Bamboo Building Books

Bamboo Building Books is a selection of book reviews that are specifically related to interest in buildings and the construction side of using bamboos. The Web provides easy access to a range of reviews and suppliers of new and used book supplies.

I am not currently able to resource each book for every country but have provided access to USA and UK links with reviews. Most sellers will ship worldwide and I will try to cover other countries at some point.

New Bamboo

Bambusa guadua, the tropical giant bamboo, is the most versatile, reliable architectural material of its native mountainous regions. Bamboo's delightful exterior and exotic reputation obscures its oaklike strength. 'New Bamboo' is a colour portfolio of contemporary structures and decorative designs demonstrating the appeal of building with natural materials for the modern eye. Properly treated, bamboo is as reliable as prime-grade hardwoods, beautiful in its own right, and suitable for commercial and residential structures in any climate. This is an anthology of bamboo construction by different experts: an agronomist, architects, a designer, and a builder, that showcases projects in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia, where this product has been used as a traditional construction material for centuries. Also covered are France and Germany, where architects are discovering the delights of working with bamboo. Guadua is beautiful but not so delicate that it cannot be used in commercial structures like the auditorium-size pavilion built for the Hannover Expo 2000. Here are delightful details and rugged outbuildings that show bamboo as a most natural design element.

Bamboo Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details

The many uses of beautiful bamboo Besides feeding pandas and making a yummy addition to many Asian dishes, bamboo is also used as a building material, both functional and decorative. The dried stems are extremely sturdy and lend themselves to a multitude of uses. Shigeru Ban, for example, found a way to create lumber from laminated woven bamboo for a house he designed in Beijing. Other houses show off bamboo in more straightforward ways, lining the ceilings or floors with stems, or even forming walls. Bamboo is also used to construct furniture, lending a chair or a bed a warm, earthy feeling. This unique look book captures the many uses of bamboo in houses throughout China, Japan, and Indonesia.

How to Build with Bamboo

How To Build with Bamboo: 30 Projects includes step-by-step illustrations on building your own bamboo items, with 30 unique projects including a plant holder, picture frame, porch swing, candle holder, privacy panel, lampshade, chest of bins, luggage rack, and much more! With a section on the history, philosophy, and environmental advantages of bamboo, plus tips on finding bamboo locally and growing your own, How-To Build with Bamboo: 30 Projects is an incredible resource on a major modern renewable resource.

USA link on the left, UK link below

How to Build with Bamboo by Jo Scheer, 2005

Building With Bamboo: A Handbook

This revised handbook brings together the practical experiences of engineers in the field and of research programs testing bamboo. The author shows how bamboo can be harvested, seasoned and jointed to form walls, doors and windows, roofs, floors, ceilings, roof trusses and bridges, and how to weave bamboo.

Bamboo In Japan

Bamboo in Japan is one of the most exciting and beautiful books I've read in years. During her many years of researching in Japan, Bess discovered that bamboo contributes to every aspect of Japanese life: from architecture to religion, from household goods to children's toys. Bamboo is made into fans, baskets, kites, fences, tea ceremony whisks and scoops; into rakes, blinds, lanterns, spoons, dolls, umbrellas, fish rods, swords, and even into musical instruments such as the eerie, reedy shakuhachi. The book is filled with fascinating facts and anecdotes. Ancient documents chronicle the use of a small bamboo knife that was thought to have magical powers, and so was used to cut the umbilical cord after birth. In the 17th century an ordinance mandated that peasants plant bamboo in order to use the leaves for fuel. Did you know that some varieties of bamboo grow so quickly that one can actually watch them grow? Or that the adult plant is strong enough to support traditional scaffolding tens of stories high, yet delicate enough to be cut into fibers hardly wider than a hair? A Japanese folktale describes a bamboo cutter's discovery of a beautiful miniature princess in a bamboo shoot. Additionally, Bess includes resources for observation and research in Japan and in the US. An internationally known textile and basket craftsperson, Bess has produced a book so vibrant and colorful, it will grow and grow sky high in your imagination.

Bamboo Style

Bamboo Style creatively shows how every room of the house can be designed, decorated or accented with sensual bamboo furniture, flooring, wall covering, ceiling material and accessories. The book showcases examples of easy and innovative bamboo decorating techniques and do-it-yourself projects. Bamboo Style inspires creativity and craft making, and includes a detailed resource section that makes it easy to connect with designers, manufacturers, artists, suppliers, and organizations.

Grow Your Own House

Bamboo as a construction material is being rediscovered today: not only is it considered extremely cost effective and durable, it also has an unmistakable aesthetic appearance. Architect Simon Velez appreciates the qualities of bamboo and has used the material in many of his buildings, his pavilion for the ZERI Foundation at Expo 2000 being a good example. At 40 metres in diameter and 17 metres high, it is one of the largest bamboo structures in the world. Throughout the 20th century architects have experimented with bamboo such as Buckminster Fuller, Frei Otto, Renzo Piano, Shoei Yoh and Arata Isozaki. The material has also had an impact within other disciplines; Charlotte Perriand has created furniture, and the Japanese stage designer Hiroshi Teshigahara is known for his bamboo set creations. This publication documents the historical significance and unique properties of bamboo and points to its possible future uses as society looks for more sustainable means of living.

Books on Bamboo - Book Reviews & Store

Have a look at my book reviews and store page to do a search for more bamboo building books related to a specific subject of your interest.

More...

Visit my friends sit for free building information and guides

From your interest in bamboo building books you will also find useful information throughout this site. Please use the navigation at the top left of the page or use this list below as a starting point.