Bamboo constructions are bioclimatic and earthquake resistant. These are Colombian architects, with 40 years of research on the subject, who say this. Introductory workshops were organized in Guadeloupe, to raise awareness of the benefits of a locally omnipresent plant.
What if the house of the future was made entirely of bamboo?! Colombian architects believe in this alternative to current construction methods. Professionals are currently in Guadeloupe, to introduce enthusiasts and novices to the art of erecting bioclimatic and earthquake-resistant buildings, with this plant.
Of course, the workshops did not result in full-scale achievements! Because it all starts with drawings and models. From the model phase, it is also possible to detect structural problems and improve the concept.
The participants were won over. For the most part, they already had the green fiber.
I am a plant lover. That’s why I’m here. I have always found it a shame that we do not use this natural resource.
Participant in the initiation to bamboo construction
I find it a good experience to start practicing with small chopsticks, to see the reality of bamboo, how flexible bamboo can be.
Participant in the initiation to bamboo construction
The Colombian professionals’ initiative is based on decades of conclusive research.
We have 40 years of research on bamboo. There is a specific standard in Colombia, which has been produced, to build in bamboo in a seismo-resistant manner (…) We can have constructions on 4 to 5 floors, only in bamboo construction.
Mauricio Castano Giraldo, architect specializing in bamboo construction
If the advantages and virtues of bamboo are undeniable, is Guadeloupe ready to embark on this type of construction? Is the resource sufficient? And what about the resistance of these constructions to the violent winds which threaten the archipelago during cyclonic periods?
Many questions remain unanswered before a professional sector is created on this basis, locally.
REPORTAGE/
Editor: Marie-Lyne Plaisir
Image reporter: Jean-Marie Mavounzy
Editor: Sébastien Marchais
Mixer: Sébastien Edouard