Bamboo: the perfect material?

If I told you there’s a building material that is up to 50 times stronger than oak but lighter than steel or concrete, that is flexible, aesthetically pleasing and highly rated for its green credentials, you might say it sounds too good to be true.

If I went on to explain that the material can be used not only to build bridges and cathedrals but also to create floors, walls, clothing, paper, vinegar, cosmetics, animal feed and as a vegetable for human consumption, you would probably dismiss it as some Utopian pipe dream.

But the product exists. It’s bamboo. Our friend (and bamboo expert & architect) Darrell DeBoer is interviewed in this great article...

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Flooring with a Conscience

Dwell Magazine interviewed me for a story on sustainable wood flooring. It is in this months issue (September 2006) available today on newsstands.

Initially, I was very excited about the chance to show off some gorgeous materials that also happen to be green. After all, green materials are some of the most exciting and innovative design ideas you have seen in years. For example, Smith & Fong's gorgeous Neopolitan bamboo is a modern and striking example of this. The aged, reclaimed woods by EcoTimber also show the value in keeping old wood, with all of it's history, scars and charm.

Then when I saw the cover and the headline, "Green Goes Mainstream," I realized how much more important the cover is. More people will see the cover than will ever read my story on green flooring. In the end, for a magazine with the reach and influence of Dwell to annouce that green is now mainstream, will do so much more good than I ever could have imagined!

The good folks at Dwell were nice enough to quote me on the spine and on the website (above). After all, in the future ALL buildings will be green. This is inevitable!