The construction industry is responsible for nearly 40 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — an alarming statistic highlighted year after year by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s  Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction. A significant factor driving these emissions is the heavy reliance on carbon-intensive materials like concrete, steel, and plastics. But what if we could turn this narrative around? By embracing plant-based materials, architects could transform buildings into carbon sinks, storing the CO2 absorbed by fast-growing crops like hemp and timber.

From mass timber structures to hempcrete insulation, a growing movement is leading the charge in decarbonizing the built environment, reshaping how we think about construction materials, resource efficiency, and human health. At the forefront of this movement is a new generation of architects and researchers who are innovating with both ancient and cutting-edge materials to challenge the status quo.

Fiber Futures brings global leaders in material innovation and design to the Rice School of Architecture in Houston for an intimate symposium. This international symposium features a curated group of architects and researchers specializing in plant-based, low-carbon construction.

Speakers include BLAF, Lokeren, Belgium; Förstberg Ling, Malmö, Sweden; López Rivera Arquitectos, Barcelona, Spain; Ultramoderne, Berkeley, U.S.; Paul Lewis, Principal, LTL Architects and Professor, Princeton University School of Architecture; Richard Johnson, Senior Executive Director for Sustainability, Rice University; George Ristow, AVP for Campus Planning and Design, University Architect, Rice University; and Randal L. Hall, William P. Hobby Professor of American History, Interim Director, Center for Environmental Studies, Rice University.