In the Philippines bamboo is seen as a poor man’s timber and not considered a serious construction material—but not in Tao. We use the strong and versatile grass to build all our basecamp structures, from our signature sleeping huts to our playful lounges.
The tuka is our signature bamboo beach hut. It is the design invented by Tao engineer Gener Paduga. The bamboo is bent under tension into the shape of an upturned boat. It has a beak shape at each end that protrudes out and shelters the inside. TUKA means beak in Tagalog. It has a good airflow but is protected from the rain, making it the perfect design to experience camping out on the beach.
The Tuka design is incredibly strong. The tension of the bamboo tied with nylon can withstand the strong winds from typhoons. However the structure is also light so the huts can be moved by 20 person, repositioning them depending on the season and the direction of the winds.
We have over 150 tuka huts spread out on our basecamps in a 200 km route, we build 4 tuka schools in the remote island villages, we use the design in homes and new modern buildings.
The Tuka DNA is now spreading through Palawan and Philippines- used by developers to build resorts, restaurants and private homes. We would like to share this technology, but be reminded of its origin: Tuka design is created out of the experience of the destruction from super typhoon Yolanda, we adapted the bangka building technology of local fishermen using only strong bayog and nylon.
