Thread: World’s largest bamboo commercial structure being built in Bali

Off Bali’s beaten track, past a towering banyan tree and next to an ancient Hindu temple, the world’s largest bamboo commercial structure is slowly taking shape: a chocolate factory.

The three-story, 23,000-square-foot building — made from more than 3,000 long, flexible poles — is crowned with a graceful, sloped ceiling nearly 50 feet high.

Frederick Schilling, co-owner of the Big Tree Farms factory, calls it his “bamboo cathedral.”

The tropical plant, favored in the West for flooring, furniture and household accessories, is increasingly being viewed as the construction material of choice from Africa to South America — and no longer just for shacks and scaffolding.

Bali is leading the charge, attracting carpenters, architects and designers from across the globe to use bamboo in building everything from a school and luxury villas to exclusive resorts.

The plant — found in almost every equatorial nation — can grow up to 4 feet in a single day, reaching the height of a giant oak in less than six months. Many species are strong enough to use in building in as little as five years.

Cheap, tough as concrete, with the ability to bend, and incredibly abundant, bamboo’s possibilities are almost limitless.

“Bamboo is definitely regarded as one of the most sustainable building materials in the world,” said Schilling, whose factory is scheduled to start pumping out four to six varieties of rich organic chocolate bars in January.

“As a bonus, it’s also very beautiful to work with.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...cM_story.html#

Thanks for that Pollyanna, I'm definitely going to check it out. I'd never heard of the Green School or the Green Village - this little island continues to amaze me.

Although, wouldn't making chocolate in this climate require a lot of refrigeration? I know chocolate can set at room temperature but I wouldn't have thought Bali's weather ideal for this - I don't know. I'm curious how they are going to work this in The Green Village. Guess I'll have to visit... purely in the interest of science mind you.

I'm assuming that the school, village and giant bamboo chocolate factory, are all somehow connected and that perhaps some of the proceeds will fund the scholarship programme. Every school should have a chocolate factory!

Would like to know how they are going to keep the termites out - long term ?

Chocolate coated ants anyone?