Bamboo is widely recognized as a sustainable building material because it is robust and fast growing. Environmentalists and designers John and Cynthia Hardy showcased bamboo in their Green School in Bali, Indonesia. The on campus buildings are constructed completely from sustainably-harvested bamboo and they are powered by renewable energy systems. Due to its sustainability, the Green School is on the short-list for the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture.
The Green School is the result of a partnership with architecture firm PT Bambu and the non-profit Meranggi Foundation, which develops bamboo plantations by presenting seedlings to local rice farmers. PT Bambu is an architecture firm that specializes in bamboo architecture. The bamboo portion of the Green School’s campus consists of four classrooms, a drop-off center, faculty housing, offices, cafes, bathrooms, a gym, and the Heart of the School, a spiraling, multi-story building for school functions.
Along with bamboo construction, the eco-school’s curriculum focuses on sustainability and offers many scholarships to local Balinese children. The campus also includes an organic garden and utilizes a number of renewable energy systems, including a bamboo sawdust hot water and cooking system, a hydro-powered vortex generator, and solar panels.
© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved
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