How the Green School Bali Was Built: A Designer’s Timeline of Bamboo Architecture and Innovation

Insights from a Visit with Ibuku to the World’s Most Iconic Bamboo Campus

As a bamboo architect and furniture designer focused on high-end sustainable structures, I’ve long admired the Green School Bali—not just for its aesthetic appeal, but for what it represents: an evolving body of knowledge about how to build with nature, not just within it.Tucked into the jungle thirty minutes from Ubud, this campus has become a global reference point for bamboo innovation. I recently toured the Green School with Lucas Schlüter, one of the lead architects from Ibuku, the renowned design-build studio responsible for many of the school’s later structures. What stood out was the evolution of technical solutions over time: how early experimentation matured into architectural precision. This wasn’t just a visit—it was a masterclass in applied bamboo design.

Phase One: Raw Experimentation and Early Lessons

Building 1 – The Original Bamboo U Kitchen

Interior of Dapur Naga, the original Bamboo U kitchen at Green School Bali, featuring a reciprocal bamboo tower and organic seating with sculpted earth forms — *The original Bamboo U kitchen, Dapur Naga, featuring a dramatic reciprocal bamboo tower and earth-sculpted seating — Green School’s first bamboo prototype.*

The journey began with bold intentions. The first structure—a dramatic reciprocal tower with a circular roof opening—was built as a prototype. It was expressive, ambitious, and untested. Within months, tropical realities set in: poor drainage, greying bamboo at exposed joints, and vulnerability to UV. The solution? A plexiglass crown to protect the central node—an early recognition of the balance between expression and endurance.

Even in my own practice, I’ve seen how small design omissions—like overlooking drainage or UV shielding—can compromise entire systems. Green School learned that lesson quickly.

Phase Two: Shaping Form, Testing Limits

Building 2 – Jörg’s Paraboloids

The second wave of design embraced organic geometry designed by Jörg Stamm, probably the world’s premier bamboo engineer and builder. Hyperbolic paraboloids gave these buildings their sculptural identity. But again, engineering caught up with form. Flat roof sections sagged. Roof layering—bamboo plank, asphalt, bitumen, then more bamboo—underperformed in tropical conditions. Ventilation and drainage were improved by doubling interior planking and switching from asphalt to bitumen.

This period saw increased precision. The team learned that leaving the silica on the bamboo dowels that connected bamboo splits makes the dowel much stronger — a seemingly minor detail, but one that significantly impacts tensile performance. It’s a key learning I’ve also found in my own furniture work: strength can be found by honoring the natural properties of bamboo, rather than over-processing it.

Building 3 – The Bamboo Millennium Bridge

Bamboo Millennium Bridge at Green School Bali spanning the Ayung River, designed with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof and concealed steel reinforcements — *The Millennium Bridge spans the Ayung River with hyperbolic bamboo arches and hidden steel reinforcements, blending traditional form with modern engineering.*

Spanning the Ayung River, the Millennium Bridge appears to float on traditional craftsmanship—but in truth, it’s a triumph of hybrid engineering. Hidden steel clamps secure most joints, while structural sleeves reinforce the arches. It’s a design that speaks to my own ethos: that excellence lies in marrying the poetic with the practical.

Phase Three: Refined Craftsmanship and the Ibuku Era

Building 4 – The Post-and-Beam Classrooms

Interior view of the three-level bamboo classroom at Green School Bali, showcasing sustainable bamboo architecture, post-and-beam construction, and eco-conscious furniture design — *Interior of the three-level bamboo classroom at Green School Bali, showcasing post-and-beam construction, sustainable joinery, and reclaimed materials.*

This was the turning point. With Ibuku at the design helm, the architecture moved toward refined craft. Paraboloids gave way to post-and-beam logic. Roofs were edged with lidi bundles—compressed clusters of bamboo strips—anchored to flexible rup rup poles carved with wedges for curvature. The elegance lies in the detail: every joinery method rooted in tradition, yet executed with an engineer’s eye.

Even the skylights, repurposed from car windshields, were clever—eco-conscious without compromising light quality.

These classrooms rest on river stones—a material choice I deeply respect. Unlike concrete, river stones breathe, allowing the structure to live with the land. Here, builders discovered the value of deep roof overhangs, learned hard lessons about water exposure near ground level, and perfected bamboo capping—a technique I often use in both architecture and custom furniture to prevent moisture ingress and splitting.

Building 5 – Nursery with Bent Beams and a Reciprocal Tower

Interior of the bamboo nursery at Green School Bali with a spiraling central column, radial roof structure, and natural children’s furniture — *The bamboo nursery classroom with bent beams and a radial roof system, designed for young learners in a naturally lit and breathable structure.*

This project introduced bent beams, softening geometry and opening new spatial expressions. Skylights used recycled polyurethane banners: not the prettiest, but highly functional. The key lesson here? Proximity to fabrication. With bamboo workshops on-site, design became iterative and responsive—something I advocate on all my builds.

Building 6 – Assembly Hall, Reinforced by Atelier One

Interior of the bamboo Assembly Hall at Green School Bali, showcasing vaulted arches, split bamboo layers, and organic roof structure reinforced by Atelier One — *The bamboo Assembly Hall, reinforced by Atelier One, with double split layers, added trusses, and a spacious vaulted ceiling for large gatherings.*

Here, London-based structural engineers Atelier One were brought in to fine-tune load paths and reinforce the frame. Split bamboo layers were doubled, trusses were added, and the result was a 20% structural gain. For me, this was the clearest evidence of how international expertise can elevate vernacular design into architectural excellence.

Building 7 – The Arc

Group photo of Bamboo U March 2025 students inside The Arc at Green School Bali, showcasing interlocking bamboo arches and gridshell roof design — *Students from the Bamboo U March 2025 course inside The Arc — Green School’s most iconic bamboo structure with interlocking arches and gridshell stability.*

The Arc is Green School’s most ambitious structure—and perhaps its most symbolic. Interlocking arches lean into each other, stabilized by a gridshell. It’s a masterpiece of form, balance, and rhythm. To design at this level with bamboo is rare; to build it successfully is rarer still. This structure alone challenges the idea that natural materials can’t achieve monumental scale or elegance.

Final Thoughts: A Living Laboratory of Bamboo Design

Green School Bali is more than a school—it’s a dynamic archive of bamboo architecture, where each building is a chapter in a living design manual. As a designer working with high-grade bamboo, I left with more than inspiration. I left with validation: that precision, detail, and an evolving respect for material intelligence are the true hallmarks of high-end bamboo architecture.

In a world chasing sustainability, this campus is already there—quietly leading the way.

Interested in learning about more high-end Bamboo buildings? See my review of Bambu Indah, Bali’s number one bamboo resort.