BaleBio with German Design Award logo 2026 ©Bas Princen
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BaleBio: A Milestone for Bamboo
Date
6/2/2026
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BaleBio, Denpasar
Recognised with multiple international awards, the BaleBio Pavilion marks a milestone in regenerative building. Rising above Denpasar’s Mertasari Beach, the 84-square-metre structure unites material innovation, craftsmanship, and community. Developed as part of the ReBuilt project and together with Bamboo Village Trust and Kota Kita, the 84-square-metre structure unites material innovation, craftsmanship, and community. Small in scale yet bold in vision, BaleBio challenges the extractive model of the island’s “concrete creators”.
BaleBio on Mertasari Beach, Denpasar ©Iwan Sastrawan
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Images 1,2,3 ©Iwan Sastrawan , image 4 ©Muhammad Zianurrahman
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BaleBio close-up ©BasPrincen
Transforming bamboo
A sweeping barrel-vaulted roof of slender bamboo rafters, clad in pelupuh (flattened bamboo), rises 8.5 metres to form a striking canopy that provides shade, natural ventilation, and passive cooling. It is carried by a structure that embodies the building’s core innovation: transforming bamboo from a traditional round-pole material into a contemporary, high-performance engineered product.
The main frame uses locally sourced petung bamboo, compressed and resin-laminated to achieve the strength and versatility of steel or timber while retaining its renewability. All components are grown, processed, and assembled in Indonesia, establishing a regenerative regional supply chain. Construction combines traditional joinery with precision-engineered connections. Reclaimed volcanic rock, lime plaster, and repurposed clay roof tiles add thermal mass, and further reduce embodied carbon.
Saving carbon
A comprehensive value chain analysis assessed the circular potential and scalability of every material. Meanwhile, a rigorous Life Cycle Assessment confirmed BaleBio to be verifiably carbon-negative from Cradle to Construction (Stage A). It achieves a 110% reduction in embodied carbon compared with a conventional build, both avoiding more than 53 tonnes of CO₂ emissions (equivalent to planting over 2,400 trees) and actively absorbing carbon through its nature-based materials.
Beyond its environmental impact, BaleBio has transformed a once-neglected site previously earmarked for a car park into a vibrant public anchor. Since its completion in early 2025, it has become a popular meeting place, classroom, and stage for community events.
Awards
For its material, social, and architectural innovation, BaleBio received three major international awards: in the Circular Design and Fair and Exhibition categories, the Australian Good Design Award for Social Impact 2025, and a commendation from the Built by Nature Prize 2025 and Gold in Excellent Architecture at the German Design Award 2026.
Concept: Bauhaus Earth
Project Partners of ReBuilt: Bamboo Village Trust, Kota Kita
Design: Cave Urban
Structural Engineering: Atelier One
Project Management: Bamboo Village Trust
Community Engagement: Kota Kita, Warmadewa University
LCA Analysis: Eco Mantra
Manufacturing: Indobamboo (Laminate Bamboo), KalTimber, Bhoomi, Bamboo Pure, Wedoo, Rothoblaas
Funder: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
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