Onu Onu Beach Pool Bar is one of the international buildings built by Bamboo Pure. This structure, built in The Maldives, is seated just meters away from the water’s edge. The structure is a single bamboo structure building that sits on a sandy beach with a clump support system. An elegant structural umbrella pole system was developed using tried and true construction methods and as many straight elements of bamboo as possible to create a curving beautiful roof line. The columns and all the roof rafters were made from straight poles of bamboo, either petung or tali, because these are easier to ship into the island than prefabricated curving pieces of bamboo or elements of a building. The columns are lifted up on foundations typical to the local vernacular and the roof, supported on the edges of the umbrella system, overhangs far beyond the columns’ bases to shield them from the tropical sun.
Typically, for a building done in an international setting, the design would be intended for all parts of the building to last permanently with no need for maintenance. Therefore, we would usually prescribe a copper shingle roof for longevity, but this roof is made of grass thatching. This is because roofing grass happens to be locally available in The Maldives, and craftsmen from the immediate context are able to build a roof from it, replace it, maintain it, and repair it when needed. You may notice in pictures that the Onu Onu Bar’s roof looks different than our other alang alang roof structures in Bali. This is one example of ways that we can partner with local consultants, learn about the immediate vernacular, and apply it to the structures that we build, driving down costs of maintenance, shipping and labor.
