Bamboo Project

The social responsibility Project “Responsible and sustainable tourism improvement of Los Horcones Logde services in the area of Túcume - Bosque seco/ Lambayeque “is the result of a joint venture between the private entity and the Academy to promote tourism and work with the local community.  Los Horcones de Túcume (LHT) Lodge and Axis Arte PUCP a research group of the Art Faculty of Pontifical Catholic University of Peru organized the Project which won "Innovate Peru – FIDECOM 2010"  funds (Research and development Funds for the competitivity )

Within this project, the workshop “Designing and Manufacturing sustainable objects in bamboo was developed as part of its entrepreneurships to work with the local community in order to provide introductory education and training in the design and manufacturing of optimal quality utilitarian bamboo products to supply required goods to the lodge, for their commercialization through LHT lodge and the craftsmanship development in Túcume area.

At the end of the workshop is expected enough knowledge in the handling and transformation of bamboo into good quality objects by the participants whom will have the capacity to experiment and create new products and future commercial relations with the LHT Lodge and their own business initiatives to improve the local producer’s life quality.

This workshop organization, products design and training was in charge of Peruvian designers Dr. Adriana Chang (Industrial designer and PhD in Sustainable design and research in bamboo techniques - Japan) and Claudia Lam (Sculptor & Designer – Specialist in craftsmanship and training) and the initial support of Leyla Menchola (Industrial Designer).

Bamboo is a material which grows naturally in Túcume rural area, used for wind break , natural fences and in minor constructions (ramadas) by the local farmers. In spite of the existence of the material in the area it has not been recognized by the locals as a material with lots of potential and possibilities.

This workshop was addressed to train local craftsmen who had never used bamboo before or had little knowledge on the possibilities and scope of bamboo for products, who were trained in the transformation of the material (dry and green), treatments,  use of machinery and tools traditional and semi-industrial manufacturing techniques, as well as finishing ones.

The workshop took place at the beginning on September 2012 (1 session), October 2012 (2 sessions) and on January 2013 (intensive – full time during the whole month) in Los Horcones de Túcume Lodge – Lambayeque – Peru.