A team of students from Edinburgh Napier University created a grid shell structure made of a bamboo-timber composite, said to be the first of its kind.

The structure, measuring 12m x 12m, is aimed as proof of a potential sustainable building method. Bamboo’s strength and flexibility, as well as its wide availability as a natural resource, make it a viable construction material for large-span roof structures in future.

Thirteen students from ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment worked alongside colleagues from Guangxi University of Science and Technology and Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology.

The team are already making plans to carry out further research on the potential of bamboo-timber composite structures.

Photos: Edinburgh Napier University