BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP WITH MARK EMERY
phanganearthworks is stoked to announce a weekend bamboo construction workshop with bamboo architect Mark Emery (AUS), to take place 11 February - 12 February 2012 on our property on Phangan island, Southern Thailand.
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BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION
Bamboo, a remarkably fast growing plant that thrives in a range of different climates including Australia, SE Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and even Antarctica, is one of the most versatile and sustainable building materials available today. While being extremely strong (bamboo has a higher tensile strength than steel per weight), bamboo's beauty provides an aesthetically pleasing finish to the eye.
In many parts of the world, particularly in tropical climates where giant bamboos grow as forests, there is a tradition to using bamboo for constructing buildings and other structures such as the bridge shown above.
As wood becomes more scarce bamboo construction will hold more and more value outside of the tropical climates where the benefits of its use have been known for millennia.
Being such an extremely fast growing grass means that harvesting takes place every 3-5 years as opposed to more than 25 years for softwoods and over 50 years for many hardwoods.
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THE COURSE
Workshop participants will learn all the basics of bamboo construction. The course consists of short blocks theory balanced by ample hands-on pracitcal training. Over the course of the weekend we will construct a shade structure that will serve as a sheltered space for parked motorbikes.
Participants will learn how to construct a spaced bamboo column using 2D Cartesian geometry on the ground to form a truss template. Coupling and prestressing of bamboo elements using bamboo dowels, lifting of truss, and roof thatching will also be covered in this workshop.
This workshop is suitable for anyone with an interest in this exciting natural building technique. Recommended for permaculture designers, natural builders, conventional builders, owner-builders, aid workers, and anyone else looking to expand their skills in creating safe and comfortable habitats for future generations. Freshmen welcome, NO bamboo experience required.
Topics covered include:
• The merits of bamboo building
• Bamboo treatment
• Bamboo construction basics
• Spaced bamboo column
• Bamboo dowel in construction
• Selecting the curved bamboo
• Team work erection
• Prefabricated assembly
>> click on the image above to download the A4 poster (1.3 MB)
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DATES
Saturday 11 February - Sunday 12 February 2012;
Workshop hours are 08.00 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 17.30
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WHERE
On our jungle hillside property in the hills above Sri Thanu village, Koh Phangan, Surat Thani 84280, THAILAND.
Email us at phanganearthworks@gmail.com for more information and make your booking today, or call Julien +66 (0)83 393 90 21 / Hubert +66 (0)86 281 63 08.
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COST
Regular tuition fee for this weekend course is THB 4’500 (EUR 106), with a discounted early-bird price of THB 3'700 (EUR 88) for registrations and full payments prior to 30 November 2011.
The number of participants is limited to 25 people, first come first served.
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TEACHER
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Mark Emery graduated from the University of New South Wales Faculty of Built Environment with honors in Landscape Architecture. After graduation, Mark continued his professional career working for leading urban design offices in Sydney. Having spent years in front of a computer screen, he found himself nostalgic for his formative years "On the tools" managing his own landscape construction company in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
It was the first encounter with bamboo in his final year elective at university that connected mark with bamboo as a construction material. With a strong desire to study spanish and bamboo architecture, he was guided to the Andean slopes of South America to learn from the Colombian bamboo building tradition.
It was there that Mark met bamboo constructor and soon to be mentor Jörg Stamm. After working with Jörg on several projects around Colombia, Mark was gaining invaluable experience from the German Carpenter of how to construct on the ground and then lift large arched trusses for bridges made from the Guadua bamboo species. As Marks Passion for bamboo grew, his Journey unfurled back across the pacific to Asia to build another bridge in the south of Thailand. Thailand seemed a bamboo paradise for mark with such diversity of species and sizes, it was logical for Mark to put down his roots, and create his own bamboo playground in Chiang Mai. |
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