Architects call for preparation for mass bamboo construction

The ceiling and supporting columns of the second terminal of Kempegowda International Airport in India are made of bamboo. Photo: mp_index / X

The modern construction industry is facing a serious challenge. As The Guardian writes, according to 2022 data, the construction sector accounts for a third of all global carbon emissions, with more than half of this damage caused by the use of cement and cement-based materials.

With ongoing urbanization, the need for new housing and infrastructure only increases, which threatens the achievement of global net-zero emission targets. In search of a solution, engineers and environmentalists are calling on the world to turn its attention to bamboo — a material long considered primarily food for pandas, but now claiming the role of a full-fledged and ecological alternative to steel and concrete.

Recently, the Institution of Structural Engineers issued an important call to architects: they must be "ready for bamboo." Specialists published a practical guide to designing stationary buildings from bamboo, based on the international standard ISO 22156:2021.

It should stimulate the transition to low-carbon construction. Experts are confident that bamboo can become a serious competitor to traditional materials due to its unique physical and environmental properties.

Today, projects already exist worldwide that demonstrate the capabilities of this plant and expand the boundaries of conventional architecture. For example, in the second terminal of Kempegowda International Airport in the Indian city of Bengaluru, bamboo elements form the ceiling and columns.

This is Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, built at a cost of around Rs 5000 crores.@JM_Scindia sir please make sure that the Greenfield Indore Airport should be like this.

Not a single airport in MP is of this level. pic.twitter.com/XLHYr0w2zs

— The Madhya Pradesh Index (@mp_index) November 9, 2022

In northeastern China, the Ninghai Tower, over 20 meters high, has been erected, considered the world's first multi-story building created from engineered bamboo.

Another striking example is the sports hall of the "Green School" in Bali, where a giant bamboo arch serves as an example of how this material changes our perception of architecture.

The Arc at Green School Bali

by Ibuku Bamboo Architecture and Design pic.twitter.com/daZK6tUHL1

— Architectural Art (A-A) (@4AAAAart) December 30, 2025

Technical advantages and the future of the industry

Practice shows that bamboo can be not only ecological, but also reliable. The use of composite bamboo walls has proven its durability during earthquakes and extreme storms in Colombia and the Philippines. One of the key advantages of bamboo is its rapid growth. The plant reaches the required dimensions in just three to six years, while construction timber takes decades to form.

Павялічыць

Examples of houses with Composite Bamboo Sheath Walls (CBSW) in various countries around the world. Photo: Manual for the design of bamboo structures to ISO 22156:2021

Despite the rich history of using bamboo in vernacular architecture, there are certain knowledge gaps that have long hindered its potential in large-scale construction. This is due, among other things, to the consequences of colonization, which influenced priorities in technical education worldwide.

However, bamboo cannot be a universal solution. It is currently most suitable for buildings no higher than two stories.

David Trujillo, lead author of the new practical guide and associate professor at the University of Warwick, hopes it will help engineers turn to working with local resources and boldly incorporate them into modern projects. Today, bamboo is widely available in tropical and subtropical regions, but due to climate change, it has begun to be successfully grown even in Portugal, which opens the way for widespread use of the material in Europe.

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