Elora Hardy: It’s not going to look the way people imagine because it hasn’t been imagined yet
Today, we’re talking about the future - about creating a world we haven’t yet seen and a future that hasn’t yet been imagined. We’re talking about outside the box thinking, dreaming, playing, experimenting. I'm talking AI, living on Mars, the Elon Musks, the Will. I. Ams, my guest earlier this season, Beatie Wolfe who uses technology to push what’s possible in our musical experiences (she sent her music to space, and has contributed to pioneering Dementia research). At times they may seem eccentric to us but actually there’s something they’ve tapped into that we haven’t understood yet - what’s that phrase, ‘it seems impossible until it’s done’.
And in the realm of sustainability and renewable materials in architecture and design there’s my guest today, Elora Hardy who is pushing the realms of possibility with bamboo.
I first learnt about Elora Hardy and the work she does with design and architecture firm she founded Ibuku on Apple TV series Home - these breathtaking, otherworldly cities made entirely out of bamboo.
Born in Toronto, Canada but grew up in Bali, Elora has a background in Fine Art and used to work for fashion designer Donna Karen. We talk about how not having any formal architectural training actually helped Elora to work outside the traditional confines of architecture, yet with a respect for craft, study and skill and how this helped to push the envelope of what’s possible in architectural design.
We talk about the qualities of bamboo, bamboo as a new form of renewable material and replacement for fossil fuels. We talk about the process that goes in to designing these other worldly structures in the lush Balinese landscape, about serving materials and the surrounding environment rather than using these materials to serve us. We talk about shelter and space and our interconnectedness with nature and each other. We also talk about her 5 year old son’s love of loud instrumental rock music!
Guest: Elora Hardy
Title: ‘It’s not going to look the way people imagine because it hasn’t been imagined yet’
Artists on playlist: Led Zeppelin, Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Steve Vai
Ibuku Bali: Website & IG: @ibukubali
BambooU: Website & IG: @bambooubali
Green School Bali: Website & IG: @greenschoolbali