From Inhabit.com, by
Vo Trong Nghia, the "bamboo building virtuoso"
http://www.votrongnghia.com/
http://inhabitat.com/majestic-bamboo-dome-built-using-not-a-single-nail/
From far away, the picture above might look like a fuzzy coconut sticking out of the water, but upon closer inspection, you'll see that it's actually a massive building made almost entirely of bamboo and other natural materials. Designed and constructed by
Vo Trong Nghia, who is known as a somewhat of a bamboo building virtuoso, the domed structure is called the Water and Wind Cafe and resides in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam. Not only does the cafe showcase how versatile and strong
bamboo, which is a rapid-growing renewable material, can be, it was also built without the use of even one nail!
Read more: Majestic Bamboo Dome Built Using Not a Single Nail | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
Also see GreenPacks.org:
http://www.greenpacks.org/2010/12/07/architectural-marvel-with-bamboo-no-nails-used/
DECEMBER 7, 2010
The Water and Wind Cafe situated in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam is simply incredible. Be it the stunning look of the massive structure or the way it is constructed, the architectural marvel stands unique. Designed and constructed by Vo Trong Nghia, the entire building is made using bamboo.
The most significant aspect in this regard is that it was built without the use of even one nail. The construction has not used any kind of modern machinery or metal structures.
The sustainable design has bamboo woven together using traditional Vietnamese weaving techniques. Altogether in the shape of a dome, this hemispherical café very well exhibits how versatile and strong bamboo is.
The usage of strong, lightweight and flexible bamboo scored high in terms of green elements. The rounded bar inside the café features a frame that measures 30 feet high.
The opening at the very top of the dome allows daylight to stream inside to refuse the interior and is covered in a local bush plant, thereby adding to its aesthetic quality.
The main feature is a large elevated concrete pond which evokes the feeling of being very close to the while sitting on the cafe’s floor. This masterpiece has won many awards.
The designer, who is a virtuoso in bamboo architecture, says that instead of the rapidly rising glass-and steel structures being built, modernization should mean both preservation and innovation.
He is also trying to get more bamboo growing ventures off the ground, an architect weaving homegrown tradition with aesthetic innovation.
