Lombok Bambu Festival 2013

Through the slogan We Care Bamboo, the Indonesian Institute of Architects-West Nusatenggara Region introduced LIBAF — the Lombok International Bamboo Architecture Festival — with the aim of highlighting the significance of bamboo, which according to the architects is “almost forgotten in its potential as a local Indonesian material in architectural and structural works”.

The event was held Dec. 1-8, 2013, in cooperation with organizations such as Budi Pradono Architects and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in Lombok Island, Indonesia. The festival at Senggigi Beach Lombok was attended by more than 300 participants, including architects, architecture students, and artists from all around the world. It included workshops and seminars on the planting of bamboo and on themes such as Re-Designing the World with Bamboo, as well as a Bamboo Architecture Artwork Installation.

Building With Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most under appreciated and  amazingly versatile and sustainable building materials available. Bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, has gained its cultural and economic significance in Southeast Asia not only due to its speedy growth, but also thanks to its great strength, which allows it to be often used as building material instead of steel.

It is exceptionally strong for its weight and can be used both structurally and as a finish material. It can be used alone or as a reinforcemnt in concrete

I expect that the value of bamboo as a building material will only become more apparent as we move toward a time of wood scarcity and high costs of energy.

This peculiar monocot plant is also a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine and can be used to create fine, long-lasting furniture and other diverse structures.