Living bridges and buildings: how Indians inspired scientists to create a new architecture

Every time monsoon rains come into the Indian state of Meghalaya, rivers in this mountainous region turn into powerful flows swept everything in their way. Concrete and wooden bridges are often the victims of broken elements, and some settlements are cut off from civilization. But in areas of the state where members of the Hasi people (also Khasi) live, there are almost no such problems. It ‘s all about these people learning to build incredibly durable bridges that are several hundred years old. These are living bridges from the roots of trees.

The traditional technique of creating a pedestrian bridge from the roots of trees is simple and brilliant at the same time. At the heart of everything is a feature of a plant called ficus rubbery to form long air roots in addition to the main roots located in the ground. This species grows in abundance in the forests of Meghalaya State, and members of the Hasi people have been using it for more than a century to create suspended bridges across violent mountain rivers.

Creating such a bridge is not a quick thing. A live bridge can be “grown” for several…