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