Off the
beaten track

After civil service Jörg decided to learn traditional craft under a master instead of going straight to architecture school.

While doing an internship at a biological research center in Madagascar he participated in the discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur. There was the first time he got exposed to the giant bamboos within the forest.
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Later he retook his vocation for carpentry and structures but with a strong focus on fighting against the import of tropical timber.

What follows is a timeline with milestones out of Jörg's life.

1976

The first bridge

Every year after winter flooding Jörg played at the river behind the house in Drolshagen, Germany. His father had a construction company, the neighbours had a carpentry business. This meant wood and nails for free. Add to that lots of energy after a long winter enclosure and the first bridge was a fact.

1986 - 1989

Journeyman

After civil service Jörg decided to learn traditional craft under a master instead of going straight to architecture school. Over the years he got a bit distracted by an internship at a biological research in Madagascar where he participated in the discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur.

1994

Love struck

Jörg met his wife in Colombia and based himself there. As a carpenter in the tropics he had to look for alternatives for not wanting to work with tropical timber. That is where he discovered the real potential of bamboo as a timber substitute.

1995

Bamboo to the rescue

After a huge earthquake and landslides that wiped out local infrastructure like roads, bridges and villages, Jörg offered his help. Using local bamboo poles for the reconstruction he build urgently needed bridges. Schools, community centers and social housing followed.

critical shift towards bamboo

2000

University seminar

The University of Pereira, Colombia, cooperating with the GTZ called for a bamboo bridge building seminar under his leadership in order to spread the acquired knowledge on bamboo construction. A 40m free-span bridge was build and is in service on the university until today

2004

Crucial meeting

After working at the tsunami reconstruction effort in Sumatra, Indonesia, Jörg met Linda Garland and John Hardy in Bali. These encounters triggered a whole new bamboo development in Indonesia, as local Balinese style was cross pollinated with South-American style.

2007

Three mountains

Being a successful silver smith in Bali, John Hardy needed a factory building. The building material would have to be only natural fibers and he wanted natural airflow. Inspired by the three volcanoes visible over Bali's tropical landscape, a giant bamboo tent was the solution.

2008 - 2010

Green school

John Hardy proposed to build a new type of ecological school with strong emphasis on personality development. Together with his designer Aldo Landwehr, Jörg used parabolic arches for the Sibang bridge and Spiral towers for Heart of School.

2015

For the Apes

Conservation efforts of Rainforest and its Inhabitants is the final goal. Bamboo lowers the pressure on tropical timber and symbolizes that love for Nature. The Swiss organization PANECO and its Counterpart YEL, are saving the last Orang Utans in Sumatra. Jörg offered his help in building some of their infrastructure.

2017

Haven bridge

Together with the Architect Lukas Zollinger he developed a Bamboo Ecolodge Hotel at Leuser National Park and the Bamboo Bridge at Orang Utan Haven near lake Toba in Medan. Both would stand tall as symbols of sustainability and love for nature.

Off thebeaten track