« more RISD stories Bamboo Design Initiative In the late 1990s,
RISD and the Environmental Bamboo Foundation in Bali, Indonesia,
engaged in a multi-year partnership to explore innovative uses
and applications of bamboo—the fastest growing woody plant on
earth, but one long deemed inferior by the Western world.
“RISD’s willingness to do research and development on bamboo
design shows a pioneering spirit that could bring about
significant change,” noted Linda Garland of the Foundation. In
keeping with RISD’s commitment to teach socially and
ecologically responsible design practices, the Bamboo Design
Initiative began as a research project in the Furniture Design
Department, where students were asked to investigate the unique
properties of bamboo and explore its creative potential. The
project quickly grew to include students in the departments of
Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and
Landscape Architecture. Students typically spent a semester
experimenting with various methods of working wi