Archinect - News

Researchers propose concrete mixed with plastic for India's rapid construction

2018-09-19T16:28:00-04:00

Researchers say India could alleviate its growing shortage of sand, which is needed for concrete, by partially replacing it with waste plastic. Research carried out by the University of Bath in the UK, and India’s Goa Engineering College, has found that concrete made with an admixture of ground-up plastic bottles is almost as strong as traditional concrete mixtures.

With India's rapid urbanization, concrete construction has dramatically increased causing a shortage in the country's sand used to make the building material. Mixing in plastic bottles focuses on solving both the issue of a sand shortage and the accumulation plastic waste on the streets. While the plastic added material is not as strong as concrete, it could still be used for lower tech functions such as paving slabs.

Liverpool aims to be world's first climate-positive city with blockchain technology

2018-07-26T16:20:00-04:00

Liverpool City Council (LCC) has announced a new partnership with a blockchain platform company to offset more than 110% of its carbon emissions, with the city announcing its bid to become the world's first climate-positive city by the end of 2020. LCC will conduct a year-long trial with the Poseidon Foundation to use a blockchain platform to offset the carbon impact of all products and services in the city by supporting global forest conversation projects.

Liverpool's ambition to become the world's first climate-positive city by 2020 has been announced with the city's blockchain technology partnership. Committing to a year-long trial of this sustainable technology, Liverpool City Council strives to reduce its carbon impact by installing more than 15,000 energy saving LED streetlights across 2,000 streets to reduce streetlight energy consumption by 82%.

The Poseidon’s Foundation, Laszlo Giricz stated, “This is a ground-breaking partnership not just for Poseidon and Liverpool, but globally. For the first time, a city will use blockchain technology to go beyond rebalancing its carbon footprint – leading the way in the fight against climate change."

William Kaven unveils design for tallest Portland building

2017-11-14T18:26:00-05:00

William Kaven Architecture recently revealed their proposed design for the US Postal Site redevelopment project in downtown Portland, Oregon. Currently in the conceptual design stage, the firm has fleshed out major goals for Portland's central site. William Kaven have proposed a multi high rise project with two lofty towers at it's center exceeding a height of 970 feet, and making them the tallest structure in Portland.

The master plan includes approximately 5 million square feet of sustainable new development with a mixed use of retail, office, hospitality and residential. The leading towers would be interlinked by a glass-enclosed botanical bridge spanning across the North Park Blocks. William Kaven intend this skybridge to be an iconic addition to the city's skyline providing dramatic aerial views and becoming a destination for downtown Portland.

Co founder Daniel Kaven proclaims expansive goals for Portland stating, "The towers are large enough to serve as a headquarters for a...

A closer look at riza3's low-cost housing plans for the homeless

2016-04-14T18:22:00-04:00

Last year, the team took part in the 'Tiny Home Community' competition, set up by members of the North Carolina branch of the American Institute of Architects. The competition was asking participants to design low-cost homes with prefabricated elements, that could house the homeless folk of Raleigh, North Carolina. More than 100 architectural offices from all over the world answered the call, including some well-established companies, but first prize was eventually awarded to riza3.

Although Elemental, the firm of Pritzker Prize winning Alejandro Aravena, released plans for "incremental" low-cost housing meant to be assembled partly by individuals and partly by a larger social infrastructure, they're not the only ones with ideas for long term sustainable housing. Greek firm riza3's competition winning ideas for low-cost houses differ in that they use prefabricated elements, and assume that there will be some integration into a preexisting urban fabric. Here's a look at a few plans and renderings:

The individual units, which measure 20'4" by 9'8" can be integrated into a community plan, with a separate work space and common area.

For more on homelessness and its possible solutions:

Apple CEO Tim Cook says new spaceship campus will be 'greenest building on the planet'

2014-09-22T18:55:00-04:00

Apple has previously advertised the environmentally conscious features of Campus 2, most notably on the recently updated environmental section of its website, which states that the building will be "powered by 100 percent renewable energy sources" and rely on natural ventilation instead of temperature control during 75 percent of the year. Apple will also be installing more than 300 electric vehicle charging stations on the campus and planting more than 7,000 trees on the grounds.

Wingårdhs wins Statoil competition in Norway, beats Snøhetta, OMA and Norman Foster

2014-04-04T21:22:00-04:00

"E = mc²" by Swedish firm Wingårdhs was the winning solution in an invited competition to redesign the Forus West building of major energy company Statoil in Sandnes, Norway. Statoil will now further develop its plans for the new building based on Wingårdhs’ proposal and clarify significant regulation issues before further progress is done.

From 48 applications worldwide, the invited teams consisted mostly of Norwegian names and a few famous ones: Snøhetta (NO); Foster + Partners (UK) with Space Group (NO); and Helen & Hard (NO) with SAHAA (NO). OMA (NL) was also invited but withdrew shortly before the competition deadline, much to the jury's disappointment.

Here's a glimpse of Wingårdhs’ proposal:

See the jury's evaluation and other details on Bustler.

See New York radically transformed in the “Building Tomorrow” exhibition, opening April 4 in NYC

2014-04-03T20:04:00-04:00

Already making weekend plans? If you're based in New York, maybe you ought to stop by the "Building Tomorrow" exhibition opening tomorrow April 4 until April 6 at 168 Bowery in NYC. Presented by BBC.com Future and Terreform ONE, the limited-time public exhibition invites New Yorkers to catch a glimpse of what their city could look like in the next few decades.

The exhibition will be on display at 168 Bowery (corner of Bowery and Kenmare) as follows:

Friday, April 4 from 12pm-9pm
Saturday, April 5 from 12pm-9pm
Sunday, April 6 from 12pm-6pm

See more on Bustler.

World's first "solar sidewalk" installed at George Washington University

2013-10-21T21:14:00-04:00

We typically see photovoltaic panels up on roofs, as they're broad, open surfaces that receive a lot of sunlight. You know what else spends a lot of time in the scorching sun, though? Sidewalks. With that in mind, a team at Washington DC's The George Washington University has created what is claimed to be "the first walkable solar-paneled pathway in the world."

But can my car drive on it? Built by Studio39 Landscape Architecture, the solar-sidewalk is installed on GWU's Virginia Science and Technology Campus.

Melbourne Certified As A Carbon Neutral City

2013-04-08T21:05:00-04:00

The City of Melbourne has been certified carbon neutral, an important step toward its goal of becoming one of the world’s most sustainable cities. In a carbon constrained economy, councillor Arron Wood said the certification by Low Carbon Australia against the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) “was a solid demonstration of the City of Melbourne’s commitment to a more sustainable Melbourne.”

World’s Largest Solar Towers Take to the Sun

2013-03-27T20:38:00-04:00

California will soon be home to the world’s two largest solar towers through an ambitious project known as The Palen Solar Electrical Generating System. The announcement was made shortly after the US Department of Interior announced the country was to add 1.1 gigawatts to its clean energy capacity. California has also committed to have a third of their power must be derived from renewable sources by the year 2030.

Living Art: The Rise Of The Vertical Gardens

2013-01-07T00:34:00-05:00

A growing number of small urban spaces are creating landscaped gardens that stretch beyond floor pots, with greenery growing upwards along walls and fences. This new trend toward ‘vertical gardens’ is renewing apartments, offices and restaurants inviting greenery to flourish in small spaces.

EMPOWERHOUSE: Solar Decathlon Team, Habitat for Humanity and D.C. Goverment Celebrate Completion of Innovative Model for Affordable, Green Housing

2012-12-04T07:06:00-05:00

After several years of planning, design and construction, a team of students from The New School and Stevens Institute of Technology who participated in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon celebrated the completion of Empowerhouse, an innovative model for affordable, energy efficient green housing located in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington.

Developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. (DC Habitat), and the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the project marks the first time in the Solar Decathlon's history that a team partnered from the outset with civic and government agencies to create a house specifically for a local D.C. community. It is the first Passive House—the leading international energy standard—in the District of Columbia, and already a recipient of a Mayor’s Sustainability Award.

"This project fulfills a longstanding vision of our team to create a house that would endure in a meaningful way after the Solar Decathlon was over,” said Joel Towers, executive dean of Parsons The New School for Design. “Empowerhouse illustrates The New School's commitment to design-led civic engagement, and is a true model of affordable sustainable housing that has the potential for national as well as international replication. Due to the success of this project, Parsons is...