The Bamboo Online Immersion

Join the Bamboo Movement today!

Contents
Bamboo U Online 3
Your Bamboo Online Immersion 4
• Course Overview
• What’s included in the course?
• Inside the Bamboo U Online Platform
• The Learning Platform
• The Schedule
• The Certificate of Completion
• Bamboo U Online: Community & Learning
Live Sessions 14
• Live Sessions, Guest Speakers &
Recordings
• Q&A Sessions and Your Facilitator
Meet the Bamboo U Online Team 19

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Bamboo U
Bamboo U Online
The year 2020 changed a lot of things around the
world and for us at Bamboo U, it was no different. With
Indonesia’s borders closed, we could not conduct our
programs the way we did before by joining us in Bali
and practicing bamboo carpentry and building with
us. So we transformed our signature 11-Day Bamboo
Design and Build Immersion into the 11-Week Bamboo
Online Immersion!
Though with Bamboo U Online, you might not get
to practice your carpentry and construction skills
on actual bamboo with our team of facilitators and
carpenters, you do get a lifetime access to a vault of
knowledge about bamboo design and construction.
That way when you have gone on to start building your
very own bamboo resort, you can revert back to all the
tips and tricks you learned with us at Bamboo U.
In the Bamboo Online Immersion, we gathered all that
we learned in 10 years of building with bamboo into 10
modules, delivered over 11 weeks. Each week, we will
release a new module which discusses another aspect
of bamboo design and construction. Hopefully, by the
end of the course, you will feel confident to continue on
your bamboo building journey.
All in all, welcome to the Bamboo Online Immersion.

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
Course Overview
This is the Calendar for the Online Immersion in 2022:
7th January to 27th March
29th April to 17th July
19th August to 6th November

Each course edition will run a total of 12 weeks, including the Opening and Closing Circles. You will also
have two extra weeks at the end of the course to complete your quizzes and assignments. But the best
part is: you get to keep access to the entire course content (and the recordings) forever!
There is a lot to learn about bamboo. So much so that 11 weeks might not seem like enough time to learn
about all the wonderful things you can build with this giant grass. However, our course is packed full of
all the information you need to develop a strong understanding of bamboo as a construction material.
There are 10 modules in this course. Each module topic is unique and will tackle another aspect of
designing and building with bamboo. Aside from the video and written content, each module has an
assignment and a short quiz to check your understanding about the topic. The weekly assignments
are part of the larger course assignment to design your own bamboo project. If you complete both the
quizzes and the final course assignment, you will receive the Certificate of Completion at the end of the
course.
Over the 11 weeks, you will be learning about all the essential elements which make bamboo a powerful
sustainable design material. Bamboo design and construction is now such a wide and vast subject that
we might not be able to touch on everything about the topic. That is why we also have a dedicated “Deep
Dive” Section in every module to supplement the content of the course.

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
What is included in the course?
10 Complete Learning Modules all about Bamboo
Module 1: Bamboo in the Big Picture
This first module is the introduction to bamboo and its potential vital role it can play towards a more sustainable and
regenerative future for design and construction. It also includes 3 videos of a conversation recorded between Orin
Hardy, Elora Hardy & Thomas Heatherwick!

Module 2: Bamboo Taxonomy and Physiology

On the second week of the course, you will be learning all about the biological structure of a bamboo culm and
clump, as well as how to identify the best species for YOUR construction project. We will discuss all of the different
species we use here in Bali in construction and many others which are used around the world.

Module 3: Sustainable Bamboo Forestry and Harvesting

Continuing on with the understanding of bamboo as a plant, we move on to the topic of sustainably harvesting
bamboo. The intention of the course is to teach you all about how to work with bamboo in a healthy and sustainable
way, not only for your own project but for our planet as well.

Module 4: Bamboo Preservation

Knowing how to treat or preserve your bamboo is amongst the most important skills a bamboo architect can have.
This module will explain the different methods of treating your bamboo sustainably, as well as give you a step-by-
step video (and written) guide on how to treat bamboo in your own backyard.

Module 5: Bamboo Model Making (delivered over two weeks)

This module is now distributed over the course of two weeks because it is packed full of technical information of how
to build your own bamboo model, which is your final course assignment. There are multiple step-by-step guides, as
well as detailed information about how to best use your model for your project and its design development.

Module 6: Designing with Bamboo

The sixth module of the Online Immersion is devoted to teaching you all of IBUKU’s tips and tricks for designing
beautiful, organic and sustainable bamboo structures. IBUKU’s founder, Elora Hardy, will delve into the many
aspects of design they take into account when they receive a design brief. She also will dissect one of IBUKU’s most
beautiful and complex projects.

Module 7: Bamboo and Engineering

Whilst engineering is often an intimidating topic for most people, but we make it simple in Module 7. We bring you
into the mechanics of why bamboo is a successful material for construction. We will detail its many properties,
comparing it with other common construction materials, such as steel, concrete and timber.

Module 8: Bamboo Carpentry and Joinery Basics

This topic is one of our favourites to teach during our in-person 11-Day Build & Design Immersion in Bali, because
it opens your eyes to the strength and complexity of bamboo as a building material. Moko, one of master carpenters,

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will detail the steps to make some of the traditional joints we use in our construction projects as well as explain all
the tools you will need for your bamboo construction project, from start to finish.

Module 9: Processing Bamboo

Module 9 brings you into the world of transforming bamboo as a round pole into various shapes and products to be
used in your furniture and design projects. We often use the round pole for our main structures in Bali but processed
bamboo is very useful for walls, flooring and roofing!

Module 10: Building A Bamboo Structure

Lastly, we will delve deep into the the world of bamboo construction as a topic in itself. The module is planned so as
to teach you 3 different types of structures you can build with bamboo and how you can achieve them at home with
detailed step-by-step guides. We also included a design and construction analysis of the Arc at Green School Bali as
a bonus section!

Each Module is completed with a Deep Dive section with many extra resources for you to dig deeper into
the world of bamboo knowledge.

Downloadable PDF Guides, Charts & Templates

We know very well that sometimes it is hard to watch videos on end to learn how to do something, that is
why we have made some very detailed step-by-step guides for all of the course’s bamboo tutorials. These
guides have graphics, templates and tie in to the course so you never feel like you are missing out on the
instructions or the education content at the heart of the Bamboo Online Immersion.
• Bamboo Species Comparison Chart
• Guide to Sustainable Bamboo Harvesting
• Guide to Bamboo Propagation
• Treatment Methods Comparison Chart
• Guide to Vertical Soak and Diffusion Treatment
• Guide to Model Making: the Hyperbolic Tower
• Guide to Model Making: the Kubu Project
• 3 Model Making Templates (the Kubu Project)
• Guide to Bamboo Load Test
• Guide to Traditional Bamboo Joinery
• Bamboo Carpentry Tool Guide
• Bamboo Processing Tool Guide
• Guide for Construction: Post & Beam Structure
• Guide for Construction: Gridshell Structure
• Guide for Construction: the Hyperbolic Tower
• Bamboo Model Assignment Template
... and more documents to dowload during the Live Sessions!

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The Bamboo Model Making Material List
An important component of the Bamboo Online Immersion is the opportunity to learn how to design
a bamboo structure. The bamboo model, using bamboo model making sticks or skewers is the most
accurate (and lucrative!) way to develop your design. To present a beautiful, finalised bamboo model will
in essence be the Final Course Assignment required to complete the course and receive the Certificate of
Completion.

Digital Course Glossary

During the course, you will encounter a lot of new vocabulary that is almost exclusively used in the
bamboo design and construction world. That is why we created a special page in the course with all of
the words and expressions that might sound new with detailed definitions so you never feel lost in the
learning content of the course!

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
Inside The Bamboo U Online Platform

The Bamboo U Online Platform is the equivalent of the classroom and the playground for the Bamboo
Online Immersion. Please try and get familiar with it early so that when the course starts, you will be
ready to dive right into everything about bamboo design and construction.
You will see the Main Categories (Activity, Groups, Members, Courses) at the top of the page as soon as
you sign in to Bamboo U Online.
Activity is your main News Feed and is where you can share and view posts in real time from other
students.
Groups are the various forums that have been created both by the Bamboo U Team (including your unique
course group) and groups that have been created by other alumni. (Think Facebook groups)
Members is where you can see a list of all the members on the platform, currently we’ve got over 600
bamboo enthusiasts and professionals on the platform.
Courses tab (both at the top and on the left) will be where you can access all the Bamboo Online
Immersion course content including the videos, the lessons and the downloadable How-To Guides. *Note
that you can also access the course content from your Course Group “Bamboo Online Immersion ##”
(see page 14).

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
The Learning Platform: Entering the Course

In the course, you will find the Module Toolbar. This is where you can access the different course
modules, including the Introduction Module, the Learning Modules and the Assignment Submission. Any
word or expression you do not yet understand can be found in the Glossary & Vocabulary.
The Profile tab will give you access to your own profile. The Settings will help you customise your
interactions with the Bamboo U Online Platform. You can also access the rest of the Bamboo U
community from this page by clicking on Activity, Groups or Members.

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
The Learning Platform: The Learning Module

Each Learning Module is divided into different Sections which you can mark as “completed” as you make
your way through the content yourself. Each section’s Learning Content has at least one video and some
written content for you to understand that specific topic about bamboo design and construction. Note
that you need to “complete” all the module sections to access the next module. This allows you to track
your Progress throughout the course.
For each Learning module, one of the sections is the module Quiz. Successfully complete the quizzes
before proceeding to the next module.

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
The Schedule
The Opening Circle is the kick-off event of the course, where you get formally introduced to the
facilitators and the Bamboo U Team. It is also our first chance to get to meet you! We will also use it as
an opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings about the running of the course.
New Modules are released weekly. Your course content is also complemented by our bamboo experts
from around the world. You will have Core Expert Live Sessions weekly. Additionally, you will have
occasional Bonus Live Sessions from other expert Guest Speakers.
The Bamboo Online Immersion comes to an end with the Closing Circle.
All Live Sessions will be scheduled according to the Expert’s schedule, we will try to diversify the
schedules to accommodate as many time zones as possible. On Thursdays, Q&A Sessions will be
scheduled throughout the day to accommodate different time zones and locations.
After the end of Module 10, you have two more weeks to complete the Course Assignment and the
Quizzes to receive the Bamboo U Certificate of Completion.
Below, you will find a template of the Course Schedule that you will receive during your Bamboo Online
Immersion course.

Month 1
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Pre-Course Launch: Course Overview & Introduction
Release Module 0: Course Launch
Course Overview Opening Circle
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Module 1: Bamboo in the Big Picture
Release Module 1:
Live Expert
Bamboo in the Big Q&A Live Sessions
Session
Picture
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Module 2: Bamboo Taxonomy and Physiology
Release Module 2:
Bonus Live Expert Live Expert
Bamboo Taxonomy and Q&A Live Sessions
Session Session
Physiology
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Module 3: Bamboo Forestry and Harvesting
Release Module 3:
Live Expert
Bamboo Forestry & Q&A Live Sessions
Session
Harvesting
29 30 31 1 2 3 4
Module 4: Bamboo Preservation

Release Module 4:
Bamboo Preservation

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
The Certificate of Completion

The Bamboo U Online Certificate of Completion is given to you under two conditions:
1. Successfully complete 8 out of 10 the Module Quizzes
2. Complete your Final Course Assignment.
The Weekly Assignments follow the content of the different Learning Modules. And the Final Assignment
uses the content of the Weekly Assignments. Basically, if you work on the weekly assignments regularly,
you are making progress towards the Course Final Assignment.
The aim of the Final Assignment is to design your own bamboo project, be it a piece of furniture, a
house or any other form of construction. You will be submitting a beautiful bamboo model (or photos
of the model in any case). In the weeks leading up to the Final Assignment deadline, you will have
the chance to submit different elements which make up the Final Assignment such as the “Brief”,
“Conceptual Models”, “Structural Model” etc… We will explain each of these assignments throughout the
course!
At the end of the course, you have an extra 2 weeks to complete the Course Assignment and the Quizzes.
But note that during that time, you will not have direct access to the facilitators for feedback on your
work. So use the weekly Q&A Session time wisely!

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Your Bamboo Online Immersion
Bamboo U Online: Community and Learning

The most important part of the Bamboo U Community is the possibility to connect with the different
people in your Bamboo Online Immersion Course. Each edition of the course will have its own dedicated
Course Group, named after the edition number. We will use the Course Group as a way to schedule the
Live Sessions, to announce important information related to the course or anything else we might find
interesting to you.
Finally, what makes Bamboo U is YOU! Over the course of the last 5 years, we have created an amazing
community of bamboo enthusiasts. We have turned this network of designers, researchers, and
entrepreneurs, all interested in building a more sustainable world, into the Bamboo U Community. You
can meet all these lovely individuals through your Bamboo U Online Platform. Most likely, you will be
able to find people in your area of the world!

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Live Sessions
Live Sessions, Guest Speakers and Recordings

Throughout the course, once a week, you will be invited to attend Live Sessions with bamboo experts
from around the world. There will be a wide range of people, each with their own field of expertise in
the world of bamboo. Whilst one might be an expert in bamboo horticulture, another might be more
experienced in dealing with bamboo forestry and harvesting. In any case, the Guest Speakers we invite in
the Bamboo Online Immersion will add an extra layer of knowledge to the various topics we cover during
the course.
Whilst we would love for you to join every single session, we understand that it is difficult to attend all of
them. On the next pages, you get to meet the different Guest Speakers we have for your course so that
you can start planning which speaker you get to meet when! We do record every session for you to watch
in your own time.

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MODULE 1 | JOHN HARDY
Founder of Green School
John is a master at combining beauty, design and
sustainability. He brought his creative genius to new
heights with the building of Green School’s all-bamboo
campus. John spoke at TED Global about the Green
School and was later awarded the Greenest School on
Earth award by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2012.

MODULE 2 | ELIZABETH WIDJAYA

Bamboo Horticulturist and Botanist
Dr. Elizabeth Widjaja, a Senior Principal Researcher
Bamboo Taxonomy & Botany, is the foremost bamboo
researcher in Indonesia. She has won multiple
awards and written numerous books on bamboo. For
our session, she has prepared a lecture on bamboo
taxonomy, anatomy, propagation, bamboo types
for construction and history of bamboo research in
Indonesia.

MODULES 3 & 4 | ARIEF RABIK

Director of the Environmental Bamboo Foundation
As the son of the bamboo pioneer, Linda Garland, Arief
Rabik is one of the foremost experts on bamboo in
the world. He is trained in the environmental sciences
and is now considered one of the most knowledgeable
people in the world of bamboo forestry and harvesting.
He is also the founder of the 1000 Bamboo Villages
initiative which aims to promote sustainable bamboo
forestry across the world. He is a strong believer in the
power of bamboo, not only as a construction material
but also as a medium for sustainable development.

MODULE 5.1 | MIKE LINTHON

Bamboo Architect
Born in Toraja - South Sulawesi, known as the area
with millions of bamboos in Indonesia. Mike decided to
pursue his career in architecture and joined the Ibuku
team firm in 2014 to develop his talent in landscape
and bamboo buildings. Then in 2017, he started to build
facilities such as Classroom, Bunkhouse, Kitchen, and
Yurt in the Kul Kul Farm. As an architect, Bamboo has
intrigued him to influence the way people see it not
only as alternative building material but something
more valuable, beautiful and characteristic.

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MODULE 5.2 | DEFIT WIJAYA
Head Architect at IBUKU
Senior Architect at IBUKU and a member of the team
since 2008. He has worked on the desgin o Green
School since its original conceptual process, making
him an expert in the evolution of bamboo structures.
He loves the exciting and dynamic environment of
working on bamboo projects.

MODULE 6 | ELORA HARDY

Creative Director of IBUKU
Elora designs world class bamboo homes and
structures that are changing the way we think about
buildings. She spoke at TED Global in 2015 about
IBUKU’s innovations in bamboo building and design.
See the link on Deep Dive section if you haven’t
watched it.

MODULE 7 | NEIL THOMAS

Lead Engineer at Atelier One
MIT lecturer and lead engineer at Atelier One, Neil
Thomas is a lightweight tensile engineer. He has
worked on major projects including Gardens by the
Bay in Singapore, Anish Kapoor’s sculptures, and the
Rolling Stones concert stages. His interest in bamboo
resides in the sustainability and tensile properties of
the material.

MODULE 8 | VINC MATH

Bamboo Carpenter
German-born carpenter Vinc Math works on bamboo
projects around the globe teaching local craftsmen the
skills to build with bamboo. His bamboo consultancy
focuses on innovative construction solutions and
educational workshops. Vinc’s work includes the
award-winning ZCB Bamboo Pavilion and Resplendent
Ceylon’s Wild Coast Tented Lodge.

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MODULE 9 | PABLO VAN DER LUGT
Architectural Engineer
Architectural engineer Pablo van der Lugt (MSc
PhD) is a senior sustainability consultant in the
wood and bamboo industry as well as a lecturer in
biobased building at Delft University of Technology
(Environmental Technology & Design) and World
Bamboo Ambassador/Head of Sustainability at MOSO
International.

MODULE 10 | JÖRG STAMM

Bamboo Master Carpenter
Originally a master carpenter in Germany, Jörg Stamm
started working with bamboo alongside Simón Velez
in Colombia, where he now resides. He is credited for
building the longest bamboo bridges in the world and
for developing the reciprocal bamboo towers used to
hold up Green School’s largest building–The Heart of
School.

Please note that the schedule of the Expert Live Sessions is subject to change according to the Speakers’
schedules and availability. Bamboo U will keep you informed if ever there is a change as soon as possible.

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Live Sessions
Q&A Sessions and Your Facilitator
The Q&A Sessions are hosted weekly on Thursdays by one of our Bamboo U Online Facilitators. Each
facilitator helps to guide you through the course, both in its content and the assignments you expected
to complete. The Q&A Sessions are when your facilitator will give you in-person feedback about your
Weekly/Course Assignments. We found that the best way for you to make the best progress in the course
would be by interacting directly with the Bamboo U Team, asking us questions and suggesting more
resources to the other participants in a smaller group.
As with every Live Session during the Bamboo Online Immersion, the Q&A Sessions are recorded and
uploaded within 24 hours on the Learning Platform.

Past Facilitators:

Sai Goutham Cécile Durand

Kane Macartney Jules de Laage

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Bamboo U
Meet The Team
ORIN HARDY
Bamboo U Director and Co-Founder
Orin and his wife, Maria, founded Bamboo U in 2016.
He wants to inspire people around the world to
choose bamboo as a viable alternative to conventional
construction materials. He has a variety of bamboo
structures in collboration with architects and bamboo
carpenters as part of his work in Bali.

MARIA FARRUGIA
Bamboo U Director and Co-Founder
Maria dedicates her time to sharing the story of
bamboo and sustainability. She is motivated by
inspiring others to create beauty in the world with the
use of mindful materials, namely bamboo. Maria is
passionate about opening up possibilities for people
to live their lives closer to nature. Combining her
experience in storytelling, marketing and permaculture
she spends much of her time ensuring that the
Bamboo U brand remains relevant and meaningful.

CÉCILE DURAND
Bamboo U Manager
Within her first year of architecture studies, Cécile
knew bamboo was a material she wanted to work
with. She felt that bamboo had the potential to connect
people to their environment and a more sustainable
future. She collaborated with Bamboo U as a student
visitor in 2019. After her finishing her Masters of
Architecture at the University of Hong Kong where she
wrote her thesis about bamboo construction for the
rural communities of Bali, she has come back as the
team’s program manager.

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ELIZA SAUDALE
Bamboo U Communications Manager
Eliza left her job in Jakarta and joined Bamboo U in
2019 as Executive Assistant for Orin Hardy. Her stint
with Bamboo U marks her green career and her
passion to be involved in a project-based working
environment. Eliza helps to assist Bamboo U team on a
daily-need basis and communication between clients.
She’s always super excited to see what Bamboo U can
bring next!

SAI GOUTHAM
Research Developer & Natural Builder
Sai is a natural builder and an architect from India.
He has taken part in many experimental mud and
bamboo projects in different parts of India. He believes
in hands-on practice to understand building materials
better. His love for bamboo has brought him to Bali. He
joined the Bamboo U team in March 2020.

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BOOKINGS & GETTING IN TOUCH
For more information, please contact:
info@bamboou.com
If you are ready to book the Bamboo Online Immersion, you can go directly to our website:
https://online.bamboou.com/courses/bamboo-online-immersion/

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