Apprenticeship Tiba Rose (2013)

I have been fortunate enough to have been an apprentice at TIBÁ Rose. I have worked with various techniques there, such as green roofs, bamboo constructions, earth building and plasto-cement. The reason that I went to TIBÁ together with Max Verhoeven was to prepare for the Bambu Social project. We worked with them on maintenance and expansion of TIBÁ. We first came across TIBÁ by ‘The Barefoot Architect’, a book of the founder, Johan van Lengen, now in his eigthies. At TIBÁ we worked with various techniques such as green roofs, bamboo constructions, earth building, plasto-cement and more.

TIBÁ is a place of encounter, created in 1987 by Rose and Johan van Lengen to impart a deeper awareness of how we perceive our environment.  The main Mission of TIBÁ is the development, transference and application of low-cost technology and of low environmental impact, being accessible to many people as possible.These techniques allow the training of people and communities for the creation or transformation of the places they live. This way they become an integral part of the building, of a healthy social network, being always:

Ecologically Correct, that is using mainly local materials with a low impact on the environment and promoting a responsible and moderate use of local resources and avoiding negative impact on the nature.

Economically Sound, in the sense of being available to all – whatever their economic status and even while being outside the usual market approach – and that will create opportunities for the proper functioning of the communities own economic relations.

Culturally Wealthy, from the moment they rescue and reinvent knowledge and techniques accumulated over the ages, but even more so to avoid purely mechanical goings-on. In this way it raises the creative thinking of those that interact with them.

Socially Right, permitting that the persons and communities get away from their role of mere consumers, making them capable again to participate as much as possible in the building of their existence and the places they live in.

The reason for going to TIBÁ was to prepare for the Bambu Social project. We worked with them on maintenance and expansion of TIBÁ. We first came across TIBÁ by ‘The Barefoot Architect’, a book of the founder, Johan van Lengen, now in his eigthies. At TIBÁ we worked with various techniques such as green roofs, bamboo constructions, earth building, plasto-cement and more. Techniques we still use and adapt.  For more check out TIBÁ.