“Bamboo Hanging” at the Doris Dillon School in Cambodia is a culturally resonant courtyard designed as the vibrant heart of campus life. This multi-year international collaboration began in 2024, when American and Cambodian volunteers built the structure from galvanized chain, woven and anchored between two classroom buildings.
In 2025, individual bamboo pieces were painted and hung according to a Fibonacci sequence. Bridging continents, students from Bret Harte Middle School in San Jose painted “storyteller” pieces that reflected their values and personalities to share with their Cambodian peers.
,p>Doris Dillon students painted their own narratives onto colorful bamboo pieces in 2026, and these were integrated into the hanging alongside those from Bret Harte. Featuring 3,500 bamboo pieces, this structure provides shade and a beautiful backdrop for school gatherings and special events.