The Arc: bamboo as low-carbon structural material

Author: Chris Matthews

Date published

24 May 2023

Price
Free
The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers

The Arc: bamboo as low-carbon structural material

Tag
Author
Date published
Price
Training
Author

Chris Matthews

Date published

24 May 2023

Author

Chris Matthews

Price

Free

This technical lecture describes the prototyping, testing and design approach that enabled the realisation of the Arc, the gymnasium for the Green School in Bali, whose project team was awarded for advancing the structural application of low-carbon materials at the 2022 Structural Awards.

The Arc, designed in collaboration with Ibuku and Jorg Stamm, is Atelier One’s most successful implementation of structural bamboo to date, featuring 23m spanning arches connected by structurally contributing saddle surfaces.
 
Recognised by IStructE as the joint winner of the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence 2022, The Arc demonstrates how a natural material can be proven for structural use and how form-active structures can improve material efficiency.
 
Watch this lecture to discover how structural bamboo, an underutilised but burgeoning structural material, can be pivotal in reducing carbon in construction and to hear the key considerations to be made when using it.

The Arc: bamboo as low-carbon structural material

Speaker

Chris Matthews, Associate Director, Atelier One
Chris is a chartered structural engineer and an Associate Director at Atelier One. Since joining Atelier One in 2011, Chris has been involved in a broad array of projects. Specialities include structural engineering for unusual structures; staging and stadium shows; film engineering; timber structures; bamboo structures; art installations; geometrical optimisation of form-active roof structures. Chris has designed two world record-breaking Walls of Death.

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