UWE Bristol architecture students return from ‘once in a lifetime’ bamboo pavilion build in Ethiopia

A group of architecture students from UWE Bristol travelled nearly 4000 miles to Ethiopia where they designed and constructed a large-scale bamboo pavilion in a park close to the capital city, earning praise from the Ethiopian Prime Minister.

Four students on the Master of Architecture course were given the opportunity to create the pavilion structure in Entoto Natural Park, north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, through UWE Bristol’s global partnership with Zoma Museum, a contemporary art space which is located inside the park. The students were invited by Meskerem Assegued, the founder of Zoma Museum, and world-renowned Ethiopian visual artist and sculptor, Elias Sime.

Josiah Searle, Mandy Lim, Austin Danabal and Wei Hong Tei from UWE Bristol worked collaboratively with six fellow architecture students from Addis Ababa University and three skilled local craftspeople to design and build the unique pavilion which is open for the public to enjoy.

The group were tasked with creating a sustainable design crafted primarily from bamboo, one of Ethiopia’s biggest exports but a material which isn’t typically utilised for building in the country itself. To do so, they had to quickly learn how to design and build with a material they weren’t familiar with, with the Ethiopian students and expert bamboo craftspeople bringing invaluable local knowledge about bamboo’s properties and construction practices throughout.

Traditional Ethiopian building methods were adopted, including the use of ropes to aesthetically cover joints in the wood, tied without bonding or glue.

Mandy, one of the students who took part in the project, 25 from Malaysia, said: “This is the first time one of my designs has been built, so the whole project has given me great hands-on experience and understanding in what it takes to turn a design into reality. We faced many challenges during the build, without heavy machinery to lift the huge beams of bamboo or any of the technology we’d normally use to adapt our designs quickly, relying on hand drawn and hand measured designs instead. But these challenges only added to what I learnt from the project.

“This really was a once in a lifetime opportunity so thank you to UWE Bristol for making it happen.”

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the First Lady Zinash Tayachew visited the pavilion following the 18-day build and have shown interest in the collaboration and relocating the pavilion to another park in the country after its initial exhibition at Entoto Natural Park to showcase it wider.

UWE Bristol’s global partnerships offer students impactful international educational experiences during their studies, which aim to enrich their learning and provide opportunities to experience different cultures and perspectives.

Mian Ng, global partnerships lead at UWE Bristol said: “Seeing the pavilion blend seamlessly with its surroundings was profoundly moving. It represents more than architecture—it symbolises the power of collaboration and what can be achieved when diverse perspectives come together with a shared vision. UWE students stepped out of their comfort zones, tackling challenges with creativity, professionalism, and resilience. Their ability to navigate a different cultural and environmental context with patience and ingenuity has been inspiring.

“This experience will remain a personal highlight, not just for the outcome but for the lessons it taught about collaboration, respect, and the beauty of working across boundaries.”