This little structure was a great synthesis of bamboo and mud
I create a canya wattle with bamboo splits for bracing
Then, pile up some strawbales and large rocks for seating
starting to mud over the canya wattle with a 'heavy clay-straw' mix
my crew are experts by now
two walls bamboo panels and two walls earthen benches
inside is the main DJ and control booth for the two stages in the Drop
a great spot to rest and neat to see it endure some heavy use during the festival
the Lake Idanha Nova
and future site of the Drop
Cleaning the bamboo splits and sorting into different grades of looseness
Let the weaving begin!
"yip, yip.... back, back"
it's the special language of large scale bamboo wall weaving
the ends come together in curving organic forms
the tall end of the wall gradually spreads and will frame the acrobatic stage
the tails become garden spaces
one-of-a-kind wall!
these columns will support the screen on the opposite side of the structure
making woven panels
installing the panels into meter deep trenches in the ground
intentionally bending them over
the two walls are brought together to form a tunnel
then we go around the length of the tube (about 500') attaching the two sides together with bamboo rafters and lashings, not a single nail was used
we continue working through the night
the 'roof' is made with lycra fabric stretched and tied down where ever possible
such an amazing space for a gallery!
even the sheep dig it
Columns made from bundles of seven
swaging cables for this tensile structure
before and after
there are several hundred to complete
the members go up
the fabric sails go on
the colors are arranged as a beautiful flower mandala filled with sacred geometries
time to dance!
A wonderful community kitchen.
It's a cob oven and rocket stove style grills all in one!
Plaster texture detail on the oven
A bamboo framed dream catcher portal to the Drop
A ferrocement greywater reclaimation system with live plants for on-site water treatment
A beautiful mosaic dragon, in process
rotating driftwood sculpture
Canya is an amazing sculptural framing material
Essentially, sugar cane stalks, that grow rampant all along the northern mediterrean coast. Bundled in groups of 30 or so, spliced to any desired length and then built up like a basket.
Truly inspiring to me!
Making bamboo cups and hosting a workshop so that everyone could have a re-useable, easy to distinguish drinking cup. Carving and burning bamboo gives some really neat effects!
A bamboo bowl
bench built by Nick Mattson
the 'Pigglet" stool
offcuts used for a garden border fence
even a ladder!
bamboo balls!
