"Our focus is not necessarily to build a city, but rather to grow a city." So says Chris Precht, one of the co-founders of Penda, a Beijing and Vienna-based architecture firm that has a new vision for a low-carbon future in China. What if cities were surrounded by pollution-sucking bamboo forests, and built from bamboo instead of steel?
"Bamboo is a underrated material, especially when it can be used locally," he says. As the plant grows—as much as a foot a day—it acts like an air purifier, generating up to 35% more oxygen than a similar stand of trees, while absorbing the same amount of carbon dioxide. As it's harvested, it automatically regrows without being replanted. And in a building, it's two to three times stronger than a steel beam of a similar weight.
Image: http://www.fastcoexist.com
