Baburaj and his world of bamboo

“Despite being exposed to extreme weather conditions, no damage has been caused to the bamboo, and house

KOCHI: Bamboo has emerged as a “magical material” and is now being widely used in construction and interior designing. Talk of bamboo, and the first name that pops up in sustainable architecture circles is of Wayanad-based Baburaj.

The environmentalist is known for his three-storey ‘bamboo house’ in Thrikkaipatta, a village near Meppadi. “Despite being exposed to extreme weather conditions, no damage has been caused to the bamboo, and the house remains intact,” says Baburaj, who built the ecofriendly house 13 years ago.

Baburaj (prefers using only his first name) has been a long-time advocate of sustainable life. And this led to his association with Uravu, a Wayanad-based organisation which has been focusing on promoting ecofriendly lifestyle and infrastructure development using bamboo.

“I wanted to build a house without disturbing the natural geography of the land,” says Baburaj.“The house is not fully built using bamboo; about 70 per cent is bamboo and the remaining is steel and concrete. The structure was built using bamboo reinforcement technology—a method of filling the bamboo with concrete. This helps in decreasing the use of steel, and enhances endurance of the structure.” The open structure maximises entry of natural light and wind. Most of the minimalist furniture and decor in the house have been made out of bamboo.

Baburaj’s house is pyramid-shaped and the bamboo was semi-treated so as to minimise water absorption. “In a way, it is water-resistant, unlike steel which rusts after being exposed to water,” he says. “Though the method of filling bamboo with concrete was introduced long ago, it is becoming popular only now.”

Baburaj, who has been promoting bamboo for the past 25 years, says he has launched a venture called World of Bamboo in Wayanad. “In Kerala, bamboo yield is low. We haven’t been able to develop the bamboo industry and tap its potential in areas such as architecture,” he notes.

“There are different types of bamboo — such as bambusa balcooa, bambusa nutans and bambusa polymorpha — that are ideal for construction, but are rarely cultivated in our state. I hope there is a bigger thrust on the multiple utilities of bamboo.”

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