Ep 128: The Bamboo SWAT Team | Ewe Jin Low (Founder, TENTEN & Better Bamboo Buildings)

Imagine spending 30 years working as an architect.


Then deciding to uproot your entire life from the UK to move to
Bali to work in a new field of architecture - bamboo!


Because that's exactly what Ewe Jin Low.


When he made the big move to Bali, he worked as Lead architect at
IBUKU covering buildings like the Green School and in 2018, began
his own bamboo journey by founding his own bamboo architecture
firm TENTEN and Better Bamboo Buildings in 2020 - a platform that
shares information and insights on bamboo design.


Ewe Jin’s bamboo journey to date has included designing and 
building more than 80 bamboo buildings in many different
regions. 


In 2022 he published a bamboo architecture book titled
‘Bamboo Ark 1’. He continues the journey to give talks, run
courses and  workshops and to create more buildings and
installations in bamboo. 


So if you're like to learn more about this relatively new form of
architecture, this is the episode for you!





Highlights:


2:23 Bamboo groves

4:24 Architectural practice

7:15 The only Asian guy in the room

8:41 Battles fought

10:32 Prejudice against colour of skin

12:01 Moving to Bali

15:02 How bamboo has transformed his life & attitude

16:31 Letting go of everything

18:45 Assimilating into the real Bali culture

22:20 Learning about bamboo as a material

33:48 Common questions

36:30 Maintenance

43:36 Bamboo pioneers

46:09 Green School Bali

52:05 The SWAT Team of Bamboo Workers

56:50 Is it actually green architecture?

1:00:49 Is bamboo cheaper?

1:05:00 Construction bamboo forests?






Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/128


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