bamboo furniture systems

COMMENT: Bamboo has never looked so good.

by andrea db on designboom

bamboo furniture system is part of the selection of indian contemporary design production in designboom’s curated exhibition ‘asia_now’, a show at dwell on design in los angeles, in june 25 – 27, 2010.

demonstrating the stability of the book shelf

‘book shelf’

‘book shelf’

‘truss me’ is a sustainable furniture system developed my indian designer sandeep sangaru.
designboom promotes the use of bamboo in the fields of architecture and design and we
asked sandeep to document his ongoing bamboo project for our readers.
the concept behind the collection explores new construction possibilities with solid bamboo poles –
strictus dendocalmus – and splits, using modular forms and lamination joints for new applications.
enjoy!

‘book shelf’ rendering

 

the strong fibers of bamboo can withstand compression and tensile loads.
using the properties of the fibers, ‘truss me’ was developed on a technique of splitting
and laminating the poles with another strip of split bamboo. when the glue cures,
the laminated module acts like a truss.

different configurations of ‘book shelf’

wall hung ‘book shelf’

the ‘truss me’ protoypes were developed with the help of a group of artisans in the village of sankhela,
tripura, india, a region which has an abundant bamboo resource, cultivated in organized plantations
by local farmers.

all of the products are completely handcrafted. the components used for construction are modular
and repetitive, and can be produced in batches by a group of craftsmen. the equipment involved
for production are basic hand tools. through a modular system of jigs, fixtures and templates,
the construction elements were quickly realized and also maintained a formal consistency and quality
to the individual components. the furniture has been designed to use locally resourced bamboo
and skills in a sustainable fashion.

adjusting the jigs

modules being laminated

each piece is handmade by local craftsmen

‘sofa’ and ‘bookshelf’

framework of the sofa prototype

testing the sofa prototype

‘chair’

process work of ‘truss me’ chair

‘square stool’

 

measurements and modules ready for construction

 

basic construction module

 

demonstration of load bearing qualities

 

technical drawings of the various modular forms

 

‘truss me’ collection

 

the various configurations and pieces