Let’s Build Together and Grow Together.
Our Bamboo Workshop Awaits You!

Expand your bamboo building skills, contribute to the Coliazul Cultural Center and leave a lasting impact on the environment and community.

📅 When: February 3 – 8 2025

📍 Where: San Salvador de Baru, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica

🛠️ Learn Essential Building Techniques: Gain hands-on experience with bamboo, an affordable and versatile construction material – the steel of the future!

🌱 Cultural Hub Creation: Contribute to the development of the Coliazul Cultural Center, a space for connection and education in deep relation with nature, and cultural exchange and enrichment.

🌍 Sustainable Construction Knowledge: Explore eco-friendly building methods that benefit both people and the planet

💡 Lifelong Learning Venue: Be part of a project that fosters ongoing education and creativity for future generations.

🌟 Purpose-Driven Contribution: Leave your mark by participating in a real-world project with lasting community impact.

Learn the most important basics to build your own house out of bamboo. With the right knowledge, this fast-growing material can be transformed into a long-lasting and sustainable building material. Bamboo is an ingenious natural building material that combines the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile strength of steel and also has a high flexural strength. In contrast to these conventional building materials, bamboo has a major advantage: It does not contaminate the environment during the manufacturing process, but instead it nurtures the soil and increases its biomass.

Bamboo – The new sustainability in house construction: the steel of the future.

In this course you will learn how to plant, harvest, treat and dry bamboo correctly, plus acquire knowledge about design, lashing, joining, angle cutting, making bamboo nails and much more.
Furthermore you will learn what a valuable and fast-growing grass bamboo is, sustainable and unique.

This workshop is part of a real project

We, the Coliazul community and Diamante Luz, host this course in collaboration with Rodo Sáenz to build the Coliazul Cultural Center as the heart of our village.
The design of the cultural center is created by the German holistic architect Reinhard Coppenrath (reinhard-coppenrath-architecture.com).
In this workshop, the first building of the community center will be built!

About the facilitator

Rodolfo Sáenz is a natural building master from Costa Rica who has been studying and teaching bamboo construction in Europe and Costa Rica for over 40 years. He is known for his expertise in bamboo and clay construction and has taught workshops and courses on the subject. 

Rodo is the founder of Bamboo School Costa Rica (bambooschoolcostarica.com), an organization dedicated to teaching people how to build sustainable and durable structures using bamboo and other natural materials. The school offers a variety of workshops and courses, including a natural building apprenticeship program with bamboo and clay.

He is known for his ability to work with bamboo. He has developed innovative techniques for working with this sustainable and durable material. He has also designed specialized tools for working with bamboo, such as handmade knives, saws, hatchets and chisel.

Rodo is renowned for his innovative methods and the development of specialized tools tailored for bamboo craftsmanship, such as handmade knives, saws, hatchets, and chisels. His expertise has been showcased in various platforms, including a feature on Regeneration Nation Costa Rica, where he shared insights into his handmade tools and building techniques.

Information about the workshop:

🎟 This course is limited to 15 participants, so reserve your spot!

📍 Finca Diamante Luz (Map Link)

Price: $1,200 or $900 (Ticos)

Includes teaching, accommodation, 3 meals daily, tea and coffee

What to Expect:

  • A six-day, immersive experience where you’ll learn everything from basic bamboo preparation to advanced construction techniques.
  • Work alongside Master Rodo Sáenz, an expert with decades of experience in sustainable bamboo building.
  • Collaborate with a passionate group of participants to construct meaningful additions to the Coliazul Cultural Center.
  • Discover how bamboo can transform construction practices while enhancing ecological harmony.

Topics covered

  • recognize which bamboo is ready to harvest
  • harvest and treat bamboo
  • split bamboo
  • produce bamboo nails
  • make joints and connections
  • make lashings
  • drill holes in the bamboo
  • cut angles

Your Hosts

This Workshop is brought to you with the collaboration of Coliazul, Bamboo School Costa Rica and Diamante Luz.

Previous Creations by Rodo

Be Part of Something Bigger!

Join the Workshop and Help Build a Sustainable Cultural Hub. This is an opportunity to learn, grow, and leave a lasting impact on our community

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