Piano and his brother Ermanno's firm collaborated with UNESCO to establish a research station that would study the ways plant fibers can be used for architecture. They constructed the Renzo Piano Building Workshop on a steep cliff between the mountains and the sea on the Ligurian coast. The surrounding land is used by UNESCO scientists to grow bamboo, agave, and cane.
The Workshop building resembles a giant butterfly. Glass and louvre roofs flood the interior spaces with natural light. This environment has made the Renzo Piano Building Workshop an inspiring retreat for architects and engineers.