So it seems twigitecture—a term coined by a recent New York Times exposé on human nests—will bask in the media spotlight for a bit longer: included in this week's Global Design issue of New York magazine is a profile of a bamboo mansion in Bali, which "looks like something King Ludwig II might have had constructed had he been of sounder mind and greener persuasion." The woman behind it, Elora Hardy, studied fine arts in the States and went on to work for Donna Karan; however, Bali, where she spent her childhood, beckoned her back, and a desire to use her skills "to make a difference ecologically" pushed her to spend 18 months designing and hand building this incredible structure that, despite standing six stories tall, fades into the trees.
Hardy learned the bamboo-building trade from her father, jewelry designer John Hardy, who seemingly pioneered the use of bamboo for curving, contemporary structures in the 2000s. For this project, the team started with a miniature bamboo model rather than blueprints. When it came to construction, they used rulers to measure the model and figure out how long each pole should be.
The final product is like an extravagant basket of curved pockets and weaved pouchest that form bedrooms, a library, and a spa. Unlike many other gargantuan "tree houses," the design here remains nuanced and organic-looking. What's more, despite the fact that it's anchored by twelve 60-foot bamboo posts, the manse sits light and flexible, important considering Bali's seismic hotspot. Hardy insists the whole shebang is springy enough to emerge unscathed from an earthquake. More shots, below:
· A Tree House in Bali [NY Mag]
· The 10 Best Lines From the Times' Exposé on 'Twigitecture' [Curbed National]
· All Treehouses posts [Curbed National]