Bamboo
When Tim and I decided that we were going to build a dive resort in the Philippines we both agreed that we should make the environmental impact as small as possible and try our hardest to use as many natural materials as available. Of course there will always be a need for concrete, cement and steel bars in any construction, but if we could come up with a way to use something else, that was just as strong, pliable, easy to obtain and replace and was pretty to look at then we would both be very happy. The final conclusion let’s build a resort mainly out of bamboo!
If you have stayed at Liquid you will notice that bamboo is everywhere. All our roof supports are made from bamboo, our fences are bamboo, the second floor of the Lodge is nearly all bamboo, our floors are handmade bamboo tiles, our railings are hand crafted bamboo, our light fixtures throughout the whole resort are bamboo, the furniture in the cottages; chill out area and pool are all made from bamboo and our gardens also include bamboo accents.
So what exactly is bamboo? Technically it is a grass, but it is harvested and treated like a tree mainly because the wood it produces is stronger and more resilient than any other natural, fibrous building material. In fact, bamboo is as strong as hard wood, brick or concrete and has a tensile strength that matches steel.
As a fast growing grass/tree it is has a huge economic impact throughout Asia where it is used and sold as a building material, a food source and a natural fiber that can be used in a multitude of ways. There are over 10 different genres and more than 1450 different species of bamboo. At Liquid, we have incorporated over 5 different types of bamboo, all grown locally on the slopes of Mt Talinis.
Bamboo is also steeped in mythology, symbolism and ancient cultures. In Philippine mythology one of the more famous creation accounts tells of the first man, Malakás (“Strong”), and the first woman, Maganda (“Beautiful”), each emerged from one half of a split bamboo stem on an island formed after the battle between Sky and Ocean.
We also think it looks really pretty!
Zoe
