Interior view of Bamboo Sports Hall Panyaden International School (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construction)Bamboo Building in Chiang Mai Minimizes Carbon Footprint Significantly
It brings a smile on faces of lovers of natural building materials
Interior view of Bamboo Sports Hall Panyaden International School (Chiangmai Life Architects and Construction)This bamboo building in Chiang Mai can quite rightly be declared as impressive craftsmanship. A possibly appropriate time to join this green and woody bandwagon by helping to encourage the utilization of this very flexible natural material to create enduring and very environment-friendly architectural masterpieces. Supporters of Green Building and lovers of natural building materials shouldn’t ignore bamboo.
90% Smaller Footprint Compared to Common Building Techniques
Now, in a world so obsessed with trying to scrape the top of the very heavens with ultra-modern skyscrapers of increasing length and complexity, bamboo might not be the obvious choice when building something more fashionable than a mud hut or two. But, it seems the world of bamboo lovers didn’t get this memo, as the multi-use grass has readily consented to lend itself to practically any endeavor in which its magnificence can be fully exploited.
One of the more admirable and eye-catching bamboo designs on this warming planet is the bamboo sports hall built for the Panyaden International School. Located in smiling Thailand, the aforesaid sports hall is very spacious, cutting-edge, and totally wondrous. Looking at its pictures, it is all too easy to believe it to be some pitiful photo-shop magic. After all, how can common bamboo realistically compete with its steel, metal and glass brethren in jaw-dropping looks, glamour and style?
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The answer, of course, lies in the vision, skill and readiness of the builders not to limit them to conventional ways of doing things. But to instead be willing to innovate, and imagine all-new uses for everyday things. The structure was built by Chiangmai Life Architects and Construction, which is a company already well recognized for building outstanding bamboo-based structures.
New Bamboo Building in Chiang Mai With Zero Carbon Footprint
The cost of the building is around $300,000. It has an incredibly low carbon footprint and is 782.0 square meters in area. Commissioned this year as a multi-purpose sports arena, it seamlessly flows and effortlessly merges with and enhances its hilly forest environment. Rather than clashing with it and looking as incongruous as the proverbial bull in a high-class china shop.
The design is said to be based on the iconic and much-beloved lotus flower. The interior is cooled naturally by breezes and is well insulated. As well, the bamboo used were all treated with borax salt and expertly positioned to resist tornadoes, earthquakes and the like. Despite the lack of steel reinforcements, the structure is surprisingly sturdy and bound to outlast the majority of people who come to either gawk at it or learn inside its one-of-a-kind interior.
The above-mentioned sports arena is only one of the more remarkable bamboo-based structures either going up or already standing tall and proud in Chiangmai. And they are catching on across the globe as people begin to recognize the wonders of bamboo and the practically endless uses to which it can be put.
So, what’s next for the mighty green bamboo? Only time can tell as its limits have yet to be plumbed.
Gorgeous, am curious how it smells there when you enter this new bamboo building. It’s really a great building material – and so very very cheap. The tensile strength is significantly higher than wood fiber. It is a cheaper and faster growing substitute for timber. Let’s leave the earth’s forests in peace and cultivate bamboo material. Furthermore, it is an ideal option for earthquake-prone regions. Due to the high bending strength, it is even possible to build seismic-resistant constructions. Storm troubled regions can sleep in peace as it also resists bad windstorms if it is solidly built by professionals. Still, I think it will not replace timber or concrete in the future. But we can easily increase its proportion.
By the way, there are dozens of different bamboo types with different and individual qualities. All of them are easy to cut, non-polluting, light, easy to transport, easy to repair, … . And if a bamboo building is not enough, you can even build all your furniture with bamboo ;-)
Thank you for this article!
This is exactly why I love builders that innovate and try to find and use new materials that make life easier/better. Using bamboo to build such a large structure was unheard off and now the Panyaden International School could be the first of many such buildings. The low carbon footprint is a strong reason why more builders should use bamboo as their building material.
Could a skyscraper-type building be built using bamboo and some other materials? Now there’s a question future builders should think about.