growth of Green buildings in Asia, notably China, but much of them are using “Sustainable” interchangeably with the word “Green”.

As we know, becoming a Green building in Asia requires several qualifications before one is rewarded with a certificate. A building must attain credits by conforming a checklist of conditions that makes up the evaluation. Certification costs money and time, but it promises saving and a measure of status (Kishnani, 2012). In 2005, Singapore’s Green Building Council (GBC) made it compulsory for all new buildings to be certified. Today, approximately 12 percent of the total built up area in Singapore is declared Green. Automatically, Malaysia was drove to keep up with the trend.

The catastrophe of accelerated climate change is an important government concern now. Our government have set targets for abatement but none can be achieved without involving the building sector. Nonetheless, Asia relatively causes the least harm to environment given its size in comparison to other continents. When the case of “Green Movement” was heard across Asia, it sounded almost ironic since much of Asia lives within its ecological constrains. Buildings from generations before us are made of low-impact materials, built by empirical builders without the intervention of architects. Yet we speak of Green buildings as something new.

Chapter 3.1.1 Seizing the Market

When one speaks of sustainability, we quite spontaneously look to traditional and natural materials. Still, we spare no effort in reviving the oblivion – bamboo. The fact that the public is ignorant to its sustainable capabilities is not as disturbing as the fact that architects did not attempt to educate them. If only the society understands more, the level of acceptance would’ve been more pleasant.

In modern days, bamboo is celebrated for its unnatural rate of growth. There is no known plant that can match its ability to grow up to 1.25 meter height in just 24 hours. To become mature enough for construction, a fir tree needs to grow between 12 to 15 years, while an oak tree needs at least a century. Bamboo takes only 3 years to reach its maximum apex for strength. What’s even more surprising is that harvesting neither kills the plant nor damages the surrounding, in fact it regenerates with denser fiber and the roots stay intact to prevent erosion. Perhaps, the title “sustainable natural resource” wasn't given without a reason. A recent study conducted by Zero Emissions Research Institute (ZERI) unfolds that bamboo not only sequesters 4 times more carbon dioxide than ordinary trees, it also produces 35 percent more oxygen than trees of similar size. Owing to its narrow nature, a bamboo forest sequesters 17 times as much carbon as a typical tree forest.

The prime driving force to bamboo’s commercial value is indeed its sustainable capabilities. In just a decade ago, bamboo flooring (see Image 3.2) was introduced to the market and posed a serious contender to hardwood flooring (see Image 3.3). The difference in price and appearance isn't patent. The only logical conclusion is that people feel a certain guilt when causing ravage to the environment. As early as 2007, half of the 1200 building professionals in Asia participated in a survey responded they had “High” or “Very High” levels of commitment to Green. In fact, nearly all said they prefer to work in an industry that values the environment. Therefore when given an opportunity to do something good for the nature, they would take it. Obviously, employing bamboo in place of wood for construction is definitely a more fruitful effort to save forests than just recycling papers.

Image 3.2 

Bamboo Flooring

     

Image 3.3

Hardwood Flooring

Concrete stands in the way when the suggestion for bamboo building arises. For millennia, the society trusted it for its remarkable strength and durability. In spite of that, cement production is responsible for 2700 million tons of carbon dioxide emission yearly. But that’s not all, concrete performs poorly under hot and humid tropical climates in Malaysia. Its high thermal mass accumulates heat during the day and releases them at night. Consequently, the active cooling used, be it residential or commercial buildings, contributes to nearly 40 percent of carbon dioxide production in Malaysia, 80 percent of all energy used by a building. Soon, the public will come to a rude awakening that it is possibly the most cataclysmic choice out there. However, to completely wipe out concrete from our lives seem somewhat absurd, considering our dependence since the colonial age. Fairly speaking, there are several characters concrete has but bamboo doesn't  Since the idea of setting concrete aside sounded ridiculous, the environmental impact can at least be mitigated by involving bamboo in construction alongside concrete.

Be that as it may, do the people trust bamboo’s safety? Durability is by far the most concerned reason when it comes to bamboo construction. Nevertheless, bamboo is more than meets the eye.

-Not Completed Yet-

Beginning of Analysis

Conventionally a building material of tropical climate regions in Asia and South America, bamboo’s popularity is gaining momentum among architects of the Northern hemisphere as well. Especially in an era of limited resources, it’s hard to deny bamboo’s renewability and abundant availability, even harder when it stands in the same league as concrete (see Image 3.1). Architects and engineers have notably stretched its applications in the recent past and now it can even shape wide span bridges. This effort, however, appears somewhat lacking, considering the short of international recognition, which poses obstruction to designers. The lack of codes and standards kept them away from bamboo, even from expressing fondness for bamboo as building material. Although this situation was fractionally cured  in 2000 when the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) passed the “Acceptance Criteria for Structural Bamboo”, bamboo still remains unappreciated. But as one could guess it was precisely the unsatisfied society that refuses to give in just yet.

Image 3.1

Concrete Block

When facing matters not fully understood, mankind spontaneously put on their skeptical and prejudiced attitudes. They didn't know what to expect and these feelings eventually turn into doubt. Changing mindset is unquestionably the first step to acceptance. Apparently, concrete has earned itself a sturdy reputation that cannot be toppled easily; bamboo on the other hand has an awful image as an obsolete material. It is thus obvious why the public aren't convinced after all that are done.

Unlike the past, building materials today underline sustainability, accompanied with affordability, safety and aesthetic. If any one of these requirements is not met, the material wouldn't last. Bamboo is a plant with such special properties, architects believed it could be the missing puzzle piece to answer Malaysian's modern-day complications in fields beyond architecture – the relentless shrinkage of rainforest, effective economic support in low-cost buildings development, and the ever longed national identity. It is interesting to note that bamboo can easily satisfy all four mentioned fundamental concerns. What’s seemingly left undone is persuading the public. 

Background

As paradoxical as it sounds, journeying backward is in fact the key of moving forward. Perchance the saying “going back to the roots” best describes this contingency. The initial uses of bamboo date back over 4 millennia ago in Asia. Even until this present moment, traces of our early vernacular houses (see Image 2.1) can still be sighted in all quarters of Malaysia. These dwellings were in most cases found resting on timber stilts and are made of materials attainable from our (once) vast tropical forests, namely timber, rattan, bamboo and leaves. Therefore, it’s rather peculiar to acquaint the public about bamboo because it was never before foreign to us.

Image 2.1

Traditional Dayak-Kadazan Bamboo House in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Turning now to the Chinese history, bamboo played an equally vital role in molding their culture. Its quick regeneration ability was deemed as an indication of success and healthy sustenance in the widely practised Feng Shui principle. In 104 CE, Chinese eunuch, Cai Lun of Han dynasty (see Image 2.2) utilised the inner pulp of bamboo to produce the very first paper ever. Apart from the construction purposes, bamboo was also employed in making furniture, dishes, handicrafts, and musical instruments (see Image 2.3). In short, bamboo and the Chinese history are literally inseparable, so entwined that American missionary and explorer of China, William Edgar Geil described:

“A man can sit in a bamboo house under a bamboo roof, on a bamboo chair at a bamboo table, with a bamboo hat on his head and bamboo sandals on his feet. He can at the same time hold in one hand a bamboo bowl, in the other hand bamboo chopsticks and eat bamboo sprouts. When through with his meal, which has been cooked over a bamboo fire, the table may be washed with a bamboo cloth, and he can fan himself with a bamboo fan, take a siesta on a bamboo bed, lying on a bamboo mat with his head resting on a bamboo pillow. His child might be lying in a bamboo cradle, playing with a bamboo toy. On rising he would smoke a bamboo pipe and taking a bamboo pen, write on bamboo paper, or carry his articles in bamboo baskets suspended from a bamboo pole, with a bamboo umbrella over his head. He might then take a walk over a bamboo suspension bridge, drink water from a bamboo ladle, and scrape himself with a bamboo scraper”. (Geil, 1908)

  

Image 2.2

Pictorial Depiction of Eunuch Cai Lun

Image 2.3

Chinese Bamboo Flute

Conjointly, many other Asian cultures too have long history in utilizing bamboo. Today, at least a quarter of the world’s population still depends on bamboo for many objects used in daily life (Malin, 2006). It is however most saddening when all these present uses are of purposes unrelated to building. Perhaps one can presume that bamboo’s sturdy and flexible attributes have yet to receive the public’s acknowledgement.

In spite of everything, ancient builders have demonstrated that bamboo is without a doubt fit for construction. Sadly, for the fantastic celebration of concrete and steel, bamboo is easily overlooked when one speaks of contemporary design. The society doesn’t give bamboo the consideration it deserves. In partly developed countries like Malaysia, bamboo is looked upon with distrust and reluctance as a strange material that belonged to a bygone era, unfamiliar in modern building customs. But considering that most of the common and presently used materials have become accepted over time, how is it possible that bamboo is yet welcomed?

As defined by the dictionary, bamboo is a species of flowering perennial plants from the grass family Poaceae, with the giant bamboos being its largest members. They grow profusely throughout Asia and South America, making them the major exports of bamboo to Europe and North America annually. While different nations have dissimilar preferences of bamboo when it comes to construction, Guadua (guadua angustifolia) is for certain the most broadly adopted species due to its exceptional hardness (see Image 2.4). 

Image 2.4

Guadua Plantation

At this point of time where environmentally, economically and socially sustainable designs are so fundamental, architects began to ponder the plausible advancement of new technologies and the readoption of traditional materials to confront sustainability affairs not only from the energy efficient approach but also through the use of natural materials.

Research and Methodology (So Far)

Books

Jencks, C. (1973) Modern Movements in Architecture. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

Minke, G. (2012) Building with Bamboo. Berlin: Birkhauser Ltd.

Vidiella, A.S. (2011) Bamboo in Architecture and Design. Barcelona: LOFT Publications S.L.

Newspapers

Ngui, N. (2012). Bamboo to Replace Timber. The Malay Mail. 25 December, p.18.

Wilson, H. (2012). Chic and Eco-Friendly Bamboo Houses. The Star. 21 October, p.10.

Journals

Anon (2012). Flying Bamboo. FuturArc, 3rd Quarter Issue (26), pp.70-73.

Buckley, M. (2012). Specifying Wood. FuturArc, 3rd Quarter Issue (26), pp.137-141.

Kishnani, N. (2012). Green buildings in Asia: Are they sustainable? FuturArc, 3rd Quarter Issue (26), pp.34-39.

Tan, A. (2012). Back to Nature. Space, 4, pp.48-57.

Pdf Documents

DeBoer, D. and Bareis, K. (2000). Bamboo Building and Culture [pdf] Available at: http://permacoletivo.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/bamboo-building.pdf [Accessed 17 October 2012]

Peng, L. (2006). Simon Velez [pdf] Available at: http://www.architecture.uwaterloo.ca/faculty_projects/terri/competitions/s_06/tran_peng/LPENG_final_Essay.pdf [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Rahman, A.M. and Ismail, R. (2005). Future Design in an Energy Efficient Building [pdf] Available at: http://eprints.usm.my/4894/1/Future_Design_In_An_Energy_Efficient_Building.pdf [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Vries, S.K. (2002). Bamboo Construction Technology for Housing in Bangladesh [pdf] Available at: http://alexandria.tue.nl/extra2/afstversl/tm/vries2002.pdf [Accessed 9 October 2012]

Websites

Anon  (2004). Why Bamboo? [online] Cali Bamboo. Available at: http://www.calibamboo.com/whybamboo.html [Accessed 9 October 2012]

Anon (2007). Grow Your Own House. [online] Environmental Bamboo Foundation. Available at: http://www.bamboocentral.org/growyour.html [Accessed 9 October 2012]

Anon (2008). Bamboo Houses. [online] Bamboo Grove. Available at: http://www.bamboogrove.com/bamboo-houses.html [Accessed 21 December 2012]

Anon (2011). Bamboo Buildings. [online] Inspiration Green. Available at: http://inspirationgreen.com/bamboo-buildings.html?start=40 [Accessed 6 October 2012]

Anon (2012). Home Loan. [online] AmBank Group. Available at: http://www.ambankgroup.com/en/Personal/LoanFinancing/Property/Pages/HomeLoan.aspx [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Anon (2012). Low Cost Housing Plans in Malaysia for Low Income Home Buyer. [online] Horlic. Available at: http://www.horlic.com/low-cost-housing-plans-in-malaysia-for-low-income-home-buyer/ [Accessed 27 December 2012]

Anon (2012). Malaysia Population. [online] Trading Economics. Available at: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/malaysia/population [Accessed 22 December 2012]

Ahmad, G. (2004). Malay Vernacular Architecture. [online] HBBP. Available at: http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/malayvernacular.htm [Accessed 6 October 2012]

Benjami, J. (2010). Which Manufacturing Process is More Harmful to the Environment, Making Paper or Wood Pellets? [online] Green Answers. Available at: http://greenanswers.com/q/136678/pollution-toxins/which-manufacturing-process-more-harmful-environment-making-paper-or-wood- [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Boehland, J. and Malin, N. (2006). Bamboo in Construction: Is the Grass Always Greener? [online] Building Green. Available at: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2006/3/1/Bamboo-in-Construction-Is-the-Grass-Always-Greener/ [Accessed 9 October 2012]

Butler, T. (2005). Deforestation in Borneo. [online] Mongabay. Available at: http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0413-tina_butler.html [Accessed 27 December 2012]

Deboer, D. (2009). Bamboo Thoughts. [online] Deboer Architects. Available at: http://www.deboerarchitects.com/BambooThoughts.html [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Flander, K. (2011). Manizales / Zeri Pavilion - Bamboo Construction with German Building Permit. [online] Resource Culture. Available at: http://resourceculture.de/blog/articles/manizales-zeri-pavilion-simon-velez [Accessed 6 October 2012]

Furman, E. (2009). Masterpieces: Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building. [online] Mental Floss. Available at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/21922/masterpieces-mies-van-der-rohes-seagram-building [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Jannie, J. (2012). Bali's Green School. [online] Ecology. Available at: http://www.ecology.com/2012/01/24/balis-green-school/ [Accessed 17 October 2012]

Lee, W.L. (2010). Frustration Brews as Middle Class Struggles to Afford Homes. [online] The Malaysian Insider. Available at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/frustration-brews-as-middle-class-struggles-to-afford-homes [Accessed 11 December 2012]

Lee, W.L. (2011). Youth Cannot Afford Housing in Malaysia. [online] Tindak Malaysia. Available at: http://www.tindakmalaysia.com/showthread.php/2661-Housing-Youth-cannot-afford-housing-in-Malaysia [Accessed 11 December 2012]

Max, A. (2010). Malaysia Deforestation is Three Times Faster Than Rest of Asia Combined. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/05/malaysia-deforestation-is_n_816779.html [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Michel, J. (2010). Bamboo, Steel Grass! [online] Eza Design. Available at: http://www.eza-design.com/bambou_uk.html [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Tajuddin, M. (2008). Can Buildings be Malaysian? [online] The Star Online. Available at: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/columnists/architectureinsideout/21607223  [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Sidhe, W. (2009). About Flat Roofs. [online] eHow. Available at: http://www.ehow.com/about_4596971_flat-roofs.html [Accessed 3 December 2012]

Smith, A. (2012). Compare Hardwood Vs. Bamboo Flooring. [online] Kompare It. Available at: http://www.kompareit.com/homeandgarden/flooring-compare-hardwood-vs-bamboo.html [Accessed 21 December 2012]

Tomasek, A. (2012). Climate Change and Deforestation in the Heart of Borneo could be a Deadly Combination - New Report Warns. [online] WWF Global. Available at: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/news/press_release/?205220/Climate-change-and-deforestation-in-the-Heart-of-Borneo-could-be-a-deadly-combination--new-report-warns [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Yow, H.C. (2012). Singapore Set to Surpass Malaysia as Asean's Third Largest Economy. [online] The Malaysian Insider. Available at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/singapore-set-to-pass-malaysia-as-aseans-third-largest-economy [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Videos

Bamboo Architect Simon Velez (2011). [online video]. Available at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl16h5_bamboo-architect-simon-velez_news [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Bamboo Living: Two Green Bamboo Homes Up in Two Days (2010). [online video]. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNt3WaGWluw [Accessed 4 December 2012]

Benefits of Using Bamboo as Building Material (2010). [online video]. Available at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfk2w4_benefits-of-using-bamboo-as-building-material_tech [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Elora Hardy, Building a Sustainable (Bamboo) Future (2012). [online video]. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOSQksSlr9c [Accessed 24 December 2012]

Giant Bamboo, the Cheap Eco-Alternative (2011). [online video]. Available at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiqr2x_giant-bamboo-the-cheap-eco-alternative_news [Accessed 11 October 2012]

Surveys

Malaysians' Perception of Bamboo [Began 31 October 2012]

Please take the time to fill this out

Hi, to anyone reading this, I'm running a survey to collect data regarding bamboo from the public's point of view. Please help me out by participating, thank you!

Survey Questionnaire - Public's Perception

I’m Chua Ji Haw, a student going through Interior Architecture and Design course in KBU International College. As a Final Year student of the mentioned course, I am assigned to conduct a study regarding the public’s viewpoint of traditional building material, bamboo. Therefore, I wish to carry out a survey to attain better understanding respecting Malaysians’ acceptance of bamboo architecture. The following content consists of a set of questions, in which I would like you to fill in to assist me in gathering information for the dissertation. Your help and cooperation are much appreciated.

Section A: Respondent’s information

This section of the questionnaire requires the basic information of respondent. Please choose the appropriate answer for the following questions.

1. Age:

A.        Under 18

B.         Between 18 and 24

C.        Between 25 and 44

D.        Between 45 and 64

E.         65 and upwards

2. Occupation:

A.        Student

B.         Academic

C.        Professional

D.        Business

E.         Others

3. Education Level:

A.        Secondary education

B.         Tertiary education

Section B: Questions Concerning Subject of Interest

This section of the questionnaire requires the respondent to contribute his or her opinion regarding the mentioned subject for information compilation purposes. Please respond with the appropriate answers for the following questions.

                                                                                                                                               

4. Do you see bamboo as a potential building material?

A.        Yes

B.         No

5. If you answered “No” for question 4, what are the reasons behind your nonacceptance? (You can choose more than 1 answer for this question)

A.        Affordability

B.         Safety (strength)

C.        Aesthetic

D.        Prone to insect attacks

6. Knowing the fact that employing bamboo is an environmental friendly measure of construction, would that improve your impression about bamboo?

A.        Yes

B.         No

7. A series of tests were carried out in Germany to test strength and durability of bamboo, the results surpassed the required standards. Are you thence convinced of its safety? (Refer to http://resourceculture.de/blog/articles/manizales-zeri-pavilion-simon-velez)

A.        Yes

B.         No

 (Extracted from globalpost.com)

(Extracted from unimagined.typepad.com)

(Extracted from inhabitat.com)

8. How do you rate the aesthetic of the architectures above?

A.        Good

B.         Moderate

C.        Poor

9. These architectures are in fact made of bamboo. If you answered “Good” or “Moderate” for question 8, do you believe bamboo is capable of of making wondrous architectures?

A.        Yes

B.         No

10. When bamboo is planted locally, its price recedes by 3 times. Accompanied with its cooling properties in tropical countries, it keeps energy consumption low. Does that amount to heighten your confidence in its affordability?
A.        Yes

B.         No

11. Do you now see bamboo as a potential building material?

A.        Yes

B.         No

-END OF QUESTIONNAIRE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION-

Outline

Hypothesis: Bamboo is a sustainable building material that shapes the future of architecture in Malaysia

Chapter 1: Bamboo, a National Asset

• Brief introduction of bamboo in history of construction
• Advantages:

1. Better tensile strength and compressive strength than wood
2. Fastest growing plant – effective renewable resource
3. Sequesters more carbon than trees (up to 4 times)
4. Cannot be digested by termites
5. Flexible, bend without snapping
6. Stronger than steel, yet lighter, and easier to transport
7. Releases heat quickly

• All these potentials cannot be harnessed if bamboo isn’t accepted into architecture. And to be accepted into architecture, the public needs to be convinced, by none other than the three vital concerns – cost, safety and aesthetic.

Chapter 2: Nourishing an Architectural Identity

• Malaysia’s architecture are based on Western concepts, an issue
• Buildings should be a reflection of our rich and diverse content
• Critical regionalism – take environmental context into consideration, solves identity affairs
• Several measures to handle the climate, one is to employ a tropical-weather friendly building material – bamboo
• However using bamboo alone doesn’t solve everything, needs to be accompanied by tropical architecture features like high ceiling and big openings
• As mentioned, a fundamental aspect to consider is aesthetic. The public needs persuasion
• When one speaks of bamboo architecture, it’s almost natural to conjure the image of bamboo in its natural cylindrical state, and traditional houses (symbol of poverty)
• True potential of bamboo is not utilised, case study to show bamboo capable of classy contemporary designs:
• Forest Pavilion, Taiwan; Flying Bamboo, Vietnam
• Bamboo’s flexible and light weight nature give architects space to explore creativity and break free from conventional western designs, a way to develop distinctive architecture identity

Chapter 3: Promoting Green Alternatives

• Growing environmental awareness in Asia pushed Malaysia to go Green
• Shows statistics and greening efforts by other Asia countries
• Bamboo as an alternative building material (less concrete), a substitute of wood which will reduce deforestation
• Bamboo processing releases no emission, it grows and regenerates fast (harvesting doesn’t kill it), possibly the most sustainable material
• Another aspect which deserves consideration is cost. Nevertheless, bamboo can cover that with ease
• Bamboo was always perceived as “wood of the poor”, therefore affordability was never a hindrance
• On top of that, when bamboo is produced locally without the need of shipping or preservative, the cost recedes as much as 3 times
• A cooler building material keeps the building chilly, saves on air conditioning
• Case study: Green School, Bali – Sustainable building which educates children about sustainable living. No walls, make use of daylight and natural breeze.
• After completion of Green School, green houses are built around, people are bringing in green industry. Became a community and a green model. Set forth an example to sustainable design.

Chapter 4: Seeing is Believing

• People could only imagine salad bowls, basket and chopticks when talking about bamboo, oversee the potential as construction material
• Bamboo is hard and dense like teak, but it takes more than words to convince
• Case study: Simon Velez’s Zeri Pavilion – Built to obtain German’s building permit, undergo series of scientific test to prove strength and durability. Results exceeded the standards required in Germany. The structure required heavy equipment including large wrecking balls to demolish, still stands today and is expected to last for quite some time
• By explaining the technical aspects (green features, compressive strength etc), the people are probably unamazed. A more impactful means is needed to interest the laymen – experiencing themselves
• Architects are responsible in educating public by setting living bamboo examples to stir imagination and make it believable as an alternative
• Case study: In 1920, the perception of bamboo as sign of poverty was altered as something exotic and interesting when Europeans traveled to islands of Indonesia and were housed in bamboo resorts. Living examples of bamboo resort – Bumbu Indah, Ubud of Indonesia

Introduction & Inspiring Designs

One of the conclusions to be drawn from an agreement among historians is that the earliest architecture were direct referrals to religion and politics of the time. Be that as it may, in this present context reliance on both these aspects eventually became ossified and anachronistic. Architects in the late nineteenth century too found that neither do the cultural nor conventional social values were any longer a challenge. Hence they quite spontaneously looked to emergent areas of expression – the new technologies and materials.

In the meantime, restless industrial revolution in the West opened up a market of newly discovered materials namely iron, steel and glass. Invention of new building techniques came almost naturally. And of course this subsequently steered architecture into new plausible forms never imagined credible. Architects have ever since strived to exploit technology hoping to fabricate their very own brand of modern marvels. The intention is however not hard to find. Throughout history, fame has been the architects’ lifeblood and motivation to build ever more ambitious schemes (Wiley, 2001). A ticket to world recognition just seems like an offer too good to turn down. Together with building materials of the 21st century, architects have not cease to litter cities with individualistic approach. Apart from the lack of uniform effort, their buildings are in many instances having no cultural reference whatsoever.

Not until recently, concerns with interest to green issues by responsible authorities were put into action. Melting glaciers, climate changes and thinning of ozone are some global changes already under way. Undoubtedly when it comes to environmental havoc, the building sector devoted the most. Nonetheless, it is most unfortunate that only a handful acknowledge the impact of modern building materials.

Dazzled by the dynamic and interesting new architecture, the public forgets to question their propriety with the circumstances of our planet, or even the nation. Hence we have reached the ironic position of having what may well be the most inventive and exciting discoveries, with surely the most ridiculous setbacks. Apparently for Malaysia to have her own architectural identity still generates an impression of a distant dream. From the materials to the shape, our architecture are nothing but direct adaptation of Western prototypes. This pursual for identity, in a strange way, implies that the nation has either lost its identity or doesn't savvy who one is. Equally bad, the extensive use of air conditioner and low dependence on renewable energy suggest low public awareness on environmental affairs. The thought of using climate friendly materials was surgically removed from our memories.

Not only do we need to come up with measures to handle the tropical heat, but also a national symbol. Perhaps the question was already answered. Generations before us had ingeniously uncovered these means without the cutting edge technology we presently have, they only need to be rediscovered.

Dense, enduring, and locally available, bamboo is a familiar material in Malaysian history. Facing no problems coping with the weather, its distinctive properties open up to newfangled potential in architecture design. Within realm of possibility, this could mean the prelude of our modern vernacular built forms. 

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Green School, Bali

WnW Cafe and Bar, Vietnam

Simon Velez's Projects

Bamboo - Outline

1.0 Introduction

• Malaysia, like many other countries – faces handful of issues regarding architecture
• Future of architecture remains uncertain – heading a direction that isn’t clear
• No uniform effort by architects and developers (to build country together) – design to merely build one’s identity and style
• Causes the absence of a national identity/national architecture – important as semblance of nation and inhabitants
• Emerging environmental issues like global warming, thinning of ozone, scarcity of natural resources – new buildings constrained to take considerations – reduce impact
• Bamboo is possibly an answer to these

2.0 Background

• Introducing bamboo – a group of perenial (plant that lives more than 2 years) evergreens in the true grass family Poacaea
• Used since a long way back in Asian history (food, building, furniture). Seen as cultural material that has root in Asian vernacular architecture – rediscovered today
• Bamboo grows profusely throughout Asia, most bamboo exports to North America are from China and Vietnam
• Farmers gradually replace current platation with bamboo, it’s more profitable
• Now gaining popularity in many parts of the world, including Western Europe and all over America – believed to have potential to be environmentally sustainable building material
• Approximately 50 types of bamboo can be used for construction, mainly use Guadua (a species of giant bamboo)
• Guadua is hard as wood, has hollow body making it light, anti-seismic resistance (earthquake/vibration), low cost, easy to handle

3.1 A Promising Solution for the Environment

• There is a great possibility that Green technology being a big part of Malaysian architecture in the near future
• Existing issues directed architecture to a Green-er approach - sustainable design became a practical option
• Definition: Sustainable buildings are healthier, more comfortable, more durable, and more energy efficient and have a much smaller environmental footprint throughout their life cycle than conventional buildings. (Includes siting & structure design efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency, indoor environmental quality enhancement, operation & maintenance, waste reduction) Close cooperation between three main players – architect, engineer and client is required from the beginning
• Green technology began 40 years ago when Henri Becquerel invented photovoltaic power during the industrial revolution
• Green alone does not mean sustainability, but merely consumes or emits less than a predetermined benchmark
• Sustainable means consuming or emitting no faster than what can be replaced and repaired naturally (no harm to environment)
• Green building in Asia requires several qualifications
• To earn certificate, a building secures credits to comply with a checklist of terms
• Certification costs money and time. However, it promises saving and a measure of status
• The trend of Green architecture in Asia emerges very suddenly, much is driven by the formation of Green Building Councils (GBCs) and its rating tools in 2002
• These assessment tools became game changer in market. Example: Singapore’s GBCs – Green Mark is one of the few government-owned Green council in Asia (launched 2005). Since 2008, all new buildings are compulsory to be certified. Results in 2011 – 25 million square metres of Green Mark certified space (12% of Singapore’s total built space)
• China announced having 200 certified buildings, another 300 under construction. LEED-certified space in India leaped from 1800 square metres in 2003 to 2.3 million square metres in 2010. In 2009, over 200 buildings in Hong Kong were HK-BEAM certified
• Year-to-year annual reports suggest increament in certification number
• Green improves building performance in relation to known costs – interests developers and owners.
• Green appears as great opportunity to governments. Over 40% of all energy and 25% of water consumed within a country is by its building sector. 80% of all energy used by a building is in its operations. A big drop in energy consumption eliminates national dependency on imports, possibly removing the need to expand utilities infrastructure – solution for energy and water security
• Apparent climate changes became every government’s concern. Urges decreament target in emission. India – reduce 24% of carbon intensity by 2020; China reduce 40%; Taiwan created 4 low carbon regions. All these targets cannot be met without involving building sector
• Growing Green trends in many parts of Asia pressed Malaysia to walk the similar path
• Replace wood with bamboo is a clever way to aid the environment
• Bamboo is ecological alternative to wood for construction
• Bamboo has better tensile and compressive strength than wood
• No plants grow faster than bamboo, capable of up to 1.25m growth in 24 hours (easily regenerated)
• Tree takes 20-60 years for harvest, bamboo only 3 years. Cutting bamboo doesn’t kill the plant, can be reharvested every 3 years without damaging it or surrounding.
• During regeneration, root stays intact, prevents erosion
• Will regrow with denser fiber – most effective renewable resource
• Saves cutting trees, prevents deforestation
• Bamboo sequesters 4 times more carbon than trees, mitigates greenhouse effect
• According to the people at the Zero Emissions Research Institute (ZERI), bamboo forest can sequester 17 times as much carbon as typical tree forest
• Unless replacing natural forest, bamboo forest comes with positive environmental balance
• Bamboo can be planted locally, doesn’t require preservative or shipment (saves cost and fuels)
• However, requires different type of treatment than of wood
• Can be done using environmentally friendly methods – remove starch and sugar (attract insects) using smoking method – smoke cut bamboos using fire fueled by bamboos
• Smoking process also makes bamboo much denser (stronger)
• To protect against decay, bamboo bathed in boric salts (non-hazardous) and coated with a finish that emits no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Nothing goes to waste, leaves used to feed livestock
• Beginning a decade ago, bamboo flooring has become a serious contender in hardwood flooring market

3.2 A True Building Material

• Malaysia has yet to have a known building material that can satisfy both climate and economic circumstances
• Equatorial weather – high temperature, heavy rainfall, humid all year. Buildings are constrained to take considerations of these conditions to attain comfortable living
• Bricks are cheap and easily available but have high latent heat properties – collect heat during day and release at night (Not suitable for tropical setting)
• Wood has best scientific benefits for tropical country – captures and releases heat quickly
• Wood’s setbacks: not consistent in characteristics because it’s natural; only selected type of timber can be used for construction; highly skilled labour and advanced technology are required to produce volume sufficient to cater for industry; has to be treated to become weatherproof
• Scarcity due to depletion of forest makes wood costly and cannot be used as exensively as bricks
• Bamboo can be an alternative material – renewable and inexpensive resource
• Can be used as walls, support structures, roofing and flooring
• Bamboo is naturally designed for strength and durability– with no rays and knots like wood, it can withstand more strength
• High silica content – cannot be digested by termites
• Bamboo contains different chemical extractives than hardwood, which make it better suited for gluing 
• Structural engineering test conducted - Higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel, higher compressive strength than many mixtures of concrete (can totally replace metal structure)
• Lighter than steel, shape makes it easily transported
• Dense fibers in each bamboo give it flexibility, able to bend without snapping
• Bamboo absorbs heat readily and releases quickly like wood. If bamboo replaced bricks, can be used as a passive cooling solution, cut down the need for air conditioning (great for tropical climate that is hot and humid)
• The roundness of  the bamboo means that the joints may be geometrically complex
• Fortunately, Colombian prize-winning architect, Simon Velez uses bamboo as primary construction material. Invented many bamboo joineries (fish mouth joinery) and proved bamboo as sustainable material
• Bamboo can only be used for low rise buildings – cannot replace load bearing strength possessed by reinforced concrete
• Cannot replace concrete floor - ability to bend without breaking makes it unsuitable for building floor structures due to a very low tolerance for deflection
• Similar to wood, bamboo as natural material is not consistent in characteristics and properties
• Application of bamboo in design is still developing, more new applications to be expected

3.3 Search for National Identity

• Malaysia was devoured by an unfamiliar and foreign architecture culture that was brought in by local architects that were educated and trained in western countries
• Used education abroad to spread International Style architecture in Malaysia
• The need to keep up with rapid growth of economy and population did not give local architects time to explore and experiment architecture – the style was therefore brought forward
• Owing to western influence, local architects developed interest for western concept – resulting loss of focus for regional architecture
• Malaysia has rich and interesting cultures and history – can be made as references when planning an architecture
• National buildings should reflect our brand of architecture
• Critical Regionalism – take building’s environmental context into consideration rather than having a soulless free-standing building which lacks identity
• Architecture in Malaysia should take account from all respects, including climate, culture etc
• Malaysia’s oldfangled traditional architecture requires refinement and development to keep up with the present day context
• Several attempts were made to develop image of national architecture
• Example: National Museum is described as direct adaptation of identifiable vernacular element of a traditional Malay house  - Minangkabau roof topped a typical modern construction - superficial implant of vernacular element
• Frank Lloyd Wright believes architecture should grow out of its surroundings
• Naturally gives architecture local uniqueness – forming national identity
• Using material that satisfy Malaysia’s circumstances (climate, economic, history etc) and available locally – bamboo
• Bamboo’s flexibility and light weight allow architects to easily break free from conventional design
• Various Columbian architects perfected ways to join bamboos to build huge structure

3.4 Educating the Public

• Bamboo always perceived as “wood of the poor”, not accepted because it’s a poor measure of social level
• People could only imagine salad bowls, basket and chopsticks when speaking of bamboo, couldn’t see potential in building construction
• Only seen as temporary structures (scaffolding and pavillions)
• Necessary to convince/persuade public to use or accept bamboo, by proving their benefits
• Prove it’s the right way forward as a potential sustainable building material
• (Conduct online survey on public’s acceptance of bamboo as building material)
• To change poor understanding of people – is to set examples – seeing is believing
• Laymen are not interested in technical aspects (green features, bamboo’s lightweight and strength), but instead an aesthetically remarkable bamboo architecture – more impactful in educating
• Change opinion of public that bamboo is not only limited to old fashioned designs, but can be made into complicated comtemporary forms
• First hand experience of cooler temperature inside a bamboo building without air conditioner
• Example: In 1920, many Europeans traveled to little islands of Indonesia, bamboo resorts were created to house vacationers – changed perception from poor to exotic and interesting
• Bamboo lacks support from government – needs to be recognised as an official construction material and sustainable