Base Innovation Center Advocates For The Use Of Bamboo In Local Construction

Since its inauguration last year, the center continues its efforts in “building sustainable foundations for the future”

Mariel Abanes

<div><br/></div><p>Out of all the available wood in the market for construction, rarely do we hear the massive use of bamboo to build a home. Most of the time, we rely on hardwood for its durability and function, and in some cases, aesthetics, too. However, there’s an underrated type of wood that is more than meets the eye: the bamboo.</p><div><br/></div><p>When we hear of bamboo, the first thing that would probably pop in your head are the trendy bamboo utensils and tumblers, kitchen accessories, and even some furniture, which are all introduced as sustainable alternatives to our current wares. For building homes, the image of a <em>bahay kubo</em> is on top of mind, too—but this center that advocates for bamboo shows that it goes beyond our native countryside housings.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeX8sVLB7Ly/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeX8sVLB7Ly/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"> <div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div> <div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div> <div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 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style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div> <div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"> <div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div> <div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div> <div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div> <div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeX8sVLB7Ly/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by BASE Builds (@basebuilds)</a></div></div></blockquote> </div><div><br/></div><br/><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/living/home-tours/discover-silhouette-residences-by-mosaic-realty-de/34012" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Discover This Soon-To-Rise Condominium That Allows Residents To Own A Whole Floor To Themselves</a></div><div><br/></div><p>When we hear of bamboo, the first thing that would probably pop in your head are the trendy bamboo utensils and tumblers, kitchen accessories, and even some furniture, which are all introduced as sustainable alternatives to our current wares. For building homes, the image of a bahay kubo is on top of mind, too—but this center that advocates for bamboo shows that it goes beyond our native countryside housings.</p><div><br/></div><p>Base Innovation Center, Base Bahay Foundation, Inc.’s international hub for alternative building technology research, has been focusing on research and innovation of bamboo utilization for mainstream construction. It is the country’s first research and testing facility for sustainable and disaster-resilient construction technologies. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b2160435-c98a-4716-9d08-6339e4f03bb2_8.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Since its inauguration in 2021, its experts and partners have already begun introducing a different usage for the wood. With Base’s Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology, which has been certified by the Accreditation of Innovative Technologies for Housing by the National Housing Authority, building about 1,500 homes in the process. </p><div><br/></div><p>To further enhance the technology, the center is equipped with machines that constantly test the bamboo’s capabilities, thus producing more results needed for better housing using this wood. Inside, one will find a Universal Testing Machine, a Bamboo Wall Panel Reaction Frame, fabrication tables, and a model house, where new materials and building techniques are tested. Maximizing modern conveniences, the center also implements augmented reality to adopt and scale new technology for use in construction.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/ff940d48-45aa-415d-b0b7-a6bb52895c9a_21.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/living/tips/heart-evangelista-year-two-as-rlc-residences-ambas/34067" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heart Evangelista Celebrates Year Two As RLC Residences Ambassador</a></div><div><br/></div><p>While Base Innovation Center doesn’t accept individual projects at the moment, they seek different partnerships with different areas around the Philippines to achieve their goal of building 10,000 cement bamboo houses by 2024. This is in response to the growing need for socialized homes in disaster-prone areas, particularly in Luzon and Visayas areas.</p><div><br/></div><p>Currently, they have a number of efforts in the works. Together with ETH Zurich and the University of the Philippines, they study the lifecycle and thermal comfort of cement-bamboo frame homes. Coventry University and Foundation University are piloting the application of bamboo grading and testing new bamboo connections.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/31bffe47-c05f-405f-8772-f6ea2af3e835_11.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/living/tips/free-bamboo-based-construction-tech-base-bamboo/33879" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Professional Builders: Here’s Your Chance To Learn Bamboo-Based Construction For Free</a></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, they are also working with the University of Sto. Thomas and MAPUAUniversity for the research on the characterization of different species of bamboo and testing of bamboo shear wall panels. They have also tapped De La Salle University for the study of bamboo fiber geopolymer wall.</p><div><br/></div><p>“As leaders in the field of sustainable housing technologies, we recognize that we play a pivotal role in ensuring that every Filipino has access to a home. We hope to unlock more partnerships that will help us provide homes for more Filipino families,” Base Bahay General Manager Dr. Pablo Jorillo shares. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/46a76dd9-533b-40c1-aca3-009cd8d9ca6d_3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Running on for a couple of years now, we’re sure to see more bamboo homes in the following decades—making sustainable yet durable and stable shelters not just for select areas in the country, but as a whole through this labor of love.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>For more information on sustainable and alternative building technologies, visit <a href="http://www.base-builds.com/" target="_blank">http://www.base-builds.com/</a>.</em></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Photographs courtesy of Base Innovation Center</strong><br/></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Base Innovation Center Advocates For The Use Of Bamboo In Local Construction | ABS-CBN

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Base Innovation Center Advocates For The Use Of Bamboo In Local Construction

Mariel Abanes

Published Nov 03, 2022 03:17 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 03, 2022 04:23 PM PHT

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Metro Living

MetroLiving

Base Innovation Center

Base Bahay Foundation

Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology

Pablo Jorillo

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