Star Bamboo Singapore

A recently completed project in Bishan was billed as the first DBSS housing project with eco-friendly bamboo flooring. Using bamboo flooring has helped the developer to achieve a Green Mark building Gold Plus certification. Although Star Bamboo was not involved with this project, we were cheered to see bamboo flooring used in a large scale residential project.

Unfortunately, since the residents moved in, we have been receiving a steady stream of queries. Many owners took issue with the quality of the bamboo flooring, and wanted us to help. Most of the calls are grouses about the bamboo flooring that have been installed in their bedrooms. There were complaints such as unsightly gaps between the planks, slight cupping and unevenness, and widely varying colours.

It was an unusual decision to do pre-finished installation for the bamboo flooring. After all, most local home owners do not use footwear at home, and would prefer the bamboo floor to be site-sanded, which would provide a smoother feel. In addition, the gaps between the micro-bevel edges in the prefinished flooring easily trap dirt, and can be unsightly unless one cleans the floor diligently. This problem was exacerbated by shoddy workmanship.

We had the opportunity to do some work for one of the apartments (photos available) and also observed that the natural colour tones of the bamboo varied very widely. This probably explains why colour staining was done on the bamboo flooring.

It was indeed a pity that the bamboo flooring for this project did not get the acclaim it deserved. Installing bamboo flooring requires expertise and care, which would be a challenge to execute for hundreds of units under tight and cost time pressure.

If you are a resident of this project and want us to help with your bamboo flooring, please contact us today.

See photos of completed projects on our Facebook page.

We’ll be the first to hold up our hands and admit that our bamboo flooring is not the cheapest in the market. There are more affordable options available, such as laminate flooring or ceramic tiles. However the old adage holds true: you do get what you pay for.

If you are looking for a high-quality, attractive long strip wooden flooring product that is also friendly to the environment, then frankly, you only have one choice. Bamboo flooring is the only candidate that ticks all the right boxes.

Unfortunately, some clients have told us that they reluctantly choose parquet or laminate flooring, purely out of budgetary constraints. That is why most of our projects are in the luxury residential or commercial sectors (companies usually have substantial construction budgets, so choosing bamboo flooring hardly impacts their costs).

But every once in a while, we are lucky to meet clients who are committed to the environmental cause and truly understand the principle behind Star Bamboo. They see and cherish the value that we deliver.

Here, we present a HDB project from the West of Singapore. Not only did they choose bamboo flooring, they even opted for the high-end water-based polyurethane site finish coating. Being eco-friendly also means providing a healthy environment for the family.

They visited our showroom time and again, to look and feel the bamboo samples on display. Faced with such sincerity, we just had to give them a fantastic price.

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Lots of natural light in the Play Zone.

The client has creatively restructured a 3-room HDB flat into a Play Zone and a Bed Room. With sunlight streaming across the floor in the Play Zone, this is the ideal place for the client to practise her yoga and relax after a hard day’s work. You can see the matt finish on the Natural Horizontal bamboo flooring.

The wardrobe is actually a wall.

Don’t be deceived by appearances, this wardrobe is actually a partition between the 2 rooms. If they ever decide to combine the rooms into one, it will be a relatively straight-forward task.

Taking a closer look at the bamboo flooring.

The Natural Horizontal bamboo flooring is the lighter of our range. The bamboo knot patterns are highly distinctive, and sure to leave a deep impression on your guests. This provides a nice constrast with our previous project, which used Carbonised Vertical instead.

This is the Bed room, with a wooden partition discreetly screening the washroom in the corner.

This is the Bed room, where the light colour of the Natural bamboo makes for a soothing atmosphere. It also helps to create an expansive feel, which is especially suited for smaller projects.

If you like what you see, just get in touch with us and we’ll try our best to make it happen for you!

Star Bamboo is proud to announce that we are recognised as part of the international non-profit organisation Global Eco-labelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Eco-labelling System (GENICES). As a staunch supporter of Singapore Environment Council’s Green Label scheme, our eco-friendly bamboo flooring is now listed as a Type I Voluntary Environmental Performance Labelling product.

Our eco-friendly bamboo flooring is now recognised all around the world.

From GEN’s web site, a Type I program is:

a voluntary, multiple-criteria based, third party program that awards a license that authorizes the use of environmental labels on products indicating overall environmental preferability of a product within a particular product category based on life cycle considerations.

All you need to understand is that when you get bamboo flooring from Star Bamboo, you get independent assurance that your actions will help the environment.

Simply look out for the Singapore Green Label logo below:

Star Bamboo is a proud member of the Singapore Green Label.

If your supplier claims to Green Label certified, you should verify their claims on the Singapore Green Label product directory (Star Bamboo is listed under “035-004″).

Below is the full text of the press release from Singapore Environment Council (SEC):

Singapore’s Green Label Gets A Global Boost

Singapore’s Green Label, which turns 20 in 2012, is certified by Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System(GENICES)

Singapore’s most recognised eco-label, the Green Label, which is administered by the Singapore Environment Council, today received a global boost when it was officially accredited by the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), an international non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance recognition, certification and labelling organisations.

2          The certificate of accreditation was awarded to SEC at the 2011 GEN Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the Global Ecolabelling Network in Yilan, Taiwan, yesterday afternoon, 27 October 2011.

3          This independent accreditation from a global authority on eco-labelling sets the Green Label apart as Singapore’s one and only Type 1 Eco-labelling scheme.

4          “Type 1” is an important distinction that identifies Singapore’s Green Label Scheme (SGLS) as an eco-certification scheme that considers multiple criteria, examines the overall life cycle of a product and which incorporates principles of life cycle thinking, and which is administered on a voluntary basis. This ensures that all aspects of the product have been analysed to ensure that the product is truly an environmentally preferable alternative to one that does not carry the Green Label Logo.

5          The peer-review process of the Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System (GENICES) accreditation process also lauds the appropriate and good practices of the SGLS, as verified by international auditors. The SEC is the only eco-labelling body in Singapore that is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network.

6          Receiving the accreditation certificate on behalf of the SEC was Executive Director Jose Raymond. He said, “We are very proud that Singapore’s Green Label has stood up to such stringent scrutiny from GEN. The SEC works hard to constantly develop new criteria for eligible products, and tighten up requirements for existing categories as well. By expanding our outreach to as many types of consumer products, construction materials, personal electronics and home appliances, as well as constantly improving the credibility and distinctiveness of the Green Label, we hope that the already familiar logo will become an instantly recognisable and trusted symbol of environmentally preferable products.”

7          The GENICES certification also sets a solid foundation for the Singapore Green Label Scheme to ramp up its drive to expand its scope, in terms of criteria development and regional outreach.

8          The GENICES certification helps SEC achieve multilateral, mutual trust with other GENICES members. This is a very important step, as it qualifies the SGLS to sign Mutual Recognition Agreements with other GENICES certified countries, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United States and many European countries. This makes it easier for SGLS  certified products to get certified in these countries. The achievement of multilateral mutual trust also enables SEC to cut costs for products certified by other GENICES members.

9          “We are happy to be able to offer more value-for-money to SGLS applicants, and hope that more manufacturers will avail themselves to this attractive opportunity for regional outreach by applying for the SGLS certification. For the Singaporean consumers, having as many products labelled under the SGLS will mean allowing them to make more environmentally preferable purchasing decisions across. For example, the very same construction manager who chooses Green Label-certified cements containing recycled content, and paints low in volatile organic compounds at the workplace can pick up a Green Label detergent, dishwashing soap or light bulbs on their way home,” added Mr Raymond.

10        As of 22 October 2011, 1,940 products are certified under the SGLS.

For more information about the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme, please visitwww.greenlabel.sg.

**END OF MEDIA RELEASE**

Hello, it’s been a while since we had some new photos. Here’s one of our favourite projects in the recent months, we hope that you will like it.

The owner of this Nathan Road apartment has a generous collection of solid wooden furniture. The colour and general air of solidity goes well with our carbonised bamboo flooring. There are many pieces of rose wood furniture, which one might think is too dark-hued for our bamboo flooring, but the overall effect is surprisingly harmonious. Together, they provides a warm and luxurious feeling.

Rose wood bed and study desk perched on Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring

The rose wood bed has been in the family for many years, and was handed down to the owner by her parents.

Modern and clean lines in another bedroom. The white walls make for a nice contrast with the Carbonised colour of the bamboo flooring.

Rooms have a touch of modern contemporary flair, yet the bamboo flooring goes well with the design. Whether your design theme is modern or classic, our bamboo flooring is timeless.

The designer opted for a matt coating on the bamboo flooring. As you can observe in the following photo, there is little glare in the bright afternoon sun, making it the default choice in tropical Singapore.

The matt coating not only reduces glares, but also takes the inevitable wear and tear excellently.

An open-concept bathtub in the bedroom is a tad cheeky. After an indulgent soak, one steps right onto the warm, welcoming bamboo flooring back to the bed.

There is always the curtain to shield one from curious neighbours.

We hope that you have enjoyed the photos presented above. If you would like to enjoy bamboo flooring in your home or office, contact us here.

Sorry to those who have tried calling us at our office number, our telephone line is down again. It’s the 3rd time in a year that the phone line was out of service. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Singtel patches this up quickly.

But don’t fret, you can still contact us easily.

We are overseas from 20 May to 3 June. Pardon our slower response during this period.

Hi everyone, time sure flies when projects are running. Before we know it, it’s already March in the new year (which isn’t quite so new any more).

We have completed more projects, it’s always a peak time for us before Chinese New Year. I’ve posted more photos up on our Facebook page, so do go check them out.

This project was completed recently for a client in the financial industry. Bamboo flooring is enjoying a current surge of popularity in the banking sector. Top reason is that bamboo flooring is eco-friendly, and companies are scrambling to broadcast that message to their clients.

Spend a little more on the flooring, and reap a high ROI on your marketing and branding. Now, that’s being financially savvy!

Here’s a little taster photo…

Now go check out the rest on our Facebook page (and click on “Like” while you’re at it!).

Hi all,

2010 is closing with a bang, the construction market is positively booming right now. We have been busy running concurrent projects, sorry we have been rather quiet here.

We have just uploaded more photos of a newly completed project onto our Facebook page. Something different from our usual bamboo flooring, hope you like what we’ve done – the owner certainly did!

This is just a small part of what we have done. Go check the rest out now!

p.s. Have you “liked” us on Facebook yet?

A Sentosa Cove project we completed last April was featured in the The New York Times recently. I recognised the photos immediately from the Today article which syndicated the NY Times piece.

This project was particularly technically challenging. The architect was Guz Wilkinson, who had a strong vision of the design and it was up to us to execute it.

(NYTCREDIT: Kevin Miller for The New York Times)

The two flights of staircases were custom constructed from bamboo. We fabricated the steps at a specialist workshop, using the same bamboo material as our bamboo flooring. An added difficulty was ensuring that the steps look good from all sides (There was some design touches at the bottom, which can’t be seen from these photos).

The side barricade was clear transparent glass, creating a clever illusion of floating bamboo steps. The bamboo pieces were wrapped around internal metal steps that provided the necessary structural strength. Lastly, we finished by sanding and varnishing the bamboo steps.

Here’s another view of the house:

(NYTCREDIT: Kevin Miller for The New York Times)

You can see the staircases and bridge walkway on the left.

We also installed bamboo flooring over both the top and bottom of the bridge walkway. We did site-sanding and coating for the top surface. The bottom surface had to be installed with pre-finished bamboo flooring as there was no way of sanding it.

I had my concerns about this bridge as it was partially exposed to the elements, only protected by a half-height glass barricade. But the bamboo flooring has held up surprisingly well over the past 1.5 years, even though the house was just a stone’s throw from the ocean.

We also installed bamboo flooring for couple of bedrooms on the ground floor. That is about as eco-friendly a flooring as one could get. The rest of the rooms were simply bare limestone and epoxy-covered concrete.

All in all, a highly satisfying project.

Next Monday (9 Aug) is Singapore’s 45th anniversary of independence.

So here’s wishing Singapore a wonderful birthday as our nation marches toward middle age.

Our office will be closed from Friday (6 Aug) till Monday (9 Aug), and reopen on Tuesday (10 Aug). You can still contact us via email: info [at] starbamboo [dot] com.

Happy birthday, Singapore!