Hamish McAndrew is an Architect currently working in the Scottish Borders. Towards the end of 2022, Hamish travelled to Indonesia, where, through local facilitators at Bamboo U, he undertook an intensive build & design course centred around bamboo and its application within the construction industry. Here he participated in the live construction of a new restaurant building - being built almost entirely from bamboo. This restaurant, located at the Kul Kul Farm in Abiansemal, is believed to be the first heat-bent bamboo structural system on the island of Bali.
The artist - As our assessment of sustainability within the built environment increasingly moves towards a fuller understanding of a building's lifespan, construction materials should be thought of as more than simply an end product. Amidst the volcanic landscapes and lush green jungles of Indonesia, bamboo is currently experiencing an architectural renaissance as a sustainable, economical and versatile construction material.
Inspired by my time building with bamboo in the Balinese jungle, this illustrative work outlines best practice within a bamboo supply chain - from adopting an agroforestry approach when farming, to applying proper post-harvest treatment and implementing proven construction techniques that take advantage of this fast-growing grass's characteristics.