Sustainable Construction.
A sustainable built environment needs to develop a closer relationship with natural materials, moving away from the current linear supply chain interaction to a more symbiotic relationship. Edinburgh Napier University has a global reputation for biogenic timber construction and hosts the UK's only Trimble Technology Lab to support teaching and research.
'Our shared goal was to pioneer sustainable construction.'
In 2021 experts from Edinburgh Napier University first showcased the potential of a sustainable bamboo-timber composite material at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.
In 2023, 92 students joined ENU's Transnational Education Programme at Guangxi University of Science and Technology to explore the design and build of the world's first sustainable Bamboo-Timber composite grid-shell. The design and manufacture of the structure was developed through state-of-the-art building information modeling technology enhanced by augmented virtual reality function.
In 2025, 31 visiting students from Guangxi University of Science and Technology completed the build in just 4 days. Project leaders hope to now replicate it at a larger scale; experts believe their design - which makes the most of bamboo's strengths as a sustainable building material - could be used to create large span roofs.
Timber is a naturally renewable resource with many benefits over steel and concrete with regard to greening the construction industry. Our research is providing both the essential understanding of the characteristics of homegrown timber, and the engineering expertise, to support the creation of timber products for use in the design, manufacture, and construction of high-performance sustainable buildings.
'Together we are shaping the future delivery of the sustainable built environment through digital enablement.'
Europe's first bamboo-timber composite grid-shell was created at ENU using Trimble's augmented reality technology, supported by Construction Industry Council of Hong Kong and the British Council, alongside partners: BE-ST, Xylotek-Advanced Timber, Glenalmond Timber, and Intelligent Wood Systems.
Click here to read more about how companies, charitable trusts, and investors are working together to meet the needs of the present; tackling global challenges and addressing sustainability issues through support of the University's work.