Bamboo Architecture Unboxed

Jorg is a Bamboo Master Builder with more than 30 years of experience in bamboo construction. He has been responsible for some of the most fascinating bamboo buildings and has worked across the world on large-scale bamboo construction projects including the Three Mountains building in Bali and some of the largest bamboo bridges in Colombia. He is a board member of the Colombian Bamboo Federation and Co-founded Geoversity Design in collaboration with Nathan Gray. He was recognised as a World Bamboo Pioneer in 2022 by the World Bamboo Organisation. Coming from a traditional German carpentry and wood technology background, Jorg followed the traditional way of German carpenters and travelled 3 years to study different branches of his trade. During the winters he escaped to the tropics and discovered giant bamboo as being the ideal substitute for timber. Jorg was first exposed to bamboo construction after the 1994 landslide in Colombia, where he helped rebuild a bridge with locally available Guadua poles. Schools, community centres and social housing followed. Now living in Colombia for 30 years he is an expert not only in the local style of using Guadua Angustifolia bamboo but also mixed in his European skills and know-how. In the past 30 years, Jorg has shared his knowledge and experience in building with bamboo through teaching workshops facilitating more than 50 workshops across the globe. Jorg is sought out to consult on various technical projects, including development of industrial bamboo processing facilities, machine installations, staff trainings and product development around the world.

Munir is an Architect and Urban Designer with a keen interest in sustainability, hands-on learning and design. He is a Co-founder and Design Director at Melbourne-based design + build studio Giant Grass, World Bamboo Ambassador for the World Bamboo Organisation and Vice President of the Bamboo Society of Australia. In 2015 he published 'Co-building with Bamboo' in collaboration with Mittul Vahanvati.Munir's interest in bamboo emerged during his architecture studies at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad. After graduating, he and his partner Mittul seized an opportunity to collaborate with traditional bamboo craftsmen in Northeast India through the National Institute of Design. Subsequently, the Government of Gujarat invited them to work with the Dang tribal community in South Gujarat. This experience defined Munir's career path, as he taught contemporary design to local craftsmen and learned traditional techniques of working with bamboo.In 2014 he won the Campster International Design Competition for (f)route pod, a sustainable glamping tent. He has also won the Melbourne Design Award for the (f)route pod. In 2020 he developed one of the first flat-pack bamboo Zome Building Kit as a way to make it easy for people to build with bamboo. Munir is a respected figure in bamboo architecture, collaborating with architectural firms and community organisations worldwide. He specialises in facilitating collaborative community development workshops using bamboo and continues to blend his expertise in contemporary design with traditional bamboo craftsmanship to create elegant, sustainable designs.