Kaway’An EcoPark: a showcase of architectural ingenuity using bamboo

As one of Time Magazine's World’s Greatest Places of 2026, Kaway’an EcoPark joins the coveted global list of extraordinary destinations featuring groundbreaking bamboo ecotourism. Located at Sabella Village in General Trias City, Cavite, the three-hectare eco-park was built by Citihomes Builder and Development Inc. (CBDI), a legacy project of Rosie Tsai, president of CBDI, in response to the country’s need for spaces that nurture both people and the land. The eco-park formally opened in July 2025. More than a leisure destination, the master-planned eco park offers an immersive journey to the natural world of water features, foliage, and open spaces. Rather than a mere series of attractions, visitors can go through pathways that flow organically through a man-made lagoon, gardens, and bamboo groves that lead to remarkable bamboo structures. The Kaway’an EcoPark takes the lead in charting a bold new course for sustainable architecture, showcasing what bamboo can achieve as a structural material. At the heart of the eco-park stands the Marilag Grand Pavilion, an architectural centerpiece made with treated bamboo. Wide spans are achieved using shape instead of weight, with bamboo mainly handling pressure and bending, creating a very strong structure against tropical weather while also being open, airy, and visually stunning. “Traditionally, the bamboo represents the resilience and perseverance of the Philippine spirit. It bends under the strong winds of life's trials but rises again with strength and determination,” explained Tsai. “Now, we have to break the wrong notion that bamboo is a poor man's lumber. When it's embedded in concrete and protected from rain and sun, bamboo is stronger than steel and will not rot as long as it's treated.” She also cited bamboo as environmentally friendly, producing more oxygen and sequestering seven times more carbon dioxide than trees, and sustainable, growing faster in clumps and being...