Private personal spaces. Spaces to relax in. Spaces we entertain in or enjoy wonderful times with the people who mean most to us.

What I love about bamboo the most is that it helps you create a place you really want to be in.

 A place you feel comfortable in, anywhere at home.

 A secluded little nook in your garden.

 Relaxing by the pool behind a privacy screen, safely away from prying eyes.

 It’s earthy, organic and natural.

 It’s far more sustainable than timber.

 I also love the aesthetics of bamboo.

I love how a few simple bamboo poles can transform a small part of your garden.

 How a simple bamboo screen can bring warmth and organic texture to a cold brick, concrete or metal fence.

How bamboo can bring a touch of the Orient to anywhere, making you feel like you are in the tropics.

But equally I love how it can be stylish and contemporary.

Bamboo is also amazing because it’s as much at home outdoors as it is indoors.

Its beauty lies in its natural strength, flexibility and of course sustainability.

Bamboo is everything timber wants to be. And so much more.

It is stronger, lighter, more flexible and easier to work with.

It grows 10 times faster than timber, using less water & resources. It needs no pesticides or herbicides to help it grow.

Bamboo breathes 35% more oxygen back into the atmosphere than trees do and stores 4 times the carbon of wood.

The speed with which is grows is truly amazing. A single tree, 15 metres tall, will take 60 years to grow back once you cut it down. And you will have to plant another tree to replace it.

But bamboo will grow back to 15 metres in 60 days! And there is no need to replant bamboo as it grows back from the very same place you cut it down.

No wonder people all over the world have loved using it for thousands of years.

It is perhaps the world’s most sustainable building material. Adaptable, flexible and yet strong. It’s actually stronger than steel and concrete by some measures.

And those are just some of the reasons that I love bamboo. I hope you love it too.

We can help you with one of the most sustainable materials of all time. One that we have been working with for over 45 years.

That material is bamboo.

Bamboo is simply one of the world’s greenest materials. It offers significant remediation from the effects of climate change, so specifying it for your projects contributes to them qualifying for a Green Star Rating.

Why Bamboo is Greener than Timber.

Firstly, bamboo is not a tree, it’s a grass. Which means it grows, and regrows, differently to timber.

When you cut down hardwood trees all that remains is a stump. You have to replant a new tree and this can take up to a century to regrow to the same size of the original tree.

However, being a grass, when you cut down bamboo, it simply regrows, from the same stalk. And how fast does it regrow? Well bamboo can take as little as a few months to regrow to a reasonable height, while a forest of bamboo can reach full maturity in only 6-7 years.

But this is not the only reason bamboo is a more environmentally sustainable material than timber.

It also produces 35% more oxygen than trees and stores 4 times the carbon of timber.

Regrowing plantation bamboo is better for the environment than cutting down trees as deforestation starts a cycle of drought and environmental decline that accounts for a fifth of all carbon emissions globally.

The Bamboo Paradox – Harvesting is greener than not harvesting

You probably did not realise the most amazing thing about bamboo. It’s actually a greener option to harvest bamboo than not to harvest it!?

How is this so?

When alive, bamboo does not live for as long as hardwood trees. When bamboo dies and decays, it releases carbon back into the atmosphere. That means a bamboo forest you leave growing is a poor carbon sink but if you harvest it, it becomes a great carbon sink.

New production technology for bamboo

The way that bamboo building materials are made has changed a lot in recent years and this too means it is even greener.

Bamboo is not only a renewable material but it has incredible properties.

It is as strong as steel in tensile strength.

It is stronger than concrete in compression.

And it’s much lighter in weight than timber and can be manufactured to produce almost identical products to timber.

The most sustainable material for the future – bamboo

There is no doubt that bamboo is the building material of the future.

You will find that our focus on innovation at Reknew Design and House of Bamboo means we have created refined designs that can be applied to both commercial and residential projects.

Transcending all trends, bamboo is the most conscientious building material you can choose to help you achieve a Green Star Rating. Of course that helps our planet too.

Please get in touch with us to discuss your needs for sustainable products for Green Star Rated projects or message me and I’ll respond.

Thanks for reading.

Jennifer Snyders

Recent technological breakthroughs have been applied to bamboo to create Engineered Bamboo, converting it into laminated products that improve its inherent properties and characteristics, something which was previously only done with wood.

However, the results are even more superior with bamboo due to its inherent strength, lightness and flexibility.

Strip-laminated and strand woven bamboo

The first type of engineered bamboo to be created was “strip laminated”, where narrow strips of the outer part of the bamboo are cut and laminated together into boards that can be used in a multitude of ways just like timber.

But, of course, being made from bamboo they are so much lighter than equivalent lengths of timber enabling them to be used in many new and different ways to timber.

Another form of engineered bamboo is “strand woven” bamboo, which is often used for flooring. To make strand woven bamboo, the pole of the bamboo plant is cut, stripped-down, shredded into fibres and woven together with a resin. This product is then compressed under extreme heat and pressure to form a solid block of strand woven bamboo which is then machined into planks just like timber.

Colour stains can be added to the product to create various looks and styles as well as finishing lacquers etc.

Fused, carbonised, bamboo decking

Using a patented process, the bamboo is subject to a 2-stage process of high heat which “carbonises” it, removing all the sugars and starch in the bamboo and reinforcing its inherent strengths.

New generation fused bamboo decking takes engineered bamboo to an even higher level.

The modified bamboo strands are then fused together using a very strong resin, the same kind used to make bowling balls. The resulting decking boards are extremely dense with durability levels beyond that of many hardwood timbers.

They are also far more stable than traditional timber decking and won’t shrink, warp, twist and are highly resistant to termites, fire, rot, etc

Giving a square edge to a round pole

One of the most dramatic differences between using natural bamboo poles and engineered bamboo is that the process of engineering the bamboo converts the profile of the material from a round to a square edge, opening up a myriad of new uses.

Bamboo products with a square profile can be used in so many different and creative ways in design and construction. It essentially changes the very nature of bamboo itself, further enhancing its strengths and overcoming one of its perceived weaknesses.

Effectively once bamboo has been laminated it can be machined like any timber product, giving you any type of bespoke square edge or angle design that you wish.

Additionally, by engineering bamboo, you remove the inconsistencies of bamboo poles as they grow naturally which have differences in everything from external pole diameter, pole length as well as the wall thickness of the pole, all of which can vary even from one end of a bamboo plant to the other.

By engineering the bamboo into a different format, you are able to standardise the thickness, weight, length, etc of the finished product which gives it greater consistency for building, construction, décor, fencing, screening, be that on a large scale or bespoke designs.

Engineered bamboo opens up so many possibilities you need to say to yourself at the start of any project, where timber would normally be the go-to option, “I should be doing this with bamboo”.

-Jennifer Snyders, BSc/Arch, NSW

House of Bamboo

Now, with the current consumer focus on climate change and sustainability, bamboo is set to be a key player in the construction industry (and many other industries) in the future as well.  

While this has encouraged an ever-growing trend bamboo usage in commercial and residential construction overseas (particularly in France), perplexingly, Australia has yet to fully jump on board.

The study of bamboo  

However, with the University of Tasmania recently announcing it will be offering a PhD in Prefabricated Bamboo Housing, bamboo might just be about to get its moment in the Australian sun. 

The newly created PhD will cover a case study where laminated bamboo elements are used to create prefabricated housing stock, and the process of manufacturing this product will also be documented from harvest to construction.

The course will pay particular attention to pushing bamboo beyond what it has been ‘traditionally capable of’ by developing new methods of connection and treatment.

An innovative substance

This course is the latest in a growing list of studies already being offered by universities around the world on the potential uses of bamboo.

In India, for example, the National Institute of Technology in Nagpur has announced a bamboo curriculum for BArch students. It’s the first time bamboo will be added to an engineering degree course in that country.

“Of the six units in the BArch course, one will be dedicated to bamboo right from the first year,” explains Dr Pramod M Padole, Director of VNIT. “In the third year, it will be an elective subject.”

Meanwhile, the University of British Columbia in Canada has already established a multidisciplinary research group in the Faculty of Forestry to focus on the “structural properties, industrial applications and innovative uses” of bamboo, as well as its social, environmental and cultural potential. 

“Bamboo is a vitally important non-timber forest product,” says Professor John Innes, Dean of the Faculty, “and while its value has been recognised for centuries, it is only today that we are beginning to realise how some of its properties can best be utilised.”

There are even more courses and PhDs in sustainable bamboo at universities in Taiwan, University College London and Frankfurt Summer University, among others.

Sustainable and versatile 

Having worked with bamboo in both commercial and residential construction in Australia since 1972, House of Bamboo CEO Jennifer Snyders, one of Australia’s leading experts on bamboo, welcomes the fact that the academic world is starting to embrace the study of bamboo and its many multifaceted benefits across a range of industries. 

“We believe bamboo is very much the building material of the future,” she explains, “and we’re looking forward to its versatility and sustainability being recognised on a larger scale in many industries in Australia.

While some forward-looking visionaries were joining the growing environmental movement, larger ecological issues were far from mainstream Australian society and industry.

Looking into the future

However, my father, Mark Snyders, wanted to change that. Even back then he had his mind firmly set on encouraging Australians to use sustainable materials that were more suitable to our environment. 

A trained engineer, he had worked in Asia for many years and had noticed that instead of building solid, heavy houses, the builders in some Asian countries would simply gather together raw materials from the environment around them and build a comfortable house to live in for the moment. 

If the house was destroyed by a storm or simply wore out with old age, they would then return all the materials back to the earth and gather up new materials to build again.

Essentially, my father began to recognise the personal and global benefits of sustainable living. But, of course, no one called it that back then.

Building a legacy

So, in 1972, he decided to start a business importing bamboo products into Australia. To keep up with demand, he would travel to Asia on a regular basis, meeting and talking with craftspeople in small village communities about their bamboo crops and asking about the products they could produce for him. 

He ended up making lasting relationships with people who would hand-make blinds, wall coverings and slatted wall tiles from the bamboo they grew themselves in nearby plantations. 

The regular money he paid the villagers for their products enabled them to become more self-sufficient, sustaining them through the lean times. He was very proud of that because he believed that true sustainability is not just about the environment, but economic sustainability, as well.

Proud to carry on

That’s why, as his daughter, I’m so proud to build on his legacy. To continue the work he started and, to this day, continue to deal with many of the same villages (as well as many others) where he made connections over 50 years ago. 

At the House of Bamboo, we still empower small communities to keep living in a sustainable manner, both environmentally and economically, while they help us to become more sustainable, and ironically, more like them. 

This is what I see as my role today as CEO. I’m continuing the sustainable family legacy my father started way back in 1972, as well as spreading the message of sustainable living in the process. This is what gets me out of bed every morning… albeit very, very early!

Did you know Australia needs a dramatic increase in its emissions reduction targets to stay in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming to well below 2C?

An independent group of Australia’s most senior climate scientists and policymakers have released a report showing the nation’s targets fall well short of what’s required.

The group called the Climate Targets Panel, found Australia’s 2030 emissions target essentially needs to be doubled. At the moment, Australia has a target to reduce emissions by 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

But the report found this would need to be increased to 50 per cent if Australia wanted to be consistent with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping warming to well below 2C.

What does this have to do with what bamboo you ask?

Well, due to its fast growth it absorbs 4x the carbon dioxide of trees from the atmosphere providing 30% more oxygen in return. This is locked for a long time not only on the plantation but in the high number of building materials produced from harvested bamboo.

When you combine bamboo’s potential displacement factor with bamboo’s carbon storage rate, bamboo can sequester enormous sums – from 200 to almost 400 tonnes of carbon per hectare.*

There are so many possibilities for bamboo to support and impact our land and quality of life. Bamboo is not a poor man’s timber, in fact, it offered us an amazing opportunity to have a dual “timber” industry that protects the land and supports a positive climate investment.

House of Bamboo is committed to increasing the knowledge about bamboo and educating all industries about how it can support land regeneration, soil erosion and creating an effective carbon sink.

If you are looking to invest in sustainable materials for your next build, please contact us to find out more.

#earthday #bamboofacts #whybamboo #investinbamboo #bamboo #bambooaustralia #sustainability #sustainablematerials #sustainablebuilding #climatechange #inbar #climatesupport #environment

INBAR

www.news.com.au

Bamboo: Beyond the Tiki Bar Aesthetic

Bamboo can conjure images of tropical landscapes, Tiki bars, and decorative elements. This charming, textural element is not the only feature of bamboo worth noting. The engineering of bamboo has provided a new resource that can help offset Australia’s timber shortage and ultimately become a partner to the timber and construction industries.

The drive to reduce carbon emissions by the construction industry has meant it has started to look at new ways to make their practices greener. The overall goal is to reduce the amount of ‘embodied carbon’ within construction. Embodied carbon refers to the total carbon emissions released during construction, renovation, and demolition. As such we have seen the proliferation of a number of so-called ‘green buildings’ being built across the world, including Australia.

One of the ways to reduce emissions is to increase the use of lumber in construction. By reducing the use of materials like concrete and then including greener materials such as timber – the construction industry can start to achieve their goals. However, questions have been raised about the true sustainability of this practice.

The main concern with timber demand is that any increase will put pressure on timber stocks that are already strained. We have recently experienced supply issues due to the bushfires of 2019-2020 and COVID-19. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also had a heavy impact on timber supply out of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Trade sanctions on Russia and Belarus have only deepened these timber shortages.

One option to help mitigate these shortages is to use engineered bamboo. In this process bamboo fibres are bonded together under high pressure to produce materials for construction. Engineered bamboo offers enhanced strength, durability, and dimensional stability, making it an excellent substitute for traditional timber. In fact, it can be stronger than many hardwood species, making it suitable for demanding structural applications.

Engineered Bamboo: Redefining Strength and Durability

Dimensional stability is another critical attribute of engineered bamboo. Traditional bamboo materials as with any natural material are prone to expansion and contraction due to changes in moisture and temperature. Through the manufacturing process of engineered bamboo, fibres are aligned and compressed significantly reducing the material’s susceptibility to these stresses. This dimensional stability ensures that engineered bamboo maintains its structural integrity over time, even under challenging environmental conditions.

The timber equivalent to engineered bamboo is CLT (Cross Laminated Timber). CLT falls under the mass timber umbrella as a product engineered for strength comparable with concrete. It is these technologies that will be employed by the construction industry as they construct greener buildings. Engineered bamboo however offers other benefits to CLT as it builds upon the inherent sustainability as a rapidly renewable resource unlike timber.

When it comes to bamboo – nothing goes to waste. Engineered bamboo utilises bamboo stems that have reached maturity and the appropriate level of strength of density – this takes approximately 5-7 years. Whereas the softwood timber used to make CLT takes upwards of 30+ years to reach a level of maturity suitable for production. Engineered bamboo is a strong contender to CLT, making it a good alternate choice while not relying on a depleting forest industry.

How Engineered Bamboo Can Help Solve Skyrocketing Timber Wastage

A point must be made regarding waste when it comes to timber harvesting. A 2019 report released by the Sustainable Built Environment Research Centre of Australia provided statistics on timber waste from around the world and found that in 2016-2017 Australia generated more than 2 million tonnes of timber waste in the year reported. 25.8% of this waste was attributed to the construction and demolition sector.

Another more recent study conducted by Dr Jen Sanger for the Trees Project found that when harvesting timber in NSW approximately 60% of the total biomass is left on site. Half of this is woody debris that is left on site and the rest is burnt. In contrast bamboo harvests the mature culm (stem) leaving behind the root, which remains in place in order to re-grow another stem for a future harvest.

We can further reduce the need for timber and put less pressure on already limited supply by utilising engineered bamboo for elements such as beams, posts, trusses, flooring, wall cladding and even roofing material.

Australia’s Construction Landscape Goes Green: The Rise of Sustainable Buildings

Some examples of new local hybrid timber buildings include: the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower being built by tech giant Atlassian in Sydney; the Boola Katitjin at Murdoch University in Western Australia and T3 Collingwood – a 15 level hybrid timber office in Melbourne.

These buildings will be setting a benchmark for sustainability. Atlassian’s building has targeted a 50% reduction in embodied carbon (embodied carbon is the carbon dioxide emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the whole lifecycle of a building). This is a fantastic target, however both Atlassian and the Boola Katitjin building have needed to resort to importing timber from Europe as softwood timber supplies needed for CLT are in short supply within Australia. If engineered bamboo had been incorporated into these designs, both projects would be making even further strides towards the sustainable future they envisage.

The T3 Collingwood building will receive a $70 million investment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The building hopes to lower embodied carbon by 34%. It is this sort of investment and commitment that we need for the bamboo industry. Bamboo provides a viable and sustainable alternative to Australia’s critically depleted timber stocks for the construction of green buildings. Bamboo’s rapid growth, renewability and versatility make it an attractive resource that deserves funding and support. By investing in the bamboo sector, governments can further reduce emissions, build new industries and protect local forests.