Plant & fibre
Timber
The structural plant material: deodar and teak in the Himalaya and the south, cedar and pine elsewhere. Stores carbon for as long as the building stands.
How it behaves
Flexes in earthquakes where masonry snaps, which is why Himalayan traditions lace their stone with timber bands. Insulates far better than stone or concrete; moves with moisture and wants to breathe.
Where it belongs
The Himalaya · Kerala · Japan
In a modern project
Engineered timber (CLT, glulam) as the serious low-carbon structure; timber-laced masonry logic revived in seismic retrofits.