Digital vernacular approach for low-carbon tropical social housing: A comparative study using engineered bamboo and parametric design
The building sector is responsible for approximately 37 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions, with embodied carbon becoming increasingly critical in sustainable construction. This study presents a digital vernacular framework that integrates bio-based materials, parametric design, and passive climatic strategies for low-carbon tropical social housing. A comparative analysis was performed using a 54 sqm housing prototype in coastal Ecuador, evaluating two structural systems: reinforced concrete and a digitally calibrated bamboo-based structure. The methodology combines life cycle assessment (LCA), parametric structural optimization, passive thermal evaluation, and cost analysis. The results indicate that the bamboo-based system reduced embodied carbon emissions by approximately 65 percent compared with reinforced concrete construction. In addition, parametric structural calibration improved material efficiency by 12–18 percent. Passive thermal performance analysis demonstrated a reduction in indoor temperatures of 3–5°C, enhancing thermal comfort in humid tropical climates. These findings confirm that integrating digital design tools with renewable structural materials significantly improves environmental and socio-economic performance. The proposed digital vernacular framework offers a scalable approach to climate-resilient, low-carbon housing in rapidly urbanizing regions. Unlike previous studies that separately investigate bio-based materials, passive design, or parametric optimization, the present study integrates these components into a unified comparative framework for tropical social housing. However, the findings should be interpreted as a comparative exploratory assessment rather than a fully validated predictive model, due to simplified thermal modeling assumptions and the exclusion of operational and end-of-life stages from the LCA. The study also highlights the relevance of recent Chinese advancements in engineered bamboo technologies as a reference framework for cross-regional sustainable housing strategies in tropical regions. Furthermore, the study is contextualized within recent Chinese advancements in engineered bamboo construction, highlighting opportunities for cross-regional knowledge transfer and South–South collaboration in sustainable architecture.
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