Designers use a range of tools to conceive and visualise our built environment. Design for bamboo structures requires an understanding of the material and methods of construction in the initial design stages more so than with standardised man-made materials. This paper discusses and advocates for a mixed media of design tools which includes: concept sketching; physical model-making; computational design, specifically an algorithmic design (AD) approach; and full-scale construction; and discusses the opportunity afforded through the inclusion of an AD approach. Using methods of: self-observation; evaluation; and surveys, this paper reviews the application of this mixed media delivered through participatory action research in Panama in early 2022.