This project marked the beginning of the Bamboosaurus Team, tracing back to our university days at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University. In 2018, as part of Bamboo Studio 8+1, we were given the challenge of designing and constructing a bamboo structure—specifically, a bridge.

The bridge was designed to connect a resort to a nearby campsite, as both areas shared functional relationships. The project encompassed the entire process, from preparing the bamboo, surveying the site, measuring water levels, reinforcing the foundations, and assembling the structure according to our design model. This hands-on experience was the catalyst for the formation of Bamboosaurus as a team.

Design Concept

After visiting the site and analyzing its context, we leveraged bamboo’s strength and flexibility as key design elements. The primary structure emphasized stability and robustness, using diagonal and horizontal elements arranged in triangular forms. Meanwhile, the roof design captured bamboo’s natural elasticity, creating an organic freeform shape inspired by lotus petals—a nod to the resort’s name and its surroundings.

The architectural approach seamlessly integrated the bridge with the landscape, allowing users to experience shifting perspectives as they crossed. Additionally, we incorporated the structural characteristics of rain trees (Samanea saman) to function as a natural support column, reducing the need for one of the foundation points while enhancing the architectural appeal.

Material Preparation

To ensure the durability of the bamboo, we sourced it from a nearby bamboo grove and preserved it using the following steps:

1. Excavation: Dug a 8×1.5×1.2 m pit and lined it with plastic sheeting.
2. Preservation Treatment: Mixed Timbor (Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate – DOT), a boron-based compound used to protect wood from termites, fungi, and insects, into the pit and filled it with water up to 40 cm above the base.
3. Bamboo Cutting: Selected bamboo poles 6-7 meters in length, then drilled through the nodes along the entire length to allow the preservative to penetrate.
4. Soaking Process: Submerged the bamboo in the solution, carefully stacking them and placing heavy materials (such as old tires) on top to prevent floating.
5. Drying: Allowed the bamboo to soak for 3-7 days, then left it to dry before use in construction.

Construction Process

1. Site Layout: Marked positions for five concrete footings and utilized an existing rain tree as an additional structural support.
2. A-Frame Installation: Positioned four A-frame structures, with one anchored to the tree.
3. Beam Installation: Assembled 24-meter-long bamboo beams in sets of three.
4. Bracing for Stability: Installed X-shaped bracing to reinforce the beams.
5. Secondary A-Frame Installation: Mounted additional A-frames that were not part of the main structure.
6. Floor Joist Installation: Used bamboo rafters spaced 0.5 meters apart and secured them with wire.
7. Top Crossbeam Installation: Placed four bundled bamboo poles at the peak of each A-frame.
8. Support Structure: Extended cantilevered supports from the A-frame to hold the eave beams.
9. Purlin Installation: Positioned W-shaped bamboo elements to support the roof battens.
10. Eave Beam Installation: Secured beams onto the cantilevered support structures.
11. Roof Batten Installation:

• Horizontal battens spaced 1 meter apart
• Vertical battens spaced 0.6 meters apart

12. Roofing: Installed thatch roofing, fastening it with wire to the vertical battens.

This project was not only a test of our technical and design skills but also a deeply immersive learning experience in working with natural materials and understanding their structural possibilities. It laid the foundation for our journey as the Bamboosaurus Team, shaping our philosophy of integrating sustainable materials into innovative architectural design.