Base Bahay Foundation (Base), the global leader in bamboo-based research and technology and pioneer in bamboo construction, celebrates the National Bamboo Month with the second annual Bamboost forum on September 15 at the Loft at Manansala in Rockwell Center, Makati City.
This year’s Bamboost is themed “Building with Bamboo: the Future of Sustainable Construction.”
Luis Lopez, Base head of technology, said as building material, bamboo has high compressive strength and low weight and is thus one of the most used building materials as support for concrete, especially in those locations where it is found in abundance,.
Research on bamboo as a sustainable construction material is ongoing at Base Innovation Center in Makati in partnership with local and international universities and research institutions.
BASE also continues to work with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) to bring bamboo into the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
A product of BASE’s research is the proprietary Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT) which has been used in the construction of over 1,500 sustainable and disaster-resilient homes in 15 communities across the Philippines and 4 in Nepal, built together with our corporate and NGO partners.
Lopez said Base continues to undergo multiple tests at the Base Innovation Center such as in material, connection, and system to prove its reliability as building technology.
“CBFT is a holistic approach to building disaster-resilient and sustainable structures while providing livelihood to communities,” said Pablo Jorillo, Base general manager. “As more of our professional builders opt to use bamboo in construction, we are helping to build a circular economy — from the farmers who harvest and individuals who process bamboo to builders engaged in construction. ”
The annual Bamboost is part of BASE’s learning series for bamboo construction enthusiasts. BASE conducts free training programs for professional builders such as architects and civil engineers under its Continuing Professional Development learning series to give them a head start in anticipation of the standardization of bamboo construction and design and mainstreaming of bamboo in building codes.
An initiative of Liechtenstein-based Hilti Foundation, BASE continues to provide alternative building technologies to enable a network of partners to build quality socialized homes that are comfortable, affordable, disaster resilient, ecologically friendly, and with social impact.
