Global eco-engineering pioneer Dr. Kent Harries to speak in BGC on September 30
September 2026. Long associated with rustic beach huts and cozy tropical escapes, bamboo is staging a high-tech makeover. But can this humble green plant truly stand side-by-side with steel and concrete to shape the stylish, planet-friendly cities of tomorrow?
Dr. Kent Harries, an internationally acclaimed engineering professor and global authority on green building materials, says the answer is a resounding yes.
On September 30, 2026, Dr. Harries will take the stage as a speaker at the 5th Annual Bamboost Forum entitled “Bamboo Unboxed: Designing the Future of Construction” at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center, Taguig City. Hosted by Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. (BASE), this premier design and architecture event brings together visionaries to explore how sustainable materials can transform modern living.
Dr. Harries, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, a Fellow of international engineering societies, and a licensed professional engineer, has spent decades showing how natural materials can meet the highest safety standards in modern building.
While bamboo is still often perceived as a material for temporary or traditional structures, Dr. Kent Harries is helping redefine its place in modern construction through codes and standards. As a leader in international committees developing global design standards for bamboo, he is working to translate decades of research and engineering knowledge into clear, reliable standards and guidelines for architects, engineers, and builders. His work is helping establish the technical confidence needed to use bamboo safely and consistently, from contemporary homes to larger and more complex structures.
Designing with Nature’s Variability
Unlike factory-made materials such as steel, bamboo naturally varies from one culm to another. But as Dr. Harries explains,
“variability is not a barrier to be overcome, rather it is a property to be accounted for in design”. While bamboo is often perceived as highly unpredictable, its variability can be understood through data and addressed using established engineering approaches for managing uncertainty.
The greater challenge, he points out, is having enough reliable data to give engineers the statistical confidence they need to design efficiently and safely with bamboo. This is where research, testing, and the development of codes and standards become critical: transforming knowledge about a naturally variable material into practical guidance that designers can confidently apply.
With a stronger evidence base and well-developed standards, bamboo’s natural characteristics can be incorporated into structural design without compromising safety. Its flexibility and high strength-to-weight ratio can then be harnessed as valuable engineering properties, particularly when designing lightweight and resilient structures.
The Philippines as a global trendsetter in sustainable design
Filipinos are already leading the way in this green revolution. Dr. Harries praises the pioneering work being done locally by BASE, which tests and refines bamboo building techniques for modern use.
“The technical quality and rigor I see in the work at BASE in the Philippines is exceptional – it is truly world-leading,” Dr. Harries says.
Thanks to local innovation, the Philippines is quickly becoming a global hub for sustainable bamboo construction, proving that world-class design, like bamboo, can grow right in our own backyard.
For bamboo to move from niche projects into the buildings of the future, good design alone is not enough. Codes and standards provide the bridge between possibility and practice. They turn research and testing into trusted rules that architects, engineers, builders, and regulators can rely on, giving them the confidence to design with bamboo safely and at scale. In this way, standards do more than set requirements. They help open the door for bamboo to become a credible, widely accepted material in modern construction.
Dr. Harries hopes the Bamboost Forum will encourage architects, designers, engineers, and builders to rethink what modern buildings can look like.
“Every building material started out as an ‘alternative’ at some point,” he says. “Our goal is to make bamboo a natural choice.” His goal is not simply to promote bamboo everywhere, but to advocate for its use where it makes sense, particularly by educating architects, engineers and other technical professionals about how to design with it safely and effectively. With the right knowledge and codes and standards in place, bamboo can become a natural choice for appropriate applications, bringing its unique character and sustainability benefits into modern construction.
Continue the conversation about sustainable construction and bamboo innovations at the 5th Annual Bamboost Forum happening on September 30, 2026.
For more information on Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. and its transformative projects, please visit http://www.base-builds.com.