Ibuku is a company made up of designers, architects and engineers who explore innovative ways of designing with natural materials. Ibuku unites the traditional skills of balinese artisans and the quality of modern design and engineering, satisfying a very diverse clientele.
Throughout their history, they managed to create a new design vocabulary inspired by the use of bamboo, demonstrating how sustainable architecture and design can redefine the word “luxury”.
The origin of Ibuku
To find the origin of what is now Ibuku, we must go back to 1975, when John Hardy settled in Ubud (a town in Bali, Indonesia) after a long trip around the world. There he met Linda Garland, a resident of the town of Ubud, who was recognized worldwide for her interior and furniture designs. She was a pioneer in obtaining new sustainable treatment methods, creating later the EBF (Environmental Bamboo Foundation).
In 1990, Linda motivated John to work with bamboo and that motivation gave birth to the first innovative structure made of bamboo: Kapal Bamboo. This architectural design was conceived in conjunction with architect Cheong Yew Kuang, and they were inspired by the natural curve of bamboo. Kapal Bamboo became an exhibition space inside the Hardy complex.
Years later, in 2007, John Hardy, his wife and a trustworthy team of professionals, built the first structure of what would be, over time, one of his largest and most recognized projects: the Green School. This first structure of the Green School was a bridge that linked both sides of the river valley.
In 2010, Elora Hardy (daughter of John Hardy) continued the evolution of bamboo design in Bali under the name Ibuku, becoming founder and creative director. Over the next 10 years, Elora led more than 100 different structures in Bali and various locations around the world, and today she has expanded her work even further into an international market, with extraordinary collaborators and outstanding clients.
Why bamboo?
Ibuku confirms in his works that bamboo can change the way we design today, leading us to a world of innovation and respect for the environment.
Bamboo is part of the grass family and is the most environmentally friendly building material available (even more so than sustainable wood). Bamboo is characterized by a short growth cycle of only 4 years (which makes it a renewable material and at a rate equal to or even higher than that of human consumption) and also by its ability to sequester carbon more quickly than other tree species (Which in the long term, this capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere decreases atmospheric CO2 pollution).
In terms of its construction capacities, bamboo has the compressive strength of concrete and the strength-to-weight ratio of steel. In turn, ecologically treated and maintained bamboo can guarantee excellent durability because there are bamboo structures that are more than 100 years old.
Ibuku’s goal
Ibuku’s goal is to provide spaces where people can live in an authentic relationship with nature, thus reminding us that people are part of it.
Ibuku designs the entire space from start to finish (from the structure to the interior furniture) to ensure that it is completely functional, natural and 100% integrated with the nature that surrounds the space. Ibuku creates spaces where living in nature is living in style.
At Ekohunters, we want to give visibility to brands that share our same values of respect and care for the environment. Ibuku is an example of a company committed to change, demonstrating that making a clean slate and starting a search for new sustainable treatment processes and new sustainable materials for building, is the future.
