The Digital Bamboo pavilion explores the innovative combination of a biomaterial with digital fabrication. The use of biomaterials is paramount to achieving lower embodied energy in buildings. Bamboo is a scalable sustainable biomaterial with rapid growth, frequent harvesting cycle and high strength-to-weight ratio. It is an excellent candidate for replacing carbon-intensive metals in space frame construction. 

Space frames are versatile and efficient systems, but cannot be combined with natural materials because of their natural deviations. Digital design and 3D printing allow the efficient manufacturing of connections for such materials, encapsulating structural requirements and other functional layers. 

The ultralight structure of Digital Bamboo covers 40 m2 with a weight of only 5Kgs/m2, or 200Kgs in total. The project showcases how this unique pairing of digital design and manufacturing for unprocessed biomaterials can create a filigree and engaging architecture that surpasses the standardised space frame vocabulary. 

The load-bearing system is defined by a spatial truss reinforced by post-tensioned cables. The roof cantilevers a 5-meter span in three directions. Its bamboo culms are connected via a novel connection system based on 3D printing of high-strength nylon. The intricate geometry of the connections encapsulates all the necessary functions (assembly, inhomogeneities, connections to the shading panels, and cable fittings). The system can be entirely disassembled and therefore, the structure can be reconstructed or recycled.  

The shading panels follow the vocabulary of the structural envelope. They are designed through a novel digital process of 3D printing a recyclable UV-resistant thermoplastic on a lightweight lycra textile. 

Customized computational tools were developed to design this ultra-lightweight structure. The construction system developed for the Digital Bamboo pavilion aims to reduce the logistic efforts of construction while exploiting the advantages of digital fabrication for a more sustainable building culture. Following the principle of distributed prefabrication, the complexity of the structure is encapsulated in small parts that can be fabricated all over the world using 3D printing. These custom parts can be used to construct high-performance structures together with local materials. 

Thanks to a modular construction scheme, the structure allows fast assembly and disassembly. The pre-assembled parts of the pavilion were mounted on-site in only 48 hours. Digital Bamboo offers a new paradigm for how digital fabrication can lead to a sustainable future of construction, combining locally sourced materials with 3d printed parts to achieve new immersive architectural expression.