In the scope of the researches developed at LILD, DAD, PUC-Rio about the encapsulating of bamboo stems, this work explores a new way to protect this material, which also creates esthetic benefits. We propose the painting or impregnation of pigments and dyes on surfaces of bamboo stems with transparent and translucent resins. This thesis proposition is that the most relevant characteristic of the shape of the extracted bamboo is its geometry, rather than its natural color, which loses its freshness after the extraction. Since our first painting experiments, we realized that artificial color could replace the natural one, highlighting the longitudinal fiber s curves and other aspects of the unique geometry of the bamboo, originating a new possible dimension of the material, where the loss of natural color would be compensated by gains in geometric representation – in addition to benefits regarding material protection and in keeping with the integration of form and function that is the essence of design. Regarding color, in this and other functions, the research comprehends four interrelated productions: a) initial experiments of painting, color impregnation and encapsulating; b) handling of some bamboo species, painting and encapsulating open bamboos and construction of tensegrity objects used in stress tests for tension and the effects of time; c) production of objects to demonstrate possible uses; d) installations. Being the backbone of this work, these four productions are displayed on the timeline in Chapter 3, showing the uncovering and the techniques applied. The preceding chapters (Introduction and Contextualization) approach aspects related to this main axis, with a focus on color as a function in nature, as well as in design and architecture.