Digital Bamboo

This paper presents a novel construction system that integrates natural and artificial components through the case study of the Digital Bamboo. A reversible non-standard structure is made of unprocessed bamboo poles connected with 3D printed joints and covered by lightweight 3D printed shading panels. The system combines multiple technologies to prefabricate all parts of the structure, which are controlled with a chain of computational tools. Bamboo has gained increased attention in the construction industry due to its fast growth, natural tubular shape, and its ability for carbon sequestration, while it is locally available in different parts of the globe. However, joining bamboo becomes especially challenging because it is characterized by natural deviations and dissimilar mechanical characteristics amongst products. In this paper, we portray how combining additive manufacturing and robotic fabrication methods allows the development of novel integrative systems for such non-standard materials. In parallel, we describe a computational workflow that allows the negotiation and control of the multiple methods applied, but also acts as an interdisciplinary collaboration platform between architects and engineers. The developed methods showcase the degree of agility that is necessary to tackle the increased complexity of such projects and are presented here through the development and execution of a building demonstrator.