bamboo houses shape ibuku's green village community in indonesia

working in conjunction with the green school in bali, the ‘green village’ is a community of ecological houses sitting along the ayung river, within walking distance of the educational facility. local balinese practice ibuku has designed several houses that co-exist with the natural landscape, using bamboo as its only building material on a multitude of scales. the houses are amongst the first structures that use very traditional building methods and local craftsmen that result in a high quality structure and life. architect elora hardy explains the sustainable nature of the entire project: ‘even sustainable timber can’t begin to compare with bamboo as a conscientious building material. with very few resources or attention a bamboo shoot can become a structural column within three years, and that house could stand strong for a lifetime.‘

main living area of the ayung villa
image © ibuku | all images courtesy of green village

each residence has its own unique character, as the architects work hand-in-hand with the client to tailor the design to their specific needs, with a percentage of the proceeds going to the green school. to date, 15% of the local student body is able to study on a full scholarship, as a percentage of money made from each house is donated to the school. 

ayung villa stone and bamboo kitchen
image © ibuku

the dwellings are typically based around radially located clusters of thick bamboo columns, like tendrils that weave into the floor beams and eventually attach to the bamboo tile or thatch canopy. it is then treated in different methods to perform various tasks within the home. larger stocks are cut into longitudinal sections to make a ladder-like frame that can be used as a semi-opaque wall component or furniture structure. thin strips are woven to make a solid but light-weight partition. bent members create an original circular opening with a swiveling door. the readily available, malleable material property of bamboo makes it possible to create free-flowing sweeping forms that maintain their structural capacity and can be easily integrated into natural stone foundations.

ayung villa unique furniture also made of bamboo
image © ibuku

integrated fixtures into the structure – ayung villa
image © ibuku

top floor office in the garden vila
image © ibuku

ayung villa living area
image © ibuku

ayung villa dining area
image © ibuku

living space
image © ibuku

swiveling circular door and full-height wall panels open the interior
image © ibuku

bedroom
image © ibuku

image © ibuku

wall texture from section-cut bamboo stocks
image © ibuku

natural stone foundation and pool
image © ibuku

tall pointed roofs in line with traditional architectural style
image © ibuku

image © ibuku

image © ibuku

local craftsman contributed in every aspect of the design and construction process
image © ibuku

site plan

example villa 2 : floor plan / level 0

example villa 2 : floor plan / level 1

example villa 2 : floor plan / level 2

example villa 2 : floor plan / level 3

example villa 1 : floor plan / level 0

example villa 1 : floor plan / level 1

example villa 1 : floor plan / level 2

example villa 1 : floor plan / level 3

ayung villa : floor plan / level 0

ayung villa : floor plan / level 1

ayung villa : floor plan / level 2

ayung villa : floor plan / level 3

garden villa : floor plan / level 0

garden villa : floor plan / level 1

garden villa : floor plan / level 2

villa 5A : floor plan / level 0 and materiality

hilary’s house : elevation