What comes to mind when you think of sustainable building materials? For some folks, it's mass timber. Others might think of salvaged materials or 3D printing components.
The fact is, there’s a growing list of innovative solutions in the market. But two materials that are increasingly gaining attention are bamboo and Eucalyptus. These materials can be used to create carbon-negative structures that are stronger, quieter, and more energy-efficient than some traditional construction resources.
An excellent example of a firm pioneering the future of sustainable architecture with bamboo and Eucalyptus is BamCore. The company specializes in ultra-sustainable structural framing systems, and is using these materials to redefine modern buildings.
To that end, we recently caught up with Zack Zimmerman, Co-Founder of BamCore, and Kate Chilton, the firm's Chief Sustainability Officer. Zack and Kate discuss the resourceful options offered by BamCore and what makes their solutions distinct from other sustainable products and services.
Let's get started.
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We discuss
First things first. What is BamCore all about?
According to Zack, BamCore is revolutionizing how we think about sustainable construction by combining innovative materials with modern, digital processes.
"We're a component manufacturer of panelized wall systems. So, we have 4x8 to 4x10 feet sheets deployed through a model that's powered by Autodesk. This allows us to digitize a plan, then set and drop a set of prefabricated, millimeter-accurate sets of panels to the jobsite for easy installation in the field."
BamCore's differentiating factor lies in its holistic approach that merges both sustainable methods and materials.
According to Kate, many green tech companies focus on either offering sustainable methods or sustainable materials. BamCore does both.
"Modular construction companies are a good example of changing the method, but they're using a lot of the same materials like wood, steel, or concrete. And then on the other side of the spectrum, some companies are using bamboo or hemp, even green steel or green concrete, but they're fundamentally using them in the same way," she says.
"Here at BamCore, we're changing the materials by using fast-growing fibers—Eucalyptus and timber bamboo. And then we're also changing methods by using this panelized system and layering in a bunch of industrialized construction techniques and approaches."
BamCore uses bamboo and Eucalyptus in its solutions because they offer a unique combination of rapid renewability, environmental benefits, and resource efficiency that traditional materials can't match.
Kate explains that bamboo, though often mistaken for a tree, is actually a grass, which allows it to grow and be harvested differently. Unlike clear-cutting practices that harm soil and biodiversity, bamboo can be selectively harvested while keeping the plant unharmed.
"Clear-cutting is detrimental in terms of the soil and biodiversity, and it's not a great practice, but bamboo is special because there is a rhizome that grows underground and remains. So, we can selectively harvest culms while keeping the plant itself intact. That's one of the reasons why it's sustainable."
On the other hand, Eucalyptus is known for its rapid growth, which notably demands significant water. However, when considering the biomass it produces, Eucalyptus is incredibly water-efficient.
"If you think about the same time span, Eucalyptus will consume more water, but it'll also produce more. And so compared to many other commonly used softwoods and trees, it's much more efficient in its water use," remarks Kate.
Both bamboo and Eucalyptus have some myths surrounding them. For bamboo, the most common one is that all species of bamboo are invasive. But this is not entirely true.
"There's two broad categories of bamboo. There's what we call spreaders or runners, which have these very invasive root systems. But there's a whole other sub-variety called clumps or clumping bamboo," Kate explains.
"Those are the ones that we use. They're called giant clumping bamboos, and you can plant those in plantations much more traditionally than similar tree plantations, and they're a lot easier to harvest. They're not as invasive."
As for Eucalyptus, Kate says a common misconception is that it's highly flammable when used as a building material. The reality is that this flammability concern is largely associated with the tree's leaves, not the wood itself.
"That misconception is common primarily due to the VOCs—i.e., the volatile organic compounds—contained within the leaves. But it's important that people separate the Eucalyptus tree from the building material," Kate explains.
"When the leaves are removed, a lot of the things that make the tree very flammable don't translate to the material used in buildings. So, it's susceptible to fire, but when you look at flame spread indexes, it's no more flammable than the woods used in most buildings today."
BamCore has undoubtedly done a lot of research and development on sustainable construction. According to Kate, BamCore's mission is supported by collaborations and grants that allow the firm to push the boundaries of sustainable materials.
"We are very fortunate to be a part of a Department of Energy research program, ARPA E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), which is focused on building decarbonization. We use this grant to research more effective ways to produce engineered products from the harvested bamboo, including ways to utilize more of the comb to generate less waste and decrease cost. That whole grant is really propelling the technology for bamboo manufacturing forward."
Zack, for his part, emphasizes the importance of agility and responsiveness in BamCore's development process.
"As far as development is concerned, the nice thing is we're still small compared to many other large engineering wood producers or manufacturers. When we send a package of these panelized materials out to a jobsite and get feedback, we have the ability to look at that and then try to make small incremental changes. Even as soon as five days or ten days later, some of those changes can already be integrated."
Influencing builders is critical to increasing the adoption of innovative solutions like what BamCore provides. To that, Zack says that it's not just about offering a sustainable material, but providing a comprehensive solution that simplifies the construction process.
"For us, it's proving that you're not just getting a material that's additive for the climate. It's not just a material swap for a material; it's a solution for builders and developers."
As for the issue of cost, Zack points out that while BamCore's materials might initially seem more expensive, the ability to speed up the build cycle and streamline installations can lead to overall cost savings. Builders may find that the investment not only enhances the quality of the final construction product but can also make the project more cost-effective in the long run.
He also talks about how BamCore's solutions help alleviate the industry's labor issues. The system is designed to be so intuitive that it significantly lowers the skill level required for installation.
As Zack puts it, "Our system has been able to massively open up the labor pool because now you don't need that tenured master skilled tradesmen to come in and operate on the BamCore system."
Digital Builder is hosted by me, Eric Thomas. Remember, new episodes of Digital Builder go live every week.
