On one of his first jobs many decades ago, Velez discovered a process that enabled him to use bamboo as a structural material in ways beyond what had ever been achieved before then. Across a wide range of typologies–from housing to horse stables to chapels to a store for Carrefour–Velez is on a mission to make bamboo fashionable, if only for its critical importance as part of a sustainable future. Notable projects include a pavilion for the ZERI Foundation (Zero Energy Research and Initiatives) at Expo 2000, Hanover; the Crosswaters Ecolodge in the Guangdong Province, China; and the Zócalo Nomadic Museum, Mexico City. In December 2009 he received the Netherlands’ Prince Claus Award for contributions to culture and development.