Impacts of long-span bamboo structure towards architectural-spatial experience

Architecture Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, 40141 Bandung, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: revianwirabuana@gmail.com

Abstract

Bamboo had recently been considered a significantly reliable material in constructing long-span structures due to its flexibility, durability, reduced dead weights, as well as its availability in most tropical regions. Contemporary architects favor its usage in constructing long-spanning structures as it allows freedom in designing spaces enclosed beneath it and creates a profound impact to the spatial experience of the building user. This research aims to provide an understanding regarding the impacts of bamboo structure to the spatial experience that the structure creates, through a description and comparison of several case studies. The research concludes that bamboos are mostly used in a planar truss system due to the feasibility in constructing its joints. Truss system made it so that bamboo members are placed within the structure in accordance to the forces that it needs to distribute and withstand, both vertically and laterally. The organization of multiple linear elements of a bamboo truss gave rise to a sense of orderly, organized complexity on the building which profoundly contributes to the spatial experience of its user.