Designing and Building with Bamboo

An InnovationWorks Offering

Join Gerard Minakawa of Bamboo DNA for this InnovationWorks Intensive. Minakawa will share his inspiration for creating innovative spaces and a practical livelihood from the world’s most gigantic grass: Bamboo! From its origin as a humble, edible shoot to a towering ten-story height with a tensile strength greater than steel, this workshop will make you take a more detailed look at why this particular plant is so important to our lives. But this isn’t just about looks; be ready to work! We will apply our newfound knowledge by building a structure that the Lucidity participants will appreciate and enjoy throughout the festival.

  • Learn from a world class leader in bamboo design and architecture
  • Take designs from concept to reality
  • Discover the joys and benefits of bamboo as a building material
  • Co-create as part of a collaborative team
  • Build an art installation to be enjoyed by festival participants
  • Gain skills useful in the fields of event production and big art installation
This hands-on course will have you applying the techniques you learn immediately by building a beautiful bamboo structure with a team.

Concepts into Reality

The creative process for any innovation or piece of artwork begins in the conceptual realm. Sketches, reference images, models, prototypes are all part of the exploratory stages of innovation before actually creating. In this course you will participate in bringing a concept for a bamboo structure into being.

Gain Hands-On Building Experience

Once concepts are solidified into designs, then the building can begin. You will have the opportunity to get your hands dirty, building a beautiful bamboo structure that will be utilized by the festival throughout the weekend.

Be a part of a Legacy

Bamboo DNA has created mind-blowing structures at Burning Man, Boom Festival, Lightning in a Bottle, Coachella, and a long list of other popular festivals. They are also responsible for a number of your favorite Lucidity Festival’s music stages. By learning the skills offered in this course you may find a world of opportunity opens up to participate in more work with Gerard and his prolific group of Boo Slingers.

Meet the Instructor(s) For the Week

  • Gerard Minokawa

    Gerard Minakawa

    Gerard Minakawa was born in New York City to Argentinian and Bolivian-Japanese immigrants and studied industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design. He worked for several design studios on both coasts as a product designer, started his own bamboo furniture company and later relocated entirely to Bolivia, where he spent 3 years developing a sustainable handicraft economy with indigenous artisans in partnership with Aid to Artisans, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Minakawa is the artist and founder behind Bamboo DNA, a design/build company specializing in the creation and installation of architectural spaces inspired by the world’s most gigantic grass: Bamboo! Minakawa was named one of the Top 20 Innovative U.S. designers by I.D. Magazine and has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of California. His works have been featured in numerous international books and publications including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Metropolis and the New York Times.