Once considered to be the building material of the poorer class, bamboo now has become a popular material choice in architecture and design projects. Bamboo because of its sustainable qualities and hard-wearing characteristics as it has a higher compressive strength than concrete or wood, and rivals the tensility of steel is now being used more often than before.
The popularity Bamboo architecture is growing and has become the choice of architects and artists believing in green and sustainable buildings. Bamboo is a unique building material in that it is strong in both rigidity and density and unlike wood, most species of bamboo that are used in architecture can be harvested after three to 6 years of growth. There are more and more places including residential business buildings that are being built with bamboo as a main material or at least an accenting material of the architecture.
The potential of bamboo is now being utilized in the construction. It's natural properties are making it a valuable asset. It can be compressed and used for such construction needs as heavy lifting and transport. In fact, compressed bamboo has a tensile strength that is stronger than steel.
The versatile quality of bamboo makes it a good material for flooring, roofing, concrete reinforcement, scaffolding (used in Hong Kong for building skyscrapers), piping and for walls. Indoors, bamboo could be an excellent material for beds, sofas, tables and chairs. Textured bamboo panels enhance the walls, ceilings and sides of breakfast bars and cabinets. Sleek bamboo floor panels and floor mats are common these days. Even kitchens have bamboo spoons, spatulas, tumblers, water bottles and cutting boards.
