November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

The Houses Bamboo Built

(Page 2 of 2)

July / August 2006
Hannah Lobel Utne magazine 
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Back in the United States, where myriad codes and market forces can slow the adoption of new materials, builders have been reticent to experiment with bamboo. As one of them told DeBoer, 'I don't do new.' Plus, according to Environmental Building News (March 2006), some kinks must still be worked out before bamboo merits a full-fledged 'sustainable' stamp of approval. Most bamboo used here is shipped from China, burning fossil fuels; pollution from pesticides and fertilizers can be a problem, as can toxic preservatives; and scientists are concerned that some forests-typically more biologically diverse than bamboo groves-are being cleared or invaded to plant the more profitable bamboo crops.

Nevertheless, DeBoer and others say the bamboo gospel is worth spreading, for the material's sustainability, structural capacity, and-perhaps most importantly for designers-beauty. 'You have a carved, ornamented, interesting, character-filled, finished piece without having to do anything,' DeBoer tells Utne. 'You've already started with something you want to end up with.' -Hannah Lobel

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  • secglaiz01 4/30/2009 12:21:13 PM

    VERY INFORMATIVE ONE, THANKS FOR SHARING THIS BUT HERE IS ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE U TO SHARE OR PROMOTE TO U, JUST VISIT THIS SITE http://bamboopower.com for more info, im sure u will like it cuz its more interesting that i got in ur blogs... thank u and hope to hear about u...

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