Lombok Bambu Festival 2013

Through the slogan We Care Bamboo, the Indonesian Institute of Architects-West Nusa Tenggara 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 organisations 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 bamboo planting 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 underappreciated and amazingly versatile and sustainable building materials available. Bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, has gained cultural and economic significance in Southeast Asia not only for its rapid growth but also for its great strength, which often allows it to be used as a 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 reinforcement in concrete

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