Sharing Sustainability to Indonesian Design Community

AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: DESIGN FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

arcspace.com and ecolandnow.com, in collaboration with INBAR – International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, invite architects, designers and students to take part in an international competition at arcspace Island in the virtual community, Second Life.

The winners, selected by an international jury in Second Life and Real Life, as well as by public vote, will be invited to assist with the construction in China or Hawaii.

The key competition objective will be to develop a new Eco-friendly Community where people will live, work and visit; an environment which will encourage a wide range of uses, occupied at all times of the day. The goal should be to stimulate social, technical and cultural progress. The function and the relationship between the structures is as important as the individual design.

The “structure,” maximum 60M2, must respond to the tropical climate and promote the use of hybrid materials using a minimum of 25% bamboo. The living bamboo can be part of the design. Furniture designers are invited to collaborate with architects.

 

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ENVIRONMENTAL BAMBOO FOUNDATION

The Environmental Bamboo Foundation (EBF) is an Indonesian non-profit organization founded by designer Linda Garland in 1993 to protect tropical forests by promoting and demonstrating the many conservation and development opportunities that bamboo offers. In less than three years EBF has helped put bamboo on the conservation and development agenda of Indonesia while generating an international interest in bamboo that’s growing exponentially. EBF, based in Bali, Indonesia has affiliate non-profit organizations in America (IBF), and Holland, also dedicated to spreading the news about bamboo.

The EBF has a focus upon international development, through consulting and education, preservation research, agro forestry projects, watershed reclamation, plantation development and policy development. Weekly educational workshops under the guidance of the staff of the Environmental Bamboo Foundation are ongoing in Indonesia. To date, all EBFand IBF board members have volunteered their time and resources to promote bamboo as an environmental solution. The EBF works in concert with the International Bamboo Foundation, the Zeri Foundation and an international network of bamboo associations, scientists, universities and governments.

 

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DRESS LIKE A LEGEND: BAMBOO CLOTHES FROM LEGEND CLOTHES, LLC.

Aliyah Marr from Alternative Everything intervewed Nicholas Narsavidze, Owner and CEO of Legend Clothing LLC on the reason behind using bamboo for his garment.

Aliyah Marr: I have heard that growing cotton is environmentally destructive. How is bamboo better?

Nicholas Narsavidze: Yes, in terms of growing, cotton is one of the world’s most environmentally destructive crops with regards to water and pesticide use. Unlike cotton, bamboo grows and thrives naturally without the use of harmful pesticides. Merely to grow cotton or other plants, chemicals and pesticides must be added simply to protect the plant itself. Not bamboo. Bamboo is seldom eaten by pests and does not get infected by pathogen. Why? Bamboo contains an anti-bacterial bio-agent called, “Bamboo Kun” which is a natural element that thrives inside the bamboo plant and protects it from pests and bacteria. Bamboo also grows faster than cotton, nearly 3ft a day! And, as you may guess, to speed up the growth of Cotton, or other crops, additives and chemicals must be added.

 

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FASHION FIGHTS FOR A GREENER WORLD

Eco Chic fashion show, by charity green2greener

Jakarta, Indonesia: Fifteen of Indonesia’s most prestigious fashion designers, including from Jakarta: Carmanita, Lenny Agustin, Musa Widiatmodjo, Tuty Cholid, Taruna Kusmayadi, from Semarang: Anne Avantie, from Jogyakarta: Afif Syakur, Lia Mustafa, Nita Azhar, from Bali: Ali Charisma, Monika Weber, Muji Ananta, Oka Diputra, BEDO organization, from Lampung: Selphie Bong and art director Ika Mardiana are coming together on the catwalk to help raise awareness about earth-friendly clothing and how sustainable fashion could help to lessen the impact of climate change. Organised by the Hong Kong based environmental charity, green2greener, Echo Chic Jakarta will be the first of a series of fashion shows aiming to raise environmental awareness throughout Asia.