January 23, 2026

Habitat

Bamboo is reshaping commercial architecture.

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport is the second largest airport in Europe and the largest bamboo reference project in the world to date. Image via MOSO Bamboo

Engineers and architects are promoting bamboo as a serious structural material for schools, airports and mid-rise towers, positioning it as a low‑carbon alternative to steel and concrete. Bamboo’s rapid growth, high strength-to-weight ratio and capacity to store carbon make it attractive for climate-friendly construction, especially in tropical regions where it is abundant. New structural guidance aims to unlock safe, durable bamboo buildings at larger scales worldwide.


ARTICLE: Schools, Airports, High-Rise Towers: Architects Urged To Get ‘Bamboo-Ready’

Habitat

We forget that we are nature.

BOOK: Biophelia. The Human Bond with Other Species

Habitat

The buildings that last are the buildings that learn.

BOOK: How Buildings Learn

Habitat

We don’t build community. We build the conditions from which community emerges.

BOOK: Life Between Buildings. Using Public Space

Habitat

Why crappy buildings make us feel crappy

BOOK: Welcome to Your World. How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives