|
| |
Bamboo and You
By J.A. Romig | OCT.07.07
There is little wonder why modern designers are touting this humble, woody grass. |
 |
|
Somewhere between the perfection of stone tools and the beginnings of metallurgy, ancient humans began to manipulate their environment. Archaeologists call this era Neolithic. During the Neolithic period (8500 BC - 4000 BC) humans learned to domesticate animals, grow crops, convert clay into pots and cut down trees in order to plant grain and fashion things out of wood. In ancient China, people took advantage of an abundant resource, scientifically classified as Plantae > Magnoliophyta > Liliopsida > Poales > Poaceae > Bambusoideae > Bambusodae > Bambuseae.
Those ancient Chinese people were brilliantly efficient when it came to Bamboo. They made utensils with it. They ate it. They built homes with it. They even used it to construct weapons. They loved it so much they designated it as one of the "Four Noble Ones", along with the Plum Blossom, the Chrysanthemum and the Orchid. For the Chinese, Bamboo came to represent longevity due to the plant's heartiness and reproductive capacity.
From the third century until 1975, China's Anlan Bridge used cabling made from Bamboo. Before the Chinese began to turn pulp into paper, they wrote on strips made from Bamboo. The Japanese as well, revered this plant, making growths of it an integral part of Shinto Shrines.
While primarily assumed to be native to East Asia, Bamboo is also native to Australia, Africa, the U.S. and Chile. Each country and culture has found their own uses for Bamboo but China is the most prolific exporter.
Bamboo is wood-like but technically, it is classified as a grass. There are more that a thousand different species of Bamboo, ranging from delicate reeds to stalks (called culms) that are a foot in diameter. Because the culms are hollow in the center, Bamboo is very light, yet rope made from Bamboo has incredible tensile strength. When treated, flooring and parquet made from Bamboo, rivals any hardwood.
More importantly from an environmental perspective, Bamboo produces a complex root system that helps protect shorelines from erosion. Bamboo groves act as a natural windbreak. Bamboo grows incredibly quickly. Whereas a cut tree will take decades to reproduce, the same size Bamboo culm regrows in a matter of months or even weeks. The most common Bamboo in Japan is ma-dake and it has been reported that at least one culm grew as much as four feet within 24 hours. Killing Bamboo is almost impossible once the roots (rhizomes) take hold.
There is little wonder why modern designers are touting this humble, woody grass. Earth-friendly concepts are no longer just a fad. They are the only way we will survive as a species. The Green movement is prevalent in the design industry. Bamboo dovetails perfectly into Green architecture and design. Deforestation and mining for metals are obsolete when it comes to manufacturing building materials, furniture and textiles. The design industry has seen the future and it is Green, where the skies are clear, the land is replenished and all homes will contain some element of Bamboo.
The Environmental Bamboo Foundation once printed a pamphlet entitled: The Bamboo Alphabet. Under each letter was a list of uses for the plant beginning with that letter. The only letter without a list of uses was "Q". There really isn't anything that can't be made from Bamboo. Cookware, flooring, upholstery, columns and balustrades, furniture, the list is literally endless.
In East Asia, entire homes are constructed, from floors to walls to rooftops, out of Bamboo. A Bamboo post is as strong as any two-by-four. A Bamboo floor is as beautiful as any maple or pine. Cabinetry can be parqueted with Bamboo. Light fixtures and lamps shine brightly with Bamboo fittings and shades. Whether you prefer Bamboo in its knobby, natural state, hand scraped or polished smooth, your choices are limited by imagination only.
With over 1000 species there are all sorts of shades of Bamboo. It can be white, tan, ash, brown or green. Cover a wall with woven Bamboo. Line a garden walkway with cut Bamboo culms. Install Bamboo fencing for privacy. Furnish a bedroom with Bamboo furniture and sleep on bedding made from Bamboo fabric. Cocoon yourself in soft towels made from bamboo after a hot shower. Stock a kitchen with Bamboo utensils, bowls and cutting boards. Cook succulent bamboo shoots in a bamboo steamer. Manufactured Bamboo is allergen-free and resistant to termites. Use all that Bamboo has to offer and do so worry-free because Bamboo replenishes quickly and inexpensively.
|
|
|
Bamboo Facts
* The earliest proven example of Bamboo use is from 5000 years ago. Archeologists discovered Bamboo artifacts in the ruins of the ancient Banpo Village in China in the 1950's.
* Heinrich Göbel used a carbonized filament made from Bamboo in his attempts to create the first incandescent light bulb.
* In Vietnam, Bamboo is the symbol that represents the martial art Vovinam. The Vietnamese culture is referred to as the "Bamboo culture" - meaning that like Bamboo, the Vietnamese people will never die.
* Some Asian cultures believe that human life came from the Bamboo plant.
* The Australian "didgeridoo" is a wind instrument made from a single Bamboo culm.
* A small, alphabetical list of items made from Bamboo: abacus, bicycle frame, cutting board, desk, earrings, fuel, gears, houses, ink pen, jar, kite, lamp, monofilament, nightstand, obelisk, panties, quonset hut, rowboat, surfboard, teapot, umbrella, vase, walking stick, xylophone, yurt and zen garden.
|
|
|
"The design industry has seen the future and it is Green, where the skies are clear, the land is replenished and all homes will contain some element of Bamboo."
"The detrimental environmental impact of shipping Bamboo across the seas and oceans may outweigh the positive benefits of this versatile material. Nevertheless, the burden of research is your responsibility. Know the sources of your resources." |
|
|
|
As with any natural resource, the cultivation, manufacture and transport of Bamboo has a dark side. Many species of animals as well as humans depend on localized Bamboo for sustenance and materials. Just like the tree forests of the Amazon, many Bamboo forests are cut down to make way for urbanization and manufacturing. Poor people, who work in the Bamboo industry, have yet to find representation in Fair Trade organizations. The detrimental environmental impact of shipping Bamboo across the seas and oceans may outweigh the positive benefits of this versatile material.
Some Bamboo manufacturers use poisonous chemicals to treat Bamboo such as formaldehyde. Fortunately, the issues of human rights and endangered animal species - in relation to the Bamboo - industry are being addressed. As well, there are many Bamboo producers and manufacturers outside of East Asia. Mexico is working very hard to surpass the export levels of China and there are Bamboo trade organizations and producers in democracies like the United States and Australia. Nevertheless, the burden of research is your responsibility. Know the sources of your resources.
From houseplants to housing, here are a few tips to help guide you on your way to incorporating Bamboo into your designs:
 Bamboo can be allergen-free, anti-bacterial and termite resistant but is not a perfect material. If not cured properly (boric acid - lime bath) the material is susceptible to both termites and beetles, as well as humidity.
Advertisers love to give products easy-to-remember names. A glaring example of this is the famous "Lucky Bamboo Plant". The houseplant is lovely but it is not Bamboo. It is a shrub named Dracaena sanderiana or Ribbon Plant.
Hardwoods require sealant and glue and so does Bamboo. Make sure that the Bamboo you use is treated with non-poisonous sealants and glues.
From the looks of a Bamboo plant, one would assume that textiles made from Bamboo would feel rough to the touch. This is not true. Bamboo is incredibly soft and is referred to as Earth's Cashmere.
If your concern lies in the shipping of Bamboo, try looking for services that make efforts to cut down on C02 transport emissions. A good place to find such companies is TransNeutral.
While it is true that Bamboo deforestation is endangering the Giant Panda, the Bamboo species used by the Bamboo industry are not the same as the few specific grasses the bear thrives upon. In fact, most Bamboo cultivation takes place far away from the Panda's habitat.
Bamboo products are inexpensive, long lasting, sturdy and the resource is endlessly renewable. It costs less to grow, cultivate and manufacture. It can be produced almost anywhere and made into almost anything. The ancient Chinese people may have been first to discover Bamboo but cultures all over the world depend on this woody grass and have done so for thousands of years.
Steel, glass and wood are fine but the time has come to evolve past the use of materials that plunder lands and pollute our bodies. The moment is right. Homeowners and businesses are finally receptive to the concept of Green building and design. Now comes the opportunity for you to suggest Bamboo.
|
| | By J.A. Romig | FOKaL Writer |
| [ OCT.07.07 ] |
  |
|
|