Bamboo Tents on the National Mall
![Click to view slideshow Click to view slideshow](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/img_4117.jpg)
![Bamboo trees, photo by and courtesy of Ivonne Valencia Bamboo trees, photo by and courtesy of Ivonne Valencia](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/img_4205.jpg)
![Architects looking at cut bamboo. Architects looking at cut bamboo.](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/img_4117.jpg)
![Warehouse of drying bamboo, photo by and courtesy of Ivonne Valencia Warehouse of drying bamboo, photo by and courtesy of Ivonne Valencia](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/img_4131.jpg)
![Architect at the drawing board. Architect at the drawing board.](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/dsc00264.jpg)
![Cutting bamboo, photo by and courtesy of Francisco Quiñónez Cutting bamboo, photo by and courtesy of Francisco Quiñónez](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/dsc00317.jpg)
![Bamboo frame Bamboo frame](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/dsc00383.jpg)
![Pulling white canvas over bamboo frame, photo by and courtesy of Francisco Quiñónez Pulling white canvas over bamboo frame, photo by and courtesy of Francisco Quiñónez](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/dsc00392.jpg)
![Adult under finished guadua tent, photo by and courtesy of Simon Hosie Adult under finished guadua tent, photo by and courtesy of Simon Hosie](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/hojamanta-3-color.jpg)
![Children under finished guadua tent. Children under finished guadua tent.](/images/galleries/2011/2011-guadua/hoja-blanco-negro.jpg)
Colombian architects and builders for the Colombia Program will travel to Washington, D.C. for the Festival. Right now, they are harvesting and warehousing bamboo, and assembling a prototype of bamboo (guadua) tents.
Our Colombian partners sent this photo essay of the different stages of the building process.
For many generations, Colombians in the coffee-growing region have creatively used guadua for constructing homes, churches, bridges, and aqueducts. Guadua is native to the Andean forest and is ideal material for constructing earthquake-resistant structures. This is the first time that bamboo tents will be assembled on the Mall.
Come to the Festival to see these innovative tents!
Van Luong is the festival blogger for the 2011 Folklife Festival.