From Our Founders

What started out as a passion for sustainability quickly evolved into us opening a permaculture farm called - The Kul Kul Farm, next door to the Green School in Bali, Indonesia.

We ran courses and workshops on growing organic vegetables, making compost, herbal medicine, natural dyes and, eventually, with an encouraging nudge from Orin’s dad, John, bamboo!

We knew there was a growing interest in bamboo architecture but, perhaps, because we were sitting too close to it- we didn’t quite realize that a bamboo movement had begun, and we were at the center of it! 

After we opened our farm, doors to our first cohort of bamboo enthusiasts, we realised that in order to have the greatest impact, we needed to make use of the breakthroughs being made in sustainable architecture and design in our own backyard. The world was ready and hungry for the knowledge, skill and inspiration to design homes and spaces connected to nature. With the single most sustainable building material in the world: bamboo! 

In collaboration with IBUKU, we created Bamboo U; an education enterprise to share the knowledge that has been built over the past decade in bamboo construction, sustainable design and eco- architecture. 

Fast-forward, 1,200 students, 30 unique bamboo structures, and a pandemic later, we are now operating online and have launched two offerings that are available from anywhere in the world: The Fundamentals of Building with Bamboo and Bamboo Treatment Course. And hosting in-person, hands-on bamboo building courses.

Bamboo U is more than just about bamboo for us, it's about bringing people together to work with their hands and do something positive for our planet. We believe that we have the responsibility to share what we’ve created here, to inspire and to show you that you can do it too! 

Orin & Maria Hardy

From Our Founders

What started out as a passion for sustainability quickly evolved into us opening a permaculture farm called - The Kul Kul Farm, next door to the Green School in Bali, Indonesia.

We ran courses and workshops on growing organic vegetables, making compost, herbal medicine, natural dyes and eventually, with an encouraging nudge from Orin’s dad, John, bamboo!

We knew there was a growing interest in bamboo architecture but, perhaps, because we were sitting too close to it- we didn’t quite realize that a bamboo movement had begun, and we were at the center of it! 

After we opened our farm, doors to our first cohort of bamboo enthusiasts, we realized that in order to have the greatest impact, we needed to make use of the breakthroughs being made in sustainable architecture and design in our own backyard. The world was ready and hungry for the knowledge, skill and inspiration to design homes and spaces connected to nature. With the single most sustainable building material in the world: bamboo! 

In collaboration with IBUKU, we created Bamboo U; an education enterprise to share the knowledge that has been built over the past decade in bamboo construction, sustainable design and eco- architecture. 

Fast-forward, 1,200 students, 30 unique bamboo structures, and a pandemic later, we are now operating online and have launched two offerings that are available from anywhere in the world: The Fundamentals of Building with Bamboo and Bamboo Treatment Course. And hosting in-person, hands-on bamboo building courses.

Bamboo U is more than just about bamboo for us, it's about bringing people together to work with their hands and do something positive for our planet. We believe that we have the responsibility to share what we’ve created here, to inspire and to show you that you can do it too! 

– Orin & Maria Hardy

Where It All Began

In the 1980s, Linda Garland and the Environmental Bamboo Foundation pioneered the bamboo movement by innovating safe treatment solutions that transformed bamboo from a grass into a durable product. Linda’s vision inspired John Hardy to encourage a greater interest in bamboo. He soon came to regard this giant wild grass as the future of sustainable building. In 2007, together with his wife Cynthia Hardy, John, gathered a team to design and build the Green School in Bali.

In 2010, Elora Hardy, John’s daughter, returned to Bali to continue the evolution of bamboo design under the name IBUKU. Together she and her team of talented Indonesian designers and architects have built over 100 unique bamboo structures in Bali and abroad. Today, we are honored to be able to share the innovations and breakthroughs made over the last decade in sustainable architecture and bamboo construction with the world via Bamboo U.