Elora Hardy builds Magical Houses, Made of Bamboo in Bali- a TED Talk

Wow, I just watched this and think that I'd love to live in one of Elora's homes in Bali surrounded by a forest garden.  Just 10 minutes long, it will make you want to do more with the natural materials where you live!  Gives me hope for the future.


Elora's business website

Of related interest I guess:

"Untreated bamboo will, like any grass, not last long. For short term purposes such as scaffolding or buildings for temple ceremonies the bamboo is not treated and may only last 2 or 3 years. Good harvesting and treatment can extend the life up to as much as 20 or 30 years.

Treatment provides protection against the natural enemies of bamboo, termites, powder borer, fungus and wet rot.

The best treatment method for bamboo as recommended by the Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta involves boiling it in a bath of preserving chemical for several hours (usually around 12 hours). The structure of the bamboo swells and absorbs the preserving fluid. After treatment the bamboo cools down and dries out trapping the preserving chemical within the bamboo structure. The most commonly used chemical is a combination of borax and boric acid although some chemical companies are now supplying more sophisticated preserving agents."

https://www.mrfixitbali.com/building-design/selecting-harvesting-and-treatment-of-bamboo-175.html

Cool video, she definitely has a flair for the spectacular!  I found myself wondering, what she meant by "treating" the bamboo? Here is a video that explains the treatment process using a different one of the methods described in Mr. Smith's post: .

The Formula they used was 30L water, 1.5kg Boric Acid, and 1.5kg Borax.