When it comes to construction materials, there remains a negative perception regarding the use of bamboo to build homes, as it is often dubbed as “The Poor Man’s Timber.” Bamboo is often seen as an inferior construction material that may raise questions when it comes to the safety of homes.
However, with the technology available today, there is great potential for bamboo to emerge as a sustainable and resilient construction material. This is what was highlighted at the 4th Annual Bamboost Forum, which was organized by the Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. (BASE), a global leader in bamboo-based research and technology, in partnership with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP).

Called “Breaking Barriers: Bamboo in Building Sustainable and Resilient Structures”, the event, held at De La Salle University, brought together a diverse group of experts and enthusiasts to explore the transformative potential of bamboo in the construction industry.
The forum was a crucial platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange in creating environmentally friendly and structurally sound buildings and advancing the adoption of bamboo into the National Structural Code of the Philippines. The day-long event attracted architects, civil engineers, researchers, developers, bamboo advocates, local government units, national government agencies, civil society organizations, and treatment facility partners, all eager to engage with the latest advancements and best practices in bamboo construction.

Negative perception of bamboo in construction
Compared to concrete and steel, which are commonly used in establishing structures such as buildings and homes, bamboo is still not widely used in the construction industry, as a lot of people still raise concerns about safety.
“You know, I always say that bamboo is a victim of its own success. It’s such a good material, it’s so abundant, grows so fast that, because of those qualities, it became the perception that it is a cheap material, easy to get. Because in our minds, what is hard to get is better, but bamboo is easy to get,” BASE General Manager Engr. Luiz Felipe Lopez told reporters in an interview.

ASEP President Dr. Lessandro Garciano also acknowledged that there remains a negative view on bamboo in the construction industry, citing one of the reasons as the possibility of a fungal attack.
“But actually, if you treat it properly, it can survive for many years,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed by Lopez, emphasizing that no matter what construction material is used, if not properly done will eventually deteriorate.
“Of course, if you don’t cut the right poles, if you don’t treat those poles, and you don’t build with the right technology, the shelter, the bahay kubo, or whatever you build, will be rotten in a couple of years, and then people say it’s a bad material,” Lopez said.
“Imagine that you are walking to the river, and on the way, you find some pieces of steel that are in the street. You take it, you build with the steel, and you put it directly in the ground, like they are going to do with the bamboo, and they don’t put any paint, because there’s no money. What is going to happen with that steel in three years? It will be totally corroded, and nobody’s saying the steel is a poor man’s material. But if you don’t use it well, paint it, and design it well, it will be totally destroyed,” he further explained.
Lopez stressed that the problem is not bamboo itself, but the perception of it.
“And I really hate when people say poor man’s timber, because bamboo is such a good material. It’s a material for human beings. It’s not for the poor, it’s not for the rich. It’s a material for human beings. And if well-treated, well-harvested, and used with the right technology, it’s the same as any conventional material.
“So, I think it’s a matter of time that people start to understand that this is not anymore the raw pole that you get and get destroyed because you don’t treat it. Once you address all those problems, it’s a matter of time before people start to see construction that lasts,” he added.
As an example, the BASE official cited bamboo houses they built in 2012, which are still standing today.
“They’re perfect, functional, they’re beautiful, they’re okay,” Lopez said.
Base Bahay Foundation, an initiative of the Liechtenstein-based Hilti Foundation, has successfully built over 2,000 homes using its proprietary Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), sheltering more than 10,000 individuals globally.
The non-profit organization provides alternative building technologies to enable a network of partners to build quality socialized homes – Homes that are comfortable, affordable, disaster-resilient, ecologically friendly, and with social impact. BASE develops technologies using locally grown and renewable materials to create housing envelopes and designs suited to the needs of local communities. It also focuses on affordable housing solutions geared toward social development and impact.
Guidelines for bamboo design and construction
Garciano also attributed the negative perception of bamboo to the lack of a structural guide when it comes to using bamboo for construction.
“We don’t have a guide that we can follow structurally. So, because we are a country full of typhoons and earthquakes, so there’s some kind of public safety concern. But we hope to remove that perception that bamboo can stand as a structural material,” Garciano said.
To respond to this, BASE and ASEP have launched the Philippine Guidelines on Bamboo Design and Construction, which was presented during the forum. The guidelines are poised to play a key role in standardizing the use of bamboo in construction, facilitating its broader adoption across the nation.
Garciano emphasized that the ongoing development and eventual implementation of comprehensive guidelines for bamboo design and construction are paramount to ensuring safety and promoting innovation in our industry.
Continued education and dialogue
Lopez stressed the importance of holding forums like Bamboost to be able to continue the dialogue for bamboo use in the construction industry.
“Bamboost IV is crucial for us each year because it gathers experts and enthusiasts, allowing us to collectively explore and unlock the way forward for bamboo in our construction industry. This platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and networking is particularly vital now as we work towards creating environmentally friendly and structurally sound buildings and advancing the adoption of bamboo into the National Structural Code of the Philippines,” he added.
The forum featured insightful presentations from a distinguished lineup of guest speakers such as BASE Innovation Center Director Dr. Nischal Pradhan; Dr. Lessandro Garciano, President of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) and Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering – De La Salle University; Liza Hora, Executive Director of the Mahintana Foundation; and Dominika Malkowska, research associate specialized in timber and bamboo structural engineering from the University of Bristol.
In addition, three experts also shared best practices in bamboo design and construction: Orin Hardy, Co-Founder, Bamboo U in Bali; Mauricio Cardenas Laverde, bamboo architecture pioneer from Italy and leader in sustainable design from Studio Cardenas in Italy; and Yan Xiao, Ph.d., global leader in sustainable engineering, a Program Director for Energy, Environment, and Infrastructure Sciences and professor at Zhejiang University.
Attendees of the forum had the opportunity to engage with experts, learn about cutting-edge research, and network with peers who share a passion for sustainable development. The annual Bamboost series is part of BASE’s Bamboo Academy Program, a continuing education program for construction professionals that equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, construct, and maintain safe, sustainable, and resilient bamboo structures.”
Furthermore, Lopez stressed the need to educate people on the potential of bamboo and how it can be used to build homes with the proper technology.
“You can use sustainable materials with proper technologies that make those houses durable. So, of course, we need education. We need to educate the people. We need to show them that this is a feasible solution, and it’s not anymore, the poor man’s timber, it is actually very good material,” Lopez said.
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