Friday, June 6, 2008

The Next Generation Of Bamboo Connections

The idea of using bamboo as a construction material is just being explored by architects and engineers in the U.S. and Europe. For those who have known of the strength of Bamboo poles the challenge has been to separate bamboo from the a theme faux finish typical of a Gilligans' Island set, to a functional load bearing material. The patented Guadua tech system has the advantage of utilizing the extremities of the bamboo poles catering to the minimalism ideal of modern architecture . Our latest project the Bamboo Pagoda for Tropical bamboo rendering seen to the left allowed the Guadua Tech team to incorporate a new generation of cast and hardened steel articulations. Up to this point projects for koolbamboo.com incorporated a trailer ball and socket to accomplish angled stances of the bamboo structures. Architects JB Londoño and Daniel Cheyne redesigned this connection for a large project in La Calera Bogotá named Bahia , a 20000 + sq ft convention center over looking the Colombian Capitol. Another distinct advantage of the Guadua Tech system is the ability to design a structure that can be prefabricated and this week the Tropical Bamboo Pagoda arrived by plane, much to the curiosity of all of the employees of the cargo airlines. The pre-assembled structure arrived along with the new generation of articulations on a double sized pallet and three of Marcelo Villegas 4 x 8 Ply wood sheets ( info to be presented later). The new articulations will not be incorporated in every new project as they are cost prohibitive being cast in small quantities , however the Tropical Bamboo Pagoda Project presents itself as the perfect opportunity to incorporate Guadua bamboo poles and high grade steel articulations.




1 comment:

Unknown said...

Does cutting slots to facilitate the blunted cone-shaped dowel reduce the integrity of the culm? Would it not be better to use a cylindrical dowel?