Skip to main content

Bamboo Sports Hall Isn’t the Gym You Played Dodgeball In

Not just another brick in the wall, a new Bamboo Sports Hall made for Panyaden International School in Thailand uses solely prefabricated bamboo rods to form the exoskeleton of this commonplace gymnasium. Yes, only bamboo.

The Bamboo Sports Hall is reminiscent more of a great natural temple or meditation space as opposed to a phys ed building where you might find scrawny kids hiding from dodge balls (this Hall fits around 300 students). Its architects, Chiangmai Life Construction, are experts in bamboo design and have eschewed the idea of using any steel reinforcements to make the intricate weaving and busheling of bamboo more secure. Chiangmai Life already expects the building to last at least half a decade, with attention to the unique storms or ecological forces that might sweep through the area (anything from high winds to earthquakes).

Related Videos

Inside, where fresh air can roll through the open-wall design, is a long court bordered and roofed with huge bamboo arches. The court can be used for a variety of games such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, and a form of football. At the sides are storied balconies for spectators to watch, and beyond the end of each main side of the court (think of where the baskets would be on a basketball court) are dizzying waves of bamboo that summon the motion of a vintage roller coaster.

Panyaden International School Sports Hall Bamboo Architecture

This shape is a side effect of the roof design; a 55+foot, three-tiered dome inspired by the shape of a lotus flower. Meanwhile, the unique formation and busheling of bamboo in certain areas creates a natural insulation and ventilation system, since after all, one of the goals of Chiangmai Life in building the Bamboo Sports Hall was to keep things hyper-natural.

This eco-minded design keeps with the ethos of Panyaden International School, which educates pre- and primary-school children with a curriculum that incorporates Buddhist values and green practices. By using only green architecture, Panyaden is both fostering an environment that is “peaceful and close to nature,” while demonstrating how to “live an environmentally mindful life with a low carbon footprint,” it’s official website reads.

That means no water-wasting showers where you might find yourself with a towel whipping after gym.

Bamboo Sports Hall is unlike any school gym on the planet. It provokes a sense of ease and calm, being both an insular, man-made structure and a remnant of nature.

Let’s just say if our school gym looked this way growing up, we wouldn’t have ditched as much… and maybe even gone to dodgeball with a Zen meditation in mind to make it sting a little less. Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.

Editors' Recommendations

MLB teams are already finding ways to cheat new rules
The MLB has changed the rules this season. But that hasn't stopped crafty teams from working around them.
world series MLB 2017

Major League Baseball has shaken up the rules this season and people are noticing. Some of the new regulations have resulted in hilarious circumstances, while others are already being ducked and cheated around. There's even been a new pitch clock rule put into place, inspired perhaps by the NBA shot clock and intended to speed up what can be, at times, a very slow professional sport.

There's more, like a pickoff rule aimed to keep pitchers from stalling and trying to throw baserunners out too often. There's also a rule that changes the way infielders can line up, reportedly as a result of long single percentages by batters over recent seasons. But let's get to the juicy stuff: How are teams cheating the new rules?

Read more
The best anime series on Netflix to watch right now
From Carole & Tuesday to Cowboy Bebop, these are the best anime on Netflix now that you should add to your watchlist
One Punch Man

Japanese anime and the many Western series that were influenced by it continue to get more and more popular. As they do, every streaming site is eager to lockdown plenty of exclusive anime titles that will draw fans of the format to their services. Netflix has long had a stockpile of great action movies, but it turns out that the streamer also has a pretty excellent library of anime series as well. The best anime on Netflix draw from a wide array of influences, but should give every fan of the form something to chew on.

While there are plenty of great action series on this list, anime is home to a wide array of different kinds of stories, and all of those stories are represented in one form or another on this list. Netflix is even moving into adapting some of these anime into live-action, although opinions are mixed on whether that strategy is going to work out. Whatever you think about that venture, though, this list is full of titles that are sure to make every anime fan happy.

Read more
France vs Wales live stream: Watch the Six Nations for free
how to watch france vs wales rugby live stream online six nations logo

The 2023 Six Nations Championship is coming to a close. France won the 2022 competition, but Wales will get their chance in today's game. They'll have to make it a comeback story though, as France beat them 13-9 last year. There are several ways you can watch the France vs. Wales live stream today, when the action starts in the Stade de France in Paris at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Free France vs Wales live stream
The France vs. Wales match will be live streamed on Peacock and broadcast on CNBC. That gives you several different options for how to watch the game. If you're a little resourceful, you can even get it for free. Your first option is a Peacock TV subscription, which will cost you $5 per month. There is no Peacock TV free trial, so this option will cost you something. Peacock TV gives you access to over 50 live TV channels, sporting events and a huge backlog of on-demand content. This is the cheapest paid option.

But there are a few ways to get the France vs. Wales game for free! Since the game is also on CNBC, you can subscribe to one of the best sports streaming services using a free trial and get all of this weekend's games for free. We recommend FuboTV, since you can get a week-long free trial. After your free trial ends, you'll probably still be in love with the service, since it has 150 channels for only $75 per month. It will completely replace your cable box.

Read more