Towering over the activity center of the Ayala Center Cebu, the Bamboo Tensegrity Dome stands as a testament to bamboo’s remarkable resilience and strength, showcasing its position as one of nature’s wonders.
The Tensegrity Dome, measuring 4.5 meters in height and nine meters in width, is a marvel of physics, constructed with bamboo-made cables that demonstrate the immense tensile strength of bamboo.
Tensegrity is a design principle that comes into play when a discontinuous set of compression elements is balanced and opposed by a continuous tensile force, resulting in an internal prestress that stabilizes the entire structure.
Bamboo’s resilience and strength took center stage at the recent BambuFest 2023, held at the Ayala Center Cebu from Sept. 18 to 24, 2023. The event, organized by the Philippine Institute of Architects – Cebu and spearheaded by architect Bryan Auman, aimed to elevate bamboo from a simple plant to a symbol of sustainability, innovation and cultural heritage.
“In this event, we aim to highlight the importance of bamboo as a sustainable and eco-friendly material in modern design,” said Auman.
Bamboo as an inspiration
Known as a “bamboo whisperer,” Auman has been fascinated by bamboo since childhood, inspired by his grandmother’s bahay kubo, which always exuded a refreshing ambiance with its amakan walls and lipak flooring. This fascination led him to pursue a career in architecture, and he even obtained his master’s degree in architecture at Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia, specializing in bamboo research.
“I had the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Indonesian culture and truly understand what Indonesian Bamboo Architecture feels like. Now that I’m back in Cebu, I want to share everything I’ve learned with fellow Cebuanos,” he explained.
Exhibition
As bamboo was ceremonially snapped to mark the beginning of BambuFest on Sept. 18, a wide array of designs delighted mallgoers. The creativity on display was boundless, with designs featuring various uses of bamboo, including bamboo bicycles that visitors could actually ride and test.
A diverse range of toy designs was also showcased, including the traditional bamboo kariton, a bamboo pole approximately two meters long with wheels typically made from old rubber slippers. Children had fun with bamboo guns, similar to the toy guns used at carnivals.
Other curious mallgoers tried their hand at weaving at the Tubigon Raffia Gallery booth, while exhibits featuring paintings of bamboo adorned the mall’s Activity Center.
Platform for local weavers
BambuFest also provided a platform for local weavers from Raffia Gallery in Tubigon, Bohol, to showcase their craftsmanship and even share their weaving skills with mallgoers.
“Participating in trade fairs and events like this is crucial for our business as it helps us find potential buyers. While our products are primarily made from buri, we’ve also started incorporating bamboo into our handicrafts,” explained Maria Trina Sumayang of Raffia Gallery.
Auman emphasized that BambuFest serves as an avenue for local weavers in Bohol to display their invaluable skills and products, ensuring that this craft not only survives but thrives in the modern world.
“This will create more livelihood opportunities for our backyard industry in Bohol,” added Auman.
Most of Bohol’s bamboo weavers are women from the community.
From its humble beginnings as a bamboo bike-building workshop last year to this week-long series of activities, Auman assures us that BambuFest is just the beginning of something greater, aiming to educate, inspire and foster a deep appreciation for the remarkable material that is bamboo.