Early this year, Bamboo U and IBUKU launched The Bamboo Playground Design Contest, inviting architects, designers, and creative minds to submit innovative proposals for a sustainable and visually captivating playground for children exclusively constructed using bamboo. The aim of this contest was to explore the versatility of bamboo as a construction material, showcasing its potential for sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and functional designs.
Bamboo U is an education enterprise that has grown out of the center of the world's bamboo-building movement in Bali, Indonesia. Together with renowned design firm IBUKU, they have been pioneering bamboo architecture for 10+ years, sharing everything they know about bamboo design and sustainable architecture.
The objective of the contest was to unleash the full potential of bamboo, not merely as a construction material but as a symbol of sustainability, innovation, and the boundless imagination that shapes a child's world.
Challenging contestants to redefine the limits of eco-friendly design in a world clamoring for sustainable solutions, the task for participants was to harness the strength, flexibility, and inherent beauty of bamboo to create a space where children can play, learn, and connect with nature. The Bamboo Playground should stand as a testament to the harmony achievable between the built environment and the natural world.
The proposed Bamboo Playground will be situated at the Kul Kul Farm in Bali, Indonesia. This sustainable farm and education center is located near the Green School in Bali. It is the home for Bamboo U, while also opening its doors to the public this year with the addition of a restaurant.
After receiving over 100 innovative proposals for a sustainable and visually captivating bamboo playground for children, the jury engaged in thoughtful discussions and evaluated each design against the contest bases throughout the evaluation process. After careful deliberation, the winning design is:
DORIS The Nudibranch
Architect: Ckori Pena
Studio CKP, Phuket Thailand
This article was written by Bamboo U, a bamboo architecture and design enterprise that focuses on sharing sustainable ways of building. Bamboo courses are available on their campus in Bali, Indonesia, and Online, lead in collaboration with the renowned design firm IBUKU and bamboo experts from around the world. From growing bamboo to treatment methods, bamboo design and model making, engineering, carpentry, and construction: their workshops cover all there is to know about bamboo building and design. Find out more & join a bamboo workshop here.
