Bamboo U

In this final bonus episode, I sit down with David Trujillo to discuss the structural qualities of bamboo, the challenges of connections, durability and fire, and how engineered bamboo could play a critical role in the future of low-carbon construction.

In this podcast, we discuss the following topics:

• David Trujillo’s path into bamboo engineering and academic research
• Why bamboo is structurally strong, including strength-to-weight performance
• The natural efficiency of bamboo’s hollow, nodal structure
• Common misconceptions about bamboo being “as strong as steel”
• Key limitations of bamboo as a structural material
• The central challenge of bamboo connections and joint design
• Current and future directions for standardized bamboo connectors
• Durability concerns: insects, moisture, preservation, and maintenance
• How design strategies extend the lifespan of bamboo buildings
• Fire performance, safety considerations, and height limitations
• The role of ISO standards in bamboo construction
• The potential of engineered bamboo for larger and taller buildings
• Differences between bamboo species and emerging material property patterns
• Thick-walled bamboo and new opportunities for construction
• Grading systems and supply chains for structural bamboo
• Pinboo (dowel-laminated bamboo) as an intermediate, scalable technology
• Future research priorities for advancing bamboo engineering

What does it take to turn bamboo from a traditional building material into a planetary-scale solution for construction and climate change?

In this episode, I sit down with David Sands, architect and pioneer of round-pole bamboo construction, and Russell Smith, former software executive and co-founder of Rizome, a Philippines-based bamboo company working at the intersection of carbon removal, community development, and engineered bamboo materials.

Together, we explore the full arc of bamboo’s potential: From village-scale, heart-led architecture to engineered beams capable of replacing steel, and even the possibility of future bamboo high-rises.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How David Sands brought round-pole bamboo through U.S. building codes—a 7-year process that proved “impossible” doesn’t mean impossible
• Russell Smith’s transition from software and product launches to building a bamboo-based climate business
• Why bamboo must be grown, not just planted, and how community stewardship makes long-term impact possible
• Rizome’s three-part model: carbon finance, community bamboo growing, and engineered bamboo products
• The role of carbon credits in funding bamboo at scale and why they’re essential in the first 10 years
• Turning bamboo into standardized materials: splits → panels → beams → buildings
• Price parity with steel, fire resistance, durability, and performance data
• The tension and complementarity between round-pole bamboo and engineered “square” bamboo
• Why replacing even 12% of global construction materials with bamboo could address a third of human carbon emissions
• What’s holding bamboo back now: policy, codes, and mindset—not material performance
• This conversation is a deep dive into bamboo as infrastructure, climate strategy, and cultural material, and a reminder that the future of building doesn’t have to look like the past. In this episode, we really dive into how bamboo as a serious contender for shaping the future of cities, communities, and climate solutions.

This conversation is a deep dive into bamboo as infrastructure, climate strategy, and cultural material, and a reminder that the future of building doesn’t have to look like the past. In this podcast, we demonstrate that bamboo is a serious contender for shaping the future of cities, communities, and climate solutions.

Welcome to this mini season of the Bamboo U Podcast!

In this episode, I sit down with Gunter Pauli, the mind behind the concept of the Blue Economy to talk about Gunter's journey and the life experiences that shaped his optimistic, action-driven worldview. We also discuss how Gunter got involved with bamboo and how Bali was the starting point of his journey with the material.

In this podcast, we discuss the following topics:

• Gunter Pauli’s personal journey and the life experiences that shaped his mindset
• The origins of Gunter’s work in bamboo and how Bali played a pivotal role in his bamboo journey
• The creation of the ZERI Pavilion with Simón Vélez and how it became a turning point for modern bamboo architecture
• Overcoming permitting, engineering, and fire safety challenges for large-scale bamboo structures
• How the term “vegetable steel” emerged from structural testing of bamboo
• Bamboo as a regenerative material for land restoration, water production, and climate resilience
• Scaling bamboo for social housing: lessons from Ecuador and Colombia
• Bamboo housing as a pathway from extreme poverty to long-term stability
• Shifting the narrative from “temporary housing” to safety, dignity, and opportunity
• The importance of acting quickly when windows of opportunity appear
• Why “analysis leads to paralysis” and the power of prototyping with your hands
• Unexpected future applications of bamboo, including fiber-based products like diapers
• How bamboo fits into the broader Blue Economy philosophy: Using what you have to meet immediate needs
• Why trust, timing, and action matter more than perfect plans

In the final podcast of this season, I sat down with Mexico-based architect, Lucilla Aguilar to talk about her experience in working with bamboo for post-earthquake relief and how she created systems for working with bamboo that are replicable and easy for non-bamboo carpenters to work with. 

In This Episode We Discuss:

• The Beauty Of Bamboo Architecture
• My First Bamboo Project
• Collaborating With Other Bamboo Architects In Mexico
• Bamboo Housing For Post Earthquake Relief
• What Bamboo Can Do For Communities
• Creating Adaptable Designs
• Creating Replicable And Easy Systems For Working With Bamboo
• Building Walls For Bamboo Structures
• Developing A Bamboo Workforce
• Bamboo Building Regulations
• Bringing Bamboo Into Urban Centres
• Building A Bamboo Pavilion
• Building Inspiring and Long Lasting Structures
• Building A Bamboo Community
• The Beauty Of Bamboo Architecture
• My First Bamboo Project
• Collaborating With Other Bamboo Architects In Mexico
• Bamboo Housing For Post-Earthquake Relief
• What Bamboo Can Do For Communities
• Creating Adaptable Designs
• Creating Replicable And Easy Systems For Working With Bamboo
• Building Walls For Bamboo Structures
• Developing A Bamboo Workforce
• Bamboo Building Regulations
• Bringing Bamboo Into Urban Centres
• Building A Bamboo Pavilion
• Building Inspiring and Long Lasting Structures
• Building A Bamboo Community

We dive into the world of bamboo furniture production with Rebecca Reubens, the driving force behind Rhizome. From industrial design to bamboo furniture, Rebecca shares her journey of working with bamboo; empowering collaborations with local communities, NGOs, local governments, and craftspeople. We talk about everything from colonization, the issues with industrial design, creating products with soul, and much more. 

In This Episode We Discuss:

• From Industrial Design To Bamboo
• Investigating Bamboo Species For Furniture Production
• Using Local Bamboo
• Standardising Bamboo
• Changing The Perception Of Bamboo
• Creating A High-Value Bamboo Product Line
• Uplifting Local Bamboo Communities
• Working with INBAR
• Empowering Communities
• Working With The Local Government
• Dendrocalamus Strictus
• Traditional Skills And Contemporary Designs
• The Value Of Craftspeople
• Challenges In Bamboo Furniture
• Creating Products With Soul
• What is Next For Rhizome
• Rebecca’s Advice For Designers Who Aspire To Work With Bamb

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Bamboo As A Building Material
• How Bamboo Sits Within The Spectrum Of Materials
• Creating Rules And Codes Of Practice For Bamboo
• The Properties Of Bamboo
• Incorporating Bamboo Into A Western Context
• Engineered Bamboo
• Zero Carbon Buildings
• How Bamboo Grows
• Harvesting Bamboo
• The Impact Of Bamboo On The Construction Industry
• Researching The Manufacturing Of Engineered Bamboo In Vancouver
• Bamboo In North America
• ISO Standards For Bamboo
• How Bamboo Is Superior To Wood and How It Is Inferior
• Bamboo’s Tensile And Compression Capacities
• Opportunities With Engineered Bamboo
• Bamboo And Japanese Joinery
• The Limits Of Round Pole Construction
• Geometric Stiffness And Its Role In Bamboo Architecture
• Bamboo Testing
• University Research Of Bamboo
• Bamboo Joinery
• The Future Potential Of Round Pole Construction
• Taking Bamboo To Mars

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Learn more about Atelier One:

https://www.atelierone.com/

In This Episode We Discuss:

• How the interest in bamboo came to be
• Visit to Bali and Green Village 
• Harvesting and Treating Bamboo
• First Bamboo Project
• Building For Conscious Impact In Nepal
• Failures and Lessons Learned
• Bamboo In Nepal
• Starting Bambufolia
• Projects To Start With
• Elevating Bamboo 
• The Biggest Challenge When Working With Bamboo 
• Testing Bamboo To Make Sure It's Been Treated
• Bamboo Species
• Local Perception Of Bamboo
• Team Work
• Finding Craftsman
• Building Larger Projects
• Client Relationships
• Building A Network

Learn more about Paola's work at Bambufolia: http://bambufolia.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/bambufolia/

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Bringing High Tech Into Low Tech Areas
• From Digital To Reality
• HoloLenses
• On-Site Design With Augmented Reality (AR)
• Kristof’s Work With Bamboo
• The Golden Moon Bamboo Installation
• The ZCB Bamboo Pavilion in Hong Kong
• Using Complex Geometry For Creating Rigidity
• The Limiting Process Of Conventional Architecture And Building
• The Importance Of Digital Design Tools
• Rhinocereous and Grasshopper 3D Modelers
• Speeding Up Construction With Digital and Parametric Design
• The Future For Young Designers
• Digital Design For Bamboo Architecture
• Building BIG Using Parametric Design And Geometries
• Mitigating The Impact Of The Irregularity Of Bamboo
• The Potential Role Of AI In Bamboo Architecture
• Design Methods That Account For Variability

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Learn more about Kristof’s work at LEAD Architecture: https://l-e-a-d.pro/ and the Building Simplexity Lab at Hong Kong Uni https://bsl.hku.hk/

His tutorials are available here: 

1. Grasshopper: https://bsl.hku.hk/tutorials/
2. Bending active bamboo shells: https://bsl.hku.hk/babss/

Kristof is a guest speaker for The Fundamentals Of Building Bamboo Online Course and also a resident facilitator on our 11 Day Course in Bali: https://www.bamboou.com/courses

An exciting episode and topic for the future of bamboo architecture in the Americas. Jules De Laage is an architect, former Program Manager at Bamboo U and currently leading the team building Green School Tulum in Mexico. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to bring bamboo designs into a new context that faces environmental challenges like hurricanes, which requires an entirely new design vocabulary to emerge as a response.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• What It Is Like To Build With Bamboo In Mexico
• Adapting To The Local Constraints
• Turning Constraints Into Creative Opportunities
• New Structural Systems For Hurricanes
• Bamboo Species and Heat Bending Bamboo
• Building Curves Without Compromising Structural Integrity
• Testing The Mechanical Properties Of Bamboo
• The Social Context For Bamboo In Mexico
• Training Carpenters To Work With Bamboo
• It Takes A Village To Grow Bamboo Buildings
• Bamboo U Alumni Working On Green School Tulum

Learn more about Green School Tulum at:

https://greenschooltulum.mx/

Jules’ is a guest speaker for The Fundamentals Of Building Bamboo Online Course: https://www.bamboou.com/courses