Italian Workshop on
Shell and Spatial Structures
Bamboo, a strategical natural resource for shell and spatial structures
Mauricio Cardenas Laverde, Architect (Studio Cardenas Conscious Design, Milan, Italy)
Bamboo is a strategic natural resource that is contributing directly to at least 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations Member States for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since the construction process is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to global greenhouse emissions, politicians, clients, developers, architects, engineers, construction companies we all have a very big responsibility towards the future of the planet. I believe that introducing bamboo into the building chain will create a new market and value network that will challenge the existing market at this particular time in history when environmental and social issues have close links with economics.
For more than 15 years, I’ve been experimenting, doing research, prototypes and developing construction techniques, applying this know-how for practical design solutions focusing on innovative and sustainable contemporary architecture using round pole bamboo.
I will focus on the use of bamboo as bearing structure in small, medium and large scale projects of my studio that have been built, on which the exploration of this material on spatial structures have confirmed us of the potentiality of this synergy to achieve beautiful, cost-effective, minimum carbon footprint building solutions for a better urban environment.
Mauricio Cardenas Laverde
Mauricio Cardenas Laverde italian architect born at Bogota Colombia, graduated from Universidad de los Andes Architecture School Bogota Colombia, exchange student at Kanto Gakuin University Yokohama Japan and Pratt Institute New York, Master at Syracuse University in New York and Florence, Ph.D on sustainable design at Politecnico di Milano Architecture School. During his career worked at top-level international practices such as Meiji Watanabe & Associates in Tokyo, Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris and was leader of Arup Façade Engineering team in Milan. In 2004 Mauricio founded Studio Cardenas Conscious Design in Milan, a creative architecture workshop leader in innovation, design and construction with sustainable materials mainly with bamboo. In 2006 he built the first bamboo dry-mounted structure in Italy, the Microclimatic Pavilion. Following in 2009 he built the BooTech Ecodome a geodesic dome pavilion. In 2011 Bootech dry-mounted bamboo construction system was awarded with the prize "Italia degli Innovatori" Italian of Innovators by the Agency for the Diffusion of the Technologies for Innovation of the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers. For Expo Milan 2015 Mauricio was involved in the design of 3 projects: Colombia Pavilion, Cocoa Cluster and Vanke Shitang exhibition the only bamboo bearing structure approved in Expo Milan. Recently built projects are the internationally awarded Energy Efficient Bamboo House in Zhenjiang China, a 3 storey high dry-mounted bamboo structure, INBAR Garden Pavilion in Beijing, the largest bamboo structure in Northern China, and Altamira Contemporary Farm House on Los Andes mountains of Colombia. Some of the ongoing projects are the Canadian School in Milan and Nanshen University Campus in Nanjing China. Mauricio Cardenas Laverde is professor for the Masters on Environment Design of Politecnico di Milano and Tongji University in Shanghai and lecturer in Argentina, Colombia, China, Ecuador, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, USA, South Africa, South Korea, Spain. Since 2017 Mauricio is a Task Force bamboo expert for the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization INBAR and Scientific Curator for 2019 and 2020 Under The Bamboo Tree event for the Labirinto della Masone, largest bamboo labyrinth in the world. Mauricio has been jury member for several international bamboo design and construction competitions. In 2019 Studio Cardenas Conscious Design was awarded by UK BUILD Architecture Awards for Best International Sustainable Architecture Practice - Italy and BUILD Distinction Award for Conscious Design.