Bamboo
Bamboo is actually a fast-growing grass, not a timber, and it reaches structural maturity in years rather than decades, which is why it appeals as a building material. Its strength-to-weight ratio rivals steel in the right species.
Start with the full guide: Bamboo in construction: strength and durability, on structural behaviour and what a bamboo build actually demands. To see how bamboo can be used in high-end design, explore Kengo Kuma’s Great (Bamboo) Wall House, a floating bamboo house built for rising waters, and bamboo’s role in emergency housing.
Bamboo could be Australia’s most underused climate solution
While bamboo has long been celebrated in parts of Asia for its strength, speed and sustainability, Australia is only just beginning to recognise its potential as a viable building material – and a powerful tool in the climate response.
Bamboo’s tensile strength unlocked
Bamboo in construction is a high strength and easily accessible building material, with potential to revolutionise sustainable building practices.
Bamboo’s role in emergency housing and modular construction
Bamboo is often used as a resource for emergency shelters due to its rapid growth rate, accessibility and strength.
Bamboo is revolutionising sustainable material science
Bamboo is a natural, sustainable material – here we explore its benefits, challenges, and potential for a greener future.
Read stories about ground-breaking projects that use bamboo
A healthy home made with cork, bamboo and hemp
With its compact footprint and clever urban insertion, Brown House treats home as an ecosystem, using bio-based materials to construct a healthier, lower-impact model for urban living.
A look back at Kengo Kuma’s Great (Bamboo) Wall House
Along a Beijing ridgeline, Kengo Kuma trades the stand-alone house for a living wall, letting the architecture follow the terrain. Using bamboo in articulated densities, the project turns a single material into structure, screen and atmosphere – binding the dwelling to place with a line drawn ever so softly.
Bamboo construction is a lifeline against Vietnam’s rising waters
The Floating Bamboo House by H&P Architects reimagines traditional housing through the lens of climate urgency and local tenacity.
