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Champions of Change: Empowering Bamboo for a better Future
Dedicated volunteers steer the World Bamboo Organization. The Ambassadors work independently but are connected as a team, and we collaborate to expand the potential of our actions and our mission.
Raphaël Ascoli
France | Myanmar
Bamboo Architecture, Humanitarian Design and Resilient Construction
Raphaël Ascoli is an architect and humanitarian design practitioner working in Myanmar since 2016. He is the founder of Blue Temple, an architecture and design studio, and co-founder of Housing NOW, a bamboo construction initiative focused on delivering affordable and resilient infrastructure for displaced and underserved communities.
His work includes low-cost housing, schools, clinics, community centers, playgrounds, and sports facilities in IDP camps, informal settlements, and remote rural areas, collectively serving more than 200,000 people. His approach combines architectural design, bamboo treatment, prefabrication, local workforce training, and community-led construction.
Working in contexts affected by civil conflict, earthquakes, extreme weather, and limited humanitarian funding, Raphaël has developed practical bamboo construction systems designed for rapid deployment, affordability, resilience, and local replicability. His projects include healthcare facilities, prefabricated classrooms and housing, post-earthquake reconstruction, early childhood centers, and community infrastructure across Myanmar.
His work has received international recognition from MIT Solve, the Nikkei Asia Award, and the World Habitat Awards. Through Blue Temple and Housing NOW, Raphaël continues to advance bamboo as a practical, resilient, and community-driven material for humanitarian architecture and sustainable development.
