Stronger than steel compared to its weight, bamboo is one of the most sustainable and fastest-growing materials available. Sensitive to the environmental impact of building temporary structures on the Playa, Heartburst advances environmental responsibility while demonstrating the possibility of creating stunning spatial experiences without causing harm to the planet. Understanding that the building industry must become more sustainable, the team saw Heartburst as an opportunity to explore the material’s potential first-hand, and bring more awareness to its role in a more sustainable built environment.

Working with a leader in socially conscious, sustainable bamboo applications from Malaysia, the team verified the environmental impact of the structure. Using even the most conservative calculations, inclusive of the entire shipment of the bamboo from Malaysia to Los Angeles, the structure’s carbon sink is still negative -7.5 metric tons of CO2 footprint. This is equivalent to a US household carbon footprint for a year, making this sculpture beyond net zero construction and into a “net-negative” build.

Constructed from approximately 884 bamboo poles, the structure contained roughly 1570 individual connection points using a combination of bolts, wire lashings, and helical earth anchors (drilled in place by hand). Prior to build week, the team constructed 70 components including 58 prefabricated panels before moving to the playa for final completion. The full structure was then erected over the entire build week (6-7 days) on the playa.