Cultivating the power of sustainable materials, Elora Hardy leads Ibuku, creating bespoke bamboo homes in her native Bali.
Why you should listen
Growing up in Bali with two artist parents, Elora Hardy’s creativity led her to design prints for one of New York's biggest fashion houses. Then, in a dramatic shift, she moved back home and founded Ibuku, a team that builds bespoke homes made and furnished almost entirely of bamboo.
The strength of this abundant local grass allows for towering, curvilinear structures with a notable sense of luminosity and comfort. Ibuku builds on a design process and an engineering system that were first established at the nearby Green School. Five years ago, Elora and her team chose one humble material, and with it they are building a whole new world.
What others say
Her key realization was that with the right nurturing, Asia's creative minds, skilled hands, growing global perspective and unique natural materials will provide the force for positive change in our global future.
Elora Hardy’s TED Talk
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Arts + Design
Gallery: These buildings are made of … bamboo?
June 9, 2015
Plunge into the deep Balinese jungle and you might suddenly find a bamboo building soaring above you. Made from a frankly unlikely building material, the ethereal structures are the brainchildren of designer Elora Hardy and her team. Take a look.
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Creative ignition: A recap of Session 7 of TED2015
March 18, 2015
Bill T. Jones performs a collaborative improv with music from cellist Joshua Roman and vocalist Somi, at TED2015: Truth and Dare, Session 7. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED Where does creativity come from? In Session 7 of TED2015, we explore its bounds in design, art, dance, music, data visualizations and urban planning. Stay beginners. “As humans, we get used […]
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