bamboo project india

7/29/2019 Bamboo project india

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bamboo furnitureWhere western design meets indian tradition

designing


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bamboo furnitureWhere western design meets indian tradition

designing

Before publishing any content of this report rst contact CIBART, DDiD or Thies Timmermans

Photograph on cover: Elke van Gelder


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This project is a result of an exchange program of DDiD (Dutch Design in De-

velopment) and CIBART (Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technol-ogy). DDiD sends professional designers who are keen to expand their hori-zon and are willing to exchange their knowledge for a good cause, whereineventually both the parties benet from a mutual exchange of knowledge &experience.

This report was initially written as to show the two month during process to all

interested. Eventually its content can be used as a guideline for those whowill participate in the DDiD program or for others who are (going to be) in-volved in a sustainability, bamboo or development country project.

Foreword


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ContentsForeword 3

Contents 4

Abbrevitions 7

Assignment 8

Initial design proposal 8Background 8Adjusted assignment 10Workplan 12

Bamboo 15 Bamboo in general 15

Publics view 15Region specie 16Environmental issues 19

Konbac 21 Organisation & location 21

Mission & objectives 22Set-up 24

Bamboo processing 26 Introduction 26

Preservation 28Peeling skin & knot removal 31Sawing 31Splitting 31Straightening & bending 32Construction 32


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Sanding 32Coating 32

Export 34

Market 36Introduction 36Survey 36Lounge 38

Design 42Bamboo experience 42Sketching 42Concepts 42Prototyping 46

Evaluation 52

Prototype improvements 52Project evaluation 56

References 58

Appendix 60I Contacts 60

II Planning 62III Market research 64IV Tactics 65V Product catalogue 66

Credits 73


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AbbreviationsBB Boric Borax

CCB Copper Chrome BoricCFC Common Facility CentreCIBART Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and TechnologyDDID Dutch Design in DevelopmentIIT Indian Institute of TechnologyIPD Industrial Product DevelopmentINBAR International Network on Bamboo and RattanNID National Institute of DesignKONBAC Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development CentreRs Indian RupeesTRIBAC Tripura Bamboo and Cane DevelopmentTUDelft Technical University of Delft


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assignment

AssignmentThe initial design was proposed by Rebecca Reubens of INBAR and can besummarized as: To design a range of childrens products, especially schoolfurniture using whole bent bamboo.

The school furniture (main product line) and other childrens furniture andproducts is a very generic product for children, who deserve the best in terms

of design - i.e. to say a child in Africa deserves he same quality of furnitureas a child in Holland - for e.g. for children, issues like the product being nontoxic, safe etc. really are very important. Therefore, rather than focussing ona certain limited market, very generic products of high quality should be de-veloped, which can be customized as and if required. The product designedneeds to appeal and t within a wide range of constraints which cut acrossdeveloped and developing country denitions and perceptions.

We would like to have a very contemporary product aesthetic, keeping inmind production that is using very simple whole bamboo technology i.e. theround form, which can also be bent, and also slat based furniture, i.e. madefrom bamboo slats, which can also be bent.(tubular sections i.e. round cross sections), so that the product can cater to de-veloped country aesthetics as well, and can be produced in our eld projects

in India and Africa.

INBAR and CIBART are development organizations, and so they are trying tohelp rural people with livelihood generation, which involved designing prod-ucts which can be produced by these rural people, and yet cater to largermarkets - like the west - and use technologies and materials that are existing inthe given production set up, keeping in mind constraints like existing materials,cost, skill sets, infrastructure etc.

The idea is to design and prototype school furniture collections using solidbamboo - say around 6 sets or so, lay these out classroom style, and then set

Background

Initial design proposal


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Bamboo availability inits different forms. Fromthe raw whole collumnto the pressed multilay-

er bamboo ber mats.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, Kudal


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assignment

up exhibitions and discussions in different countries including with educators,government ministries, teachers and so on, to promote these furniture lines.

The chair you designed as you mentioned was for Dutch children and thiswould have been a key feature of its ergonomics. The furniture we are lookingat will cater to children all over the world, including Asia, Africa, the EU, USAand so on, so it has to be much more ergonomically exible.Cost wise and design wise as well, the furniture has to be comparable to prod-ucts used in the North, so standards of design and quality have to be very high,

and so I would suggest using research from the internet of school furniture asour benchmarks - not local statistics.

Regarding laminated furniture parts, this is indeed a very good technology,and it is currently being developed further for bent and laminated bamboofurniture, but it is not sure if it will be perfected this by November.

After discussing the project with the directors of KONBAC, changes were im-plemented in the initial assignment. Due to the existing market and the currentstate of product quality the main goal is altered to: designing a new line ofhigh quality furniture for the top-end market.

Current production is of mediocre quality, because of lack of experience, dueto the short existence of KONBAC. This combined with the heavy competing

market of school products, that hasnt yet been penetrated by KONBAC andwhere other brands already have settled, makes it hard, if not impossible, tointroduce a successful product. The national image of bamboo material, be-ing inferior to wood, steel or plastic, also doesnt contribute to this. The use ofthe existing market, that KONBAC has already entered, is more cost reducingbecause of more build up experience and set up contacts and less requiredpromotion. Introducing a new product is expected to be easier, less costly

and successful in a shorter period.

The high standard of the new design will hopefully achieve a second goal:

Adjusted assignment


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The beaches of Goaare a mayor touristicattraction and offeran interesting targetmarket.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, Vagatorbeach


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assignment

to take the factory to a new higher level whereas new methods of produc -tion can be implemented with the aim of reducing manufacturing costs and

production time and improving product quality. Therefore special attentionshould be paid to the production method e.g.: line-production, use of malls,implementation of new constructions and materials.

Of course during the design process special attention should be made to-wards the possible production technologies considering the material, usedskills, infrastructure and costs. Other important elds are ergonomics, safety,

toxicology and product aesthetics.

To achieve the set goals, a work plan has been developed (seen below). Thiswork plan states the main steps and achievements in the process and canbe used as a guideline during the project. A more detailed planning can befound in the attachments.

1. Introduction2. Company and technology research3. Market Research4. Sketching5. Detailing design6. Materializing

Workplan


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During the designprocess special atten-tion should be paid tothe traditional low tech

skills of the craftsmen.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, CFC Kudal


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bamboo

Bamboo crops areoften grown for addi-tional income at small

farmers backyards.



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Did you know that bamboo provided the rst re-greening in Hiroshima afterthe atomic blast in 1945? And Thomas Edison successfully used a carbonizedbamboo lament in his rst experiment with the light bulb.

Bamboo can be seen as a very suitable, eco-friendly and easy usable substi-tute for wood. There are over 1000 species of bamboo on the earth. The di-versity makes bamboo adaptable to many environments. The plant tolerates

extremes of precipitation, from 30-250 inches of annual rainfall. It is also thefastest growing woody plant on this planet. It grows one third faster than thefastest growing tree. Some species can grow up to one meter per day. Onecan almost watch it grow. This growth pattern makes is easily accessible ina minimal amount of time. It can be harvested in 3-5 years versus 10-20 yearsfor most softwood.

The sum of stem ow rate and canopy intercept of bamboo is 25% whichmeans that bamboo greatly reduces rain run-off, preventing massive soil ero-sion. Its anti-erosion properties create an effective watershed, stitching the soiltogether along fragile river banks, deforested areas.

Product wise the material is very strong: Bamboos tensile strength is 28,000per square inch versus 23,000 for steel. The basic manufacturing of bamboodoesnt require special skills or expensive tools.

Since it almost grows everywhere, has good material characteristics and iseasy to manufacture it is very suitable for agricultural and crafting approach-es for rural communities. It is an important mean for generating income andimproving the nutritional status of poor and disadvantaged people.

Cane and bamboo are considered as an inferior material in India. This is be-cause theres the interpretation that these kinds of materials are only used forshort term use as a substitute for timber. Since bamboo mainly grows in rural

BambooBamboo in general

Publics view


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bamboo

areas where daily income is below $2, - (below poverty line) it is seen as apoor-mans-material. People dont even know the difference between bam-

boo (a grass) and rattan (a tree) and its distinguished species. This is due tolittle information and knowledge about bamboo and its possibilities.

In the project this attitude towards bamboo is of main importance, since theproduct market is in Goa. Therefore a survey (see chapter) is been held to re -search the opinion of the target market.

The used bamboo in the Konkan region takes about 120 days to full growth.The appearance of branches is a sign of the reached adolescence; it stopsgrowing in lengths and diameter. For construction stronger bamboo is usedof 4 years old. For furniture and other products bamboo of 2 year old is used.Another interesting fact is that when bamboo is harvested when the moon isrising, it will easier be harmed by insects. If harvested under a declining moon,fewer insects will bother the material as per locally known.

The main species of bamboo found in this district are Oxytenanthera stock-sii, Bambusa arundinacea, Oxytenanthera monostigma and Dendrocalamusstrictus. The nature of bamboo crop varies from moderately dense type toregeneration type. At KONBAC only the rst two species are used for the man-ufacturing of products and they are locally addressed with the names of re -spectively Mannga and Kanak.

The Mannga bamboo is not thorny, has a small diameter and grows to lengthsof 30 feet. Typical is its thick wand that most of the time results in a completesolid centre. This explains the very strong tubular section. The skin is hard andstrong, but these characteristics decrease towards the centre.

Kanak, a thorny bamboo, grows to lengths of about 80-90 feet. It has a large

diameter but is hollow due to its thin wand. Kanak is strong and compara-ble light, but isnt used much in construction and furniture designs because itspreservation is unknown with the result that is easy splits.

Region species


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The owering of bam-boo happens onlyonce in a long period,but is disastrous for theharvest since it makes

the bamboo useless



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bamboo

For furniture and con-struction purpose truck-loads of only mature

bamboo are used.



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Bamboo can be seen as a substitute for wood, since it grows faster and lendsitself to easy agricultural approaches in many different climates and in thismanner it can prevent the scarce natural source of wood from being deplet-ed. Apart from this, bamboo growth can also results in healing degraded land,stopping soil erosion and helping in drought-proong. It has an undergroundroot-and-rhizome system that effectively binds the top one foot soil that is criti-cal for soil health.

Bamboo is a critical element in maintaining the balance of oxygen and car-bon dioxide. Carbon gets trapped within bamboo forests, thus reducing car-bon dioxide gases. It also lowers the intensity of light and protects us fromharmful ultra-violet rays.

Bamboo forests nurture wildlife. Apart from the endangered panda, the mostfamous symbol of bamboo forests, many birds, monkeys and boars depends

on bamboo shoots. A problem that is recently occurring in China is the har-vesting of wild grown bamboo in nature with the result of endangering thislocal fauna. In India small farmers cut their bamboo in their jungle backyardfor an extra income. Although when harvested with care it is possible to cutwild bamboo without harming the environment (cutting one bamboo culmresults in three new ones), most people dont know this. Thats why aware-ness programs have been set up. Also several bamboo nurseries have been

implemented. The nurseries grow shoots of the most suitable available speciesof bamboo and sell these to farmers so they can grow their own crops. In theend this will improve quality of the harvested grass.

Environmental issues


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konb

ac

Teaching women inrural commmunities thetechniques of bamboohandcraft results in anextra eco-income and

decreases poverty.

Photograph by ThiesTimmermans


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KonbacOrganisation & location

With the objective of strengthening the bamboo sector in the Konkan region,the Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology (CIBART), having itsHead Quarters in New Delhi, established an ofce in Kudal of Sindhudurg Dis-trict in June 2004. The strategic reason for setting up the ofce in Kudal is itsproximity to Goa (tourist destination) and Mumbai, the business hub and alsothe availability of bamboo resources in Sindhudurg. Sindhudurg district of Ma-harashtra has a geographical area of 5087 sq. km with a forest area of around910 sq. km. The forest lands are largely owned by the government (to the tuneof 94 sq. km) with about 50 sq. km. under the ownership of private persons.

CIBART has established a Common Facility Centre (CFC) at Kudal with thefunding support from Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under Ministryof Textiles in January 2005. The technical inputs and guidance were extendedby International Network on Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) which is a globalnetwork having its Head Quarters in Beijing, China.

To promote the lo-cal ownership, theKonkan Bambooand Cane Devel-opment Centre(KONBAC) was reg-

istered as a not forprot organisationunder section 25of company act inJune 2004. Thoughthe CFC was initial-ly set up by CIBART,

the implementa-tion is done byKONBAC. Till now,

organisation hierarchy


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konbac

KONBAC was a supporting agency for CIBART initiatives and it is expected totake the lead role in strengthening the bamboo sector initiatives in the Konkan

region.

KONBAC aims at establishing backward linkages into the villages and forwardlinkages into technical and with other development agencies at the regional,national and international level.

The organisation intends to work with civil society, government and communityto make bamboo-based sustainable development a reality. It works throughbuilding networks and partnership. The aim of KONBAC is to achieve environ-mental security and economic development of the community through sus-tainable use of bamboo. Given Indias rich bamboo resources and the peo-ples natural afnity to this grass there are immense opportunities and KONBACaims to actualize this untapped potential by guiding and training communities

to set up bamboo based enterprises.

KONBAC has global outlook, yet one that addresses local needs. It is for thecommunities, but is market driven and businesslike. For KONBAC, the commu-nities are the primary beneciary market the goal and the production of thecraft and manufactured goods using industrial approaches the means.

KONBAC aims to develop interventions that would promote eco-income gen-eration activity by total involvement of the local basket-makers communities.

KONBAC has set up a ofce in Kudal, Sindhudurg and within a span of 2 yearKONBAC has initiated several steps. Awareness raising and training programsis ongoing features of KONBACs activities. KONBAC through such activitiesintends to provide technology support to these groups in the area of design,

development and market linkages that would promotes eco-income generalactivity.

Mission & Objectives


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With the funding sup-port from DevelopmentCommissioner (Handi-crafts) under Ministry ofTextiles a Common Fa-cility Centre (CFC) was

established in Kudal.

Photograph by Kon-bac archives, Kudal


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konbac

KONBAC promotes and has set up a large number of activities. These can besummarized in four groups.

1) Common Facility Centre.Set up by CIBART in 2005, but implemented by KONBAC, this facility centrehouses bamboo preservation machinery and other (heavy) machinery for thebasic manufacturing of all bamboo products. A great deal of the pre- and

post-construction activities of both furniture and structuring works is carried outhere. Secondly the centre has a medium stock of both the uncut material rightfrom the elds as the preserved ready to be used bamboo.

2) Training Programs.Set up by KONBAC with the intention to promote eco-income to those whoare living under the poverty line in especially the rural areas. Local teacher are

educated by professionals from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, in Mum-bai) or the National Institute of Design (NID in Ahmedabad). Knowledge aboutdesign and manufacturing of bamboo products, general development andmarketing is carried out. KONBAC also provides these teachers with technol-ogy support in the form of an specially designed tool-kit (prof. A.G. Rao of IIT).

3) Furniture unit (factory).This facility is situated only 200 metres from the CFC. All bamboo furniture is

constructed here. Four groups are working separately according to a workingscheme planned by the supervisor. Each group consists of one master crafts-man who directs and teaches 6 to 7 assistants.

4) Structuring.This youngest project of KONBAC is for the design, fabrication and erection ofbamboo structures. A full time (construction) designer is directing most of the

projects. In special occasions professional architects or constructors are ap-proached.

Set-up


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The development of aresort in South Mahar-astra is an example ofpossible bamboo tech-nology and can beseen as a direct resultof the new structuring

program of Konbac.


B b i


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p

rocessing

Bamboo processingIntroduction

raw material

end product

primary preparation1.

primary processing2.

finishing3.

In this chapter the whole process ow (see diagram) is discussed. Facilities ofbamboo manufacturing are available in the CFC and the furniture factory. Inthe CFC main activities of pre-construction are pealing skin, removing knots,preservation and conserving,length sawing, splitting andbending whole bamboo andslats. Post-construction consist

of sandpapering and apply-ing varnish.

The construction and assem-bly of the bamboo is done inthe furniture factory. Aroundsix different types of bamboo

construction methods areused (see pictures on the nextpages) and all of them aresimilar to wooden construc-tion techniques. Most work isdone by hand using sizzles,hammer and hack saw. Smallelectrical equipment, like acolumn drill and hand drills, isalso used.

A product catalogue canbe found in the appendix.The weaving of bamboo intoproducts like basket etc. is

learned during the trainingprogram and is no part of thefactory process. Since it isnt

process ow


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A large part of theprocessing of bamboois done by hand using

the dao or machette



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p

rocessing

involved in the making of furniture it hasnt been researched thoroughly in thisproject.

To preserve the bamboo for 25-30 years a toxic Copper Chrome Boric (CCB)chemical is used at CFC. The bamboo is placed in a pressure tank and this isvacuumized. After this the chemical is added and pressure changes from vac-uum to 14 kg/cm2. The pressure makes sure the small capillary of the bamboois lled with the chemical (these capillary close within 48 hours of cutting thebamboo). The bamboo skin is not penetrable by the CCB, so holes are drilledinto the centre of the bamboo to provide an entrance and let the chemicalpenetrate from the inside.

Although the CCB is considered not harmful for the customer due to its posi-tion on the inside of the product and the protective layer of varnish, it is not anecological material to use.There are more different treatments to preserve bamboo available, but tech-

nical (short conservation period), economical (too expensive) and implemen-tation (long processing time) characteristics make them not ideal.

One of them is the using of a mixture of Boric Acid and Borax. This chemical isnot toxic, but can only be used for indoor products since its working will disap-pear when contacted with water.

A more lasting result can be obtained soaking the bamboo in a solution of0.75% of Sodium Pentachorophinate to 1 litre of water. The solution with thebamboo is then boiled for 15 minutes and cooled to room temperature. Alter-natively, if boiling is not possible, the strips are kept immersed in the cold solu-tion for 24 hours. Finally, the bamboo parts are removed and spread out, in ashaded place, to air dry.

A more traditional way of preserving bamboo is by smoking. The nished prod-uct is subjected to prolonged smoking over a replace. This technique, thatis also available at CFC, leaves a darker brown colour over the bamboo pro-

Preservation


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Clockwise from upperleft: drilling, preserva-tion tank, peelin skin,knot removal.

Photographs by Elkevan Gelder & Thies Tim-mermans, CFC Kudal


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p

rocessing

Clockwise from up-per left: widt sizingand planing machine,sawing, radial splitting,straightening.

Photographs by Elkevan Gelder & KONBACarchives, CFC Kudal


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ducts.

Out of an ecological point of view and considering people health an alter-native is sought for.

The rough and uneven surface of the bamboo culms is smoothened primaryfor aesthetic and preservation (since the CCB doesnt penetrate the skin)reasons. The knots are evened by circular rotating blades. Although the skinis the strongest part of the bamboo it is also peeled. This can be done in the

traditional way: using a machete or dhau. For the removal of the cortex ofbamboo splits there is also the availability of using a width sizing and planingmachine. Operating this machine consists of manually passing single splitsthrough it. The splits are divided into two equal parts.

The bamboo is sized and cut using a circular saw. The machine has a meas-

uring device to saw pieces of uniform length. During construction simplehack saws are used for slotting and seizing more detailed work.

Whole bamboo culm can be split into slivers or splits. Splits are the full thick-ness of the culm wall and have the green outer layer still attached whereasslivers are thin, narrow sections of the bamboo split.

This radial splitting of the bamboo culm is done with a machine. The columnsis placed on the machine manually. One end is tted between the bladeradial splitter and the chuck (metal disk). The blade radial splitter is shapedlike a wheel and has 4, 8, 12, and 16 blade variations. The size of the resultingsplits depends on the used blade variation.

Once the bamboo is tted onto it, the chuck pushes the bamboo throughthe blade radial splitter, and the bamboo gets split into as many divisions ofthe wheel that the blade has. The blade moves fast to allow the bamboo

Splitting

Peeling skin & knot removal

Sawing


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rocessing

to pass through the cutting edge with force.

Bending of bamboo culm, splits or slivers is done by heating the bamboo witha ame. On microscopic level bres are melted and these can be deformed.When the required bend is completed, the heated portion should be kept im-mersed in water till the water temperature returns to ambient. The whole proc-ess is reversible. Sometimes jigs or malls are used to repeat the process whilemaintaining the same shape.

The straightening and bending of bamboo is easier when the material is green,rather than when it has dried. Though it is relatively easy to bend an immaturebamboo, it will revert to its original state within a very short time.

The black burning spots that are a result of this process are removed by hand,but will always be partly visible in the product. Bending with steam wont leavethese scars on the material. KONBAC is planning to purchase this kind of ma-

chinery in the future.

Construction is done by four small groups with an artisan as team leader. Theartisans can be considered as skilled teachers who train their group. Construc-tion techniques consist of simple methods that are similar to construction ofwood (see pictures). The craftsmen use sizzles, hammers and drills to construct.

For connection cane bindings, iron nails, bamboo pens and glue are used.

To improve the durability of the varnish attachment and to increase aesthet-ics, the products are sanded. Sanding is mainly done by hand. Sometimessquare plane sanding machines are used.

The furniture is nished with commercial varnish. Polyurethane or melaminevarnish is currently popular because of its durability and scratch resistance.

Construction

Sanding

Coating

Straightening & Bending


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Clockwise from upperleft: bending, construc-

tion, sanding, painting.

Photographs by Elkevan Gelder, CFC Kudal


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p

rocessing

Depending on the products and the wishes of the customers a synthetic col-our is added to the painting mixture. Although other nishing methods aremore eco friendlier they are not used for economic and durability reasons.

KONBAC has some experience on export and is interested. The main problemof possible export will be the conservation of product quality. Compared tothe Dutch climate, the Konkan region has a higher degree of moist in the air.When the products is transported to a less moisture climate chances are thatcracks will appear due to splitting. A possible solution can be the local season-

ing of bamboo. This means that the material will be dried for a longer periodbefore used for furniture. This is not possible during the 4 month monsoon.

Export


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For jointing traditionalconstruction meth-ods are used. For extrastrength and a nice

nishing cane bindingsare used.

Photographs by Elkevan Gelder, CFC Kudal.rendering by Thies Tim-mermans

Market


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market

CFC was established in Kudal for its near markets of Goa and Mumbai. Mum -bai is considered as business capital of West-India and should therefore be aright target for bamboo products. The state of Goa is the Mecca of India fortourists. It offers not only lots of restaurants, hotels and cafes as potential buy-ers, its also considered as the gateway to the Western countries. In this projectwe will concentrate on the Goan market only.

Although these areas are the reason for the CFC establishments in Kudal, most

of the bamboo furniture is purchased by local companies and organisations.This is probably because of the little recognition of the organisation and thelack of promotion. Combined with the general fact that bamboo is seen aspoor peoples material and the constant threat of competitive cheaper localwooden and plastic products and the bamboo furniture out of China, it canbe said that the bamboo-market is not an easy one. Most sales (approximate-ly 90%), carried out the last two years, are orders done by the hotel, restaurant

and guesthouse sector.

Special opportunities lay in future plans:1) The construction of a resort in Tarkali beach in South-Maharashtra has re-cently started. Because of its potential attention in the media, the resort is seenas an exhibition of possible bamboo technology. Secondly it can function as ashowroom for other bamboo products like furniture.

2) KONBAC is planning to set up a showroom of bamboo products only. Thisshould functions as a centre sales and promotion point and should raise aware-ness of bamboo benets (e.g. environmental issues, poverty reduction of ruralcommunities). It should be located in the Goa state or Mumbai.

A survey was held under the owners of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants andbars in different places in the state of Goa, regarding their opinion of bam -boo furniture. An attempt to retrieve information by sending an email (seeattachment) resulted in a response of two out of fty sent emails. Visiting the

MarketRecent market

Survey


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Most bamboo furnitureis used in the hotel andrestaurant sector in forexample a garden.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, Mapusa


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market

target group physically provided more information also due to the possibilityof deepening out the conversation. In the attachments more information canbe found about the companies that have responded.

Survey conclusionMost reactions are positive about bamboo and cane. It seems that the nega-tive image of bamboo, being poor material, is less strong in Goa. Probablybecause they follow the Western trends and habits more closely.

Bamboo (and rattan) furniture is welcomed with open arms. People think it has

an appealing and natural look. Bamboo and cane furniture is mostly seen ascomfortable furniture to relax and is therefore wanted as outdoor furniture forterrace, garden and lounge rooms. The availability of cushions in seats is founda necessary item. Although traditional designs are still wanted, some up-mar-ket restaurants and hotels prefer new design to offer something original to theircustomers.

Cane furniture is already widely used in touristy Goa and is also referred to asbamboo furniture. Most problems of this type of furniture happen when storedduring the monsoon period. Fungus, insects and the moist weather afict dam-age to the furniture e.g. causing rusty nails, stains and spots and loose liga-ments. Other problems are caused by constant sunshine, guests or personneland chemicals like sun oil or makeup. This results in high yearly maintenancecosts. To avoid these costs sometimes articial cane or bamboo furniture is

used.

Still bamboo furniture is not so common to be found in Goa because it takeseffort to nd good quality within the state. Bamboo is also considered as fairlyexpensive when compared to the cheaper and easily available cane (500-600 Rs) and plastic (150-350 Rs) products. The maximum price people are will-ing to pay for a sofa differs from 800-1000 Rs.

One of the criteria of the newly designed bamboo furniture is that conceptsLounge


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Bamboo is widely usedin Goa since its nega-tive image isnt toostrong.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, Vagator


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market

One style to concen-

trate on is lounging.

Photograph from the

should t in the Goan market. Possible customers like tourists and owners of tour-ist facilities should be willing to buy the product not only for its attractiveness

d t diti l ft hi b t l f it l bl f ti lit B f


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and traditional craftsmanship but also for its valuable functionality. Because ofthe already existing connection of bamboo with comfort and the rising trendin Western countries of lounging, the focus is set on lounging furniture. Thesetypes of products are commonly used as garden furniture in western countries

but also wouldnt be awkward in the lobby of a hotel, in the lounge room of anightclub or on the terrace of a beach shack.

Lounging can be described as a relaxed style where comfort has a high prior-ity and the whole environment is transformed to an easy going state of being.This means chill out music, comfortable furniture, and dimmed lights.

Characteristics and criteria of typical lounge furniture are: Lot of cushion and pillows Comfortable for longer period Low sitting position Multiple body positions possible Modern looks Rounded shapes mostly organic or natural

Design


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design

DesignBamboo experience

The best way to get to know the material and the skills of workmen is by expe-riencing it yourself. During the rst days I was educated by local craftsmenand encountered the manufacturing of furniture out of whole bamboo andweaving baskets of bamboo.

With the just learned available techniques several sketches were made. Dur-ing the design process schematic tables of Pablo van der Lugt are used (see

appendix). Different characteristics of the creative process for bamboo de-signing are taken into account:

Intrinsic qualities of bamboo Using culm or splits Combine with other materials Use cultural skills

Product innovation (new product) Market & consumer research

The concepts were chosen from the initial sketches on base of 4 main crite -ria:1) Western design

The concepts should be different from the traditional products, both in formand functionality. They ought to have a modern look.2) Organic formsForm and curves should be as organic as possible to emphasize the naturalmaterial. Box shaped furniture (like the traditional) is out of the question.3) Traditional skillsAlthough different in looks and forms, the concept furniture should be able tobe made by the local craftsmen and their traditional skills.

4) Suitable for target marketThe concepts should t in the Goan market. Possible customers like tourists and

Sketching

Concepts


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The designer at work togain a real bamboo ex-perience.



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design

owners of tourist facilities should be willing to buy the product not only for itslooks and traditional craftsmanship but also for its valuable functionality.

The concepts (see pictures) were developed with the intention to be manu-factured by bamboo material only (cushions not taken into account).


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From sketch to con-cepts.

Photographs by Elke

van Gelder, Kudal, ren-dering by Thies Timmer-mans


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design

Since the project would only last for one month, the stage of prototyping was

initialized already in the third week. The three concepts shown on the pictureson the previous page were found most suitable and interesting and were pro-totyped. Each design was prototyped by a different group of artisans led by amaster craftsman as team leader. During the prototyping each concept hadits typical problems.

The cocoon was expected the easiest to be materialized, thus it was given to

the least experienced group of artisans. In the end this was clearly visible in theproduct. The bending and shaping of the slats was an easy task to perform butIt turned out to be quite difcult to make a proper equal spacing between thebent slats. The main problem was the making of the round frame. The radii ofthe circles were found to small to be made from whole bent bamboo culm. Arst attempt to use bamboo splits resulted in a deformed round shape. Using around mall also didnt work. In the end rattan was used for the internal frame.

The form turned out rather well, but the strength of the frame is below what isto be expected.

During the construction of the roundabout it was obvious a mall or jig wasneeded. The wooden jig didnt work. A mall consisting of iron nails on a boardresulted in a ne main shape of the bamboo slats. The skill of the master artisanwas needed to make all shaped slats rather equal because they all reveredback differently due to the variable maturity of the used bamboo. The rst slatswere made from the Kanak bamboo, but Mannga offered a stronger andnicer solution. Another problem that had to be faced was how to attach theslats so that eventually an consistent form of the chair should appear. A frameneeded to be designed that would function as a guide for the slats and thatat the same time would look elegant, be able to be made by the artisans andprovide enough strength to carry a single person. On the next page is to beseen what frame designs were considered as an option.

The spine was favourite from the beginning, but problems were expected

Prototyping


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How to communi-cate western designinto eastern traditionalcraftsman minds.



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design

when making the frame. Artisans thought the frame couldnt be made out ofwhole bamboo culm. Thats why they started with bamboo splits. Shaping theright form was very difcult and in the end the manufactured frame consisted

out of four different parts. From an aesthetic and a construction point of viewwe considered the use of cane as the construction material. Implementing thisdecreased manufacturing time and improved the quality of the form drasti-cally. But the strength and construction problem remained. To solve this, hori-zontal pipes were inserted. Additional shear prevention was found in a crosssection, materialised in the frame. All these extras did not support the aesthet-ics of the product. The option of using a metal frame, which is expected to be

both strong and elegant, was tried to implement, but nding a suitable metalworkshop with the required machines turned out to be very difcult. Hopefullythis variant will succeed in near future.


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During prototyping itwas hard to nd theright shape.

Photograph Elke vanGelder, CFC Kudal


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design


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The most promissingconcepts were proto-typed.

Photographs KON-BAC Archives, Kudal

EvaluationP t t i t


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Prototype improvements

The concepts have been modied in the prototype phase. However after dis-

cussing the prototypes with the artisans, the management team of KONBAC,coordinators of the project and people from within the Goan market otherimprovements denitely have to be implemented.

General improvements involve the using of bamboo nails instead of iron nails.Iron nails will get rusty after a while and this will affect the product quality anddurability in a negative way. Secondly the cane bindings should not be used

at all. Market research shows that already after one year of use these bindingsstart to come off. This affects not only the looks but also the whole image ofthe bamboo. People see it as a fact of indurability and thats not true sincethese bindings are mainly used for aesthetic reason (hide iron nails) and theydont add to the product strength. From a Western perspective a chair with-out binding looks more appealing because the product doesnt seem to bekept together by strings. A third change comes from the artisan corner. They

suggest using the Mannga, bamboo, instead of Kanak, for the making of theshaped slats. Mannga is better to manufacture and looks better. When pro-ducing these special curved splits, different malls should be used in which therevered position is calculated and tested.

Suggested change to the spine: A prototype with a tubular stainless steel frame should be tried. Bambooslats of the same form should be attached from the inside of the frame withscrews. For a cane frame, longer cane material should be used, so that theframe will consist of one part only. The horizontal rods should be place be -tween the round shaped framings and not on top of them. More effort has to be taken into the detailing of the edges of the bam-boo slats. The bending points should be at equal position to all parts. The edg-es of these parts should be cut off straight at a uniform length.

Special attention should be paid to the base of the chair. The legs ofthe hair should provide a stable and sufcient support for the user.


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The prototypes shouldbe improved so theycan compete with the

disgraceful articialbamboo furniture.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, Calan-gute, Goa

The concept of this lounge chair was the possibility of extending it by


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The concept of this lounge chair was the possibility of extending it byconnecting it to other furniture of the same line. But this involves a connectionor interaction mechanism, that is no yet available on the prototype.

After the completion of the prototype, the roundabout was found most prom-ising for the market. A few improvements are: Since there is a frame to support the users weight, out of elegancy, thebamboo strips are advised to be of thinner dimension. Additional horizontal supports that are not part of the frame should beinserted. These supports form an interconnection of the shaped slats. This will

improve both strength and uniform shape of the product. Any frame parts should not out length the external bamboo shapedslats. The rectangular frame should be of a more organic form to emphasize itsoriginal curved form. Dimensions of the prototype seemed to be slightly inap-propriate so they should be resized (see picture below). The basic idea of the roundabout was the forming of a circle whenseveral chairs were sideways connected. This slight implemented curve was

initially not placed in the concept because of expected difculties, but theproduct is now ready for. Basic dimensions turned out to be over-sized. Dimensions should be al-tered to ergonomically just values. For the interconnection of several chairs, a mechanism should e invent-ed.

The prototype of the cocoon was visually inferior to the other concepts. Ina way this is the result of poor craftsmanship, but mainly its the design thatneeds a lot of improvements. KONBAC decided to drop this concept andconcentrate on the other two. The internal frame is not stable. This is because the outer form has beendeveloped rst and the inner frame was constructed and adjusted afterwards.A stronger and more stable frame (using metal?) should be inserted. As the cushion will be permanently attached, the bottom of the chair

should be kept open to make cleaning considerable easy. The outer form of the short shaped slats and the longer ones do not fol-


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For the shaping of themain form, jigs shouldbe used, instead ofworking on the eye.

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, CFC Ku-dal


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low the same line. Additional horizontal support can solve this. The spacing of the strips should be as tight together at the bottom of

the product as possible. They will widen more when going up and the resultinggaps are intolerable wide.

Although this project has come to an end, the research and detailing of thedesigned furniture should continue. Special attention should be paid towardsthe frame and the nishing of the strips. For the Goan market maintenance

costs are very important so the product should be as durable as possible.

The style and technique that is used in the concepts of the spine and theroundabout can be implemented on different kinds of furniture and can forma complete new furniture line (e.g. stools, tables, lounge beds and multipleseaters).

A longer and better market research should be implemented in future, for itis important to keep an eye on the changes and hypes. The use of a publicrelation can improve customer relations and can increase valuable marketfeedback.

In my personal opinion I think that both concepts have a chance on the Dutchmarket and should be tried to be exported whenever product quality (detail-ing) has improved and factory capacity has increased. At that time special

attention should be paid to the effect of the different climate of the countriesin accordance with the preservation value of the products.

Project evaluation


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Using bamboo nails in-stead of iron ones willimprove quality andlower maintenancecosts

Photograph by Elkevan Gelder, CFC Ku-dal

References


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58references

Bamboo: an introduction graduation report NID

Rebecca Reubens

Bamboo development in Konkan a sheet presentation by KONBAC

KONBAC, 2004, Kudal

Bamboo processing graduation report NID

Rebecca Reubens

Bamboos of India K.K. Seethalakshmi & M.S. Muktesh Kumar, 1998, Art Options, New Delhi, ISBN

81-86247-25-4

CIBART communiqu quarterly newsmagazine of CIBART

I.V. Ramanuja Rao, Vol. 1 issue 1, February 2004, New Delhi

Global Initiative on Marketing Community Based Bamboo Products

a product catalogueINBAR

Human powered bamboo splitting tool for rural India a graduation report

Willem van Glasbergen, June 2006, Delft, the Netherlands

Local tools, equipment and technologies for processing bamboo and


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rattan an illustrated manual

R. Gnanaharan & A.P. Mosteiro, INBAR, 1997, Art Options, New Delhi, ISBN 81-86247-17-3

Market report INBAR

Product catalogue KONBAC KONBAC, 2006, Kudal

Summary INBAR projects India a powerpoint presentation

INBAR

Sustainable bamboo product development a basic presentation to Han Brezet

ir. Pablo van der Lugt, Delft, January 2005

TRIBAC, Tripura bamboo and cane development a powerpoint presentation

TRIBAC.

Why bamboo? a website

http://kauai.net/bambooweb/whybamboo.html

Appendix I: ContactsF l P d t D i


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Freelance Product DesignerThies Timmermans

+31 (0) [email protected]://www.thiestimmermans.tk

PhotographerElke van Gelder+31 (0) 623735012

[email protected]://www.elkevangelder.tk

Director KONBACSanjeev Karpe+91 (0) [email protected]

Project ofcer KONBACShilpesh Gambhire+91 (0) 9423408703

[email protected]

Architect Mozaic DesignKanwarjit Nagi

+91 (0) [email protected]//:www.mozaic-design.com

Construction Designer KONBACGeorge Joel

+91 (0) 94903335066

[email protected]

Head Design INBAR


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Head Design INBARRebecca Reubens

[email protected]

Contact DDiDStella van [email protected]

Bamboo Researcher TUDelft

Pablo van der [email protected]

IPO Graduate on bamboo designArjan van der [email protected]

DDiD ParticipantLara de [email protected]

DDiD ParticipantEliza [email protected]

TUDelft Graduate on Bamboo Matchstick MachineWillem [email protected]//:www.bambootool.com

NID exchange student, Pforzheim University, GermanySebastian Philipp

+49 (0) [email protected]

Appendix II: Planningweek 45 (10 nov - 12 nov) Settle & Introduction


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week 45 (10 nov 12 nov) Settle & Introductionfri 10 transport to Kudalsat 11 settle at Kudal,quick tour around

sun 12 talk about planning, send contract, receive document information, investigate about organisa-tion, ornigram, talk to Kanwarjit

week 46 (13 nov - 19 nov) Technology & Market researchmon 13 day offtue 14 full day walk around wokshop, take pictures of products, catalogue products, inform in details

about constructions by workmen, inform about ideawed 15 report workshop daythu 16 follow traditional workshopfri 17 report and leave for Goasat 18 investigate Goa market, visit hotels/shops/?sun 19 investigate Goa market, visit hotels/shops/?

week 47 (20 nov - 26 nov) Sketching ideasmon 20 day offtue 21 arrive from Goa, discuss possible target markets in afternoonwed 22 reportthu 23 make rough sketches & reportfri 24 make rough sketches & report

sat 25 present rough sketches and choose a few design to detailsun 26 day off

week 48 (27 nov - 3 dec) Materialise & Detailmon 27 day offtue 28 detail design, talk to workmenwed 29 detail design, talk to workmen, use CAD if neededthu 30 detail design, talk to workmen, use CAD if neededfri 1 detail design, talk to workmen, use CAD if neededsat 2 present design for proto typing (on scale)

sun 3 day off

week 49 (4 dec - 10 dec) Prototyping (on scale)mon 4 day offtue 5 dutch holidaywed 6 start prototyping (on scale) or practical detailsthu 7 start prototyping (on scale) or practical detailsfri 8 prototypingsat 9 prototypingsun 10 day off


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week 50 (11 dec - 17 dec) Meet coordinator in Ahmedabadmon 11 day off

tue 12 leave for Ahmedebadwed 13 arrive and accommodatethu 14 discuss prototype and projectfri 15 make improvementssat 16 visit design academie and do market researchsun 17 day off

week 51 (18 dec - 24 dec) Final adjustmentsmon 18 day offtue 19 return from Ahmedebadwed 20 arrive at Kudalthu 21 discuss prototype and possible improvementsfri 22 start 1 to 1 prototypesat 23 start 1 to 1 prototypesun 24 day off

week 52 (25 dec - 31 dec) Final prototype & Reportmon 25 day off, christmastue 26 day off, christmas

wed 27 1 to 1 prototypethu 28 1 to 1 prototypefri 29 1 to 1 prototypesat 30 1 to 1 prototypesun 31 day off, new year

week 1 (1 jan - 7 jan) Final prototype & Reportmon 1 day off, new yeartue 2 prototype + reportwed 3 prototype + report

thu 4 prototype + reportfri 5 prototype + reportsat 6 prototype + nish and deliver reportsun 7 day off, new year

week 2 (8 jan - 10 jan) Evaluatemon 8 day offtue 9 evaluate projectwed 10 leave Kudal

Appendix III: ResearchDuring the market research the following places were visited:


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During the market research the following places were visited:

Maggies guesthouse - Calangute9822122174, [email protected] guesthouse with rooms RS1500,-

Villa Theresa - [email protected] guesthouse with rooms Rs1200,-

Utopia - Calangute09810543115, [email protected] beachclub/restaurant/lounge bar

Taj holiday Village - Candolim918326645858, [email protected] end 5-star resort with cottages $190,-

Goan Village/Alegria Beach resort - Candolim2489284, [email protected] guesthouse and midrange cottage resort

Lemontree - Candolim PERSONAL [email protected],

Top end, 3-star hotel

Le Bluebird - Vagator9522587056Midrange guesthouse with rooms Rs1500,-

Appenix IV: TacticsDuring the project, especially in the sketch and concept phase, design tactics were


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g p j , p y p p , gused of Pablo van der Lugt.

Appendix V: CatalogueThis is the main part of the furniture catalogue with products that are manufacture


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gby CFC and its artisans. Because of the rapid development o new designs there are

still some pieces missing in the catalogue (all photographs by Elke van Gelder).


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This page displays some of themanually fabricated handcrafts


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Design consultantThies Timmermans

Project coordinatorsStella van Himbergen, DDiD, the Netherlands

Rebecca Reubens, INBAR, India


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Rebecca Reubens, INBAR, India

Sanjeev Karpe, KONBAC, India

PhotographyElke van Gelder

Thies TimmermansKONBAC Archives

The ofceSanjeev Karpe, Mohan Hodawadekar, Shilpesh Gambhire, Vikas Bendke (Dada),

Madan Samant, Sagar Dalvi, Huliapa Talwar, Miind Thakur, Kapil Pokle, Sachin Tuwar,Chudnaik, NayanMasurkar, Ramchandra Rawool

CFCAmit Dhondu Kudalkar, Zilu Krishna Bhagat, Bhaskar Madhukar Terse, Hanumant

Anant Sadvelkar, Sameer Ramesh Parab, Satesh Subhash Haldankar, Sachin Sahil,

Mahesh Mahadev Sawant, Anup Sadvelkar, Mukund Nerurkar, Sachin Satardekar,Sanjay Parab, Anita Kudalkar, Rakhi Kudalkar, Ujwala R. Jadhav, Sarika Kudalkar,

Soudamini Kudalkar, Ujawala Vasant Jadhav, Shubhangi Kudalkar, Vidya Lad, AmitaLoke, Snehalata Malvankar, Sameer Satardekar, Sameer Rawool, Deven Satam,Madhukar Paste, Pravin Telikocharekar, Mahesh Rane, Amol Naik, Parag Gosavi,

Chandrakant Mestry, Sanjay Patel, Dattaprasad Sakharam Mestry, Mahadev Kam-bali, Vijay S. Patel, Nilesh Dhuri, Dattaprasad Mestry, Shyamsundar Mestry, Anand

Dalavi, Sunil Mestry, Laxman Mestry, Dilip Nicham, Sudhir Majumdar, Sudan Rudrapal,Subrata Sarkar, Manoranjan Deb Barma, Jyotish Deb Barma, Sanjay Deb Barma,

OthersDieuwertje, Eliza Noordhoek, George Joel, Lara de Greef, Manu Mayank, KanwarjitNagi, Sebastian Philipp, Willem Glasbergen, Michael KwakuRamchandra Rawool

Special thanks toElke van Gelder


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Before publishing any content of this report rst contact CIBART, DDiD or Thies Timmermans

bamboo project india

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