Archinect - News

ETH Zurich researcher develops 3D printed insulation foam using recycled materials

2023-12-01T11:48:00-05:00

ETH Zurich has published details of new research into lightweight building components produced using 3D printing. Led by doctoral architecture researcher Patrick Bedarf, the Airlements project centers on cement-free mineral foams derived from recycled industrial waste.

Working within the institution’s Digital Building Technologies group led by Professor Benjamin Dillenburger, Bedarf’s project emerged from a doctoral thesis on lightweight insulating construction elements, and how complex shapes could be manufactured with fewer material inputs. Bedarf ultimately deployed a sustainable insulation material produced by the ETH spin-off FenX using recycled industrial waste.

FenX’s mineral foam material is mostly made from fly ash, a waste product from industrial blast furnaces. Bedarf’s process then deploys 3D printing to shape the material into bespoke building parts without the need for formwork, which is traditionally only partly reusable and more time-consuming.

“Without automation, ...

British building firms urge a halt to 'regressive' Tory environmental policy delays

2023-10-10T17:24:00-04:00

Several leading design and construction firms in the UK have signed onto a new appeal urging Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to halt his program of delayed implementations of key environmental building regulations in the interest of protecting a net-zero carbon emissions future in the country.

The Guardian first shared news of the letter, which called these delays “simply reckless,” just days after issuing a damming analysis of the benefits reaped by some builders as the ambitions of the climate movement have been vastly forestalled.

“We are disappointed at your narrative that delaying climate action would reduce costs to households. The longer we delay and the more we see stop-start piecemeal policy making, the harder and more expensive the task becomes,” a portion of the text reads.

SOM, Perkins&Will, and WilkinsonEyre were amongst the 114 signatories, joining AECOM, Buro Happold, and Arup on a docket that was formally organized by the UK Green Building Council. Along with...

An Edwardian terrace house refurbished as a sleek, energy-saving abode in London

2023-02-16T15:32:00-05:00

British firm Architecture for London has recently completed the extension and refurbishment of a traditional Edwardian terrace house into a modern, energy-efficient home.

Photo: Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey, courtesy of Architecture for London

Called Low Energy House, the residence is located in Muswell Hill, a suburban district in north London, and aimed to set an example of a sustainable refurbishment of a typical terraced home with a constrained budget. The project’s embodied energy and energy in-use were taken into heavy consideration.

Photo: Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey, courtesy of Architecture for London

The energy requirements were reduced through insulating, triple-glazing, and improving airtightness. The home was extended via a rear extension and a loft conversion.

The home incorporates a timber structure, a continuous airtight layer, and insulation to the entire building envelope. The walls were insulated externally at the side and rear and internally at t...

Swiss researchers have developed a carbon-storing building insulation made from plant-based materials

2023-02-13T15:49:00-05:00

A Swiss research team from Empa's Building Energy Materials and Components Lab explores the potential for using raw, plant-based materials as insulation for buildings.

Led by scientist Dr. Jannis Wernery and researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, the project is based on binding carbon dioxide in insulation materials, preferably waste products from agriculture and forestry, over the long term. This method aims to combat embodied greenhouse gas emissions in buildings by removing carbon from the atmosphere. Carbon stored in biomass can be permanently fixed through the use of heat treatment.

The resulting material, known as biochar, can store carbon dioxide throughout the life of a building and be used again following the deconstruction of a building, reports Rémy Nideröst of Empa. However, Dr. Wernery explains, "there is still a lot to do before the idea can be put into practice."

The researchers must ensure that the new insulation materials can be used as a fe...

University of Chicago researchers develop ‘chameleon-like’ material that can regulate buildings by changing from solid to liquid

2023-02-08T12:30:00-05:00

Researchers from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have published details of a new material that can auto-regulate its environment by changing its infrared colors and liquid-solid state. In the future, the ultra-thin material film could be added to a building’s thermal facade in order to reduce the need for HVAC systems.

“Nearly 30% of the energy consumption and 10% of the greenhouse gas come from buildings,” says Chenxi Sui, a member of the research team whose findings have recently been published in the journal Nature. “Looking for diverse approaches to maintain a comfortable building temperature becomes a key point to creating a sustainable and carbon-negative future. Instead of controlling the indoor temperature in conventional ways, we keep wondering: Can we treat the building like the human body?”

Image courtesy University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

The behavioral pattern of the new material has been likened to that ...

Finger-pointing closes Phase II of the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry as possible criminal charges loom

2022-11-09T15:09:00-05:00

The close of the 300-day-long inquiry into the devastating 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London saw attorneys for the victims pinning the “primary responsibility” on the building's designer, Studio E Architects, adding that a “rogue's gallery” comprised of Arconic Architectural Products and the engineering concern Exova were also to blame, along with the “rolled-back state” and a coterie of Grenfell subcontractors.

“The full extent of the disaster was caused by a complex combination of corporate greed with complete disregard for safety, professional incompetence, oversight and organisational failings, and facilitated by an insufficiently robust regime,” Barrister Stephanie Barwise said during her final statement.

A representative for Kingspan, makers of the faulty K15 insulation used in 5% of the facade, added their view that “responsibility also rests with those responsible for the design, construction, and approval of the refurbishment.”

Previously on Archinect: New findings state ...

The UK's new Part O regulations are being implemented at the right time

2022-07-25T09:00:00-04:00

New regulations, called Part O, took effect in England in June, requiring that new homes are built with some measures to combat overheating. The regulations aim to reduce solar gain — the increase in room temperature caused by sunlight — ensuring the safety of occupants, even if it may remain uncomfortable.

Hundreds of UK residents died in this week’s “heat apocalypse” that posed particular challenges to those living in the country’s many recently-converted office buildings and council housing. Brick masonry remains the predominant residential construction material, though Low Energy Architectural Practice Principal Mark Siddall says the regulations will “help designers, architects and engineers make more informed decisions so that the risk of overheating can be reduced in new properties.”

Extreme summer temperatures seen this week are expected to occur more regularly by century's end. At the other end of the spectrum, certain antiquated home designs can’t be kept warm enough in winter, prompting RIBA to call for an expansive £38 billion ($51.5 billion) upgrade plan.

New findings state Grenfell Tower insulation never passed fire safety test

2018-05-23T14:58:00-04:00

The insulation that burned out of control on Grenfell Tower had never passed the required safety test and should never have been on the building, a BBC investigation has discovered. Panorama understands the manufacturer, Celotex, used extra fire retardant in the product that qualified for the safety certificate. A more flammable version was then sold for public use, the programme believes. Celotex said it is co-operating with the police investigation and inquiry.

Last June the Grenfell Tower fire in London killed 72 people prompting ongoing investigations. It has been found that the RS5000 insulation used in the building's refurbishment gives off toxic fumes containing cyanide when burned. Almost all who perished in the fire were killed by smoke.

The manufacturer Celotex has been accused of misleading marketing, selling their insulation as compatible with other cladding panels and tower block refurbishment—both of which are false. Safety was neglected as the cladding panels and insulation in Grenfell Tower were never tested together. This could result in corporate manslaughter for Celotex.

The same toxic insulation is found to have been used on hundreds of other buildings across England.

The logistics of building NASA's carbon-dioxide insulated, "Ice Home" on Mars

2017-01-03T13:04:00-05:00

If you don't think you can handle another year on Earth, the possibility of dwelling comfortably on another planet is closer than you might expect. After announcing a winning design from Clouds Architecture Office and Space Exploration Architecture last October, NASA has released more detailed logistical plans for building a carbon dioxide insulated, ice-filled exterior home that could be assembled by robots in preparation for human habitation. The design uses naturally occurring resources found on Mars and predicts that with the planet's estimated daily water extraction rate, it would take about 400 days for the exterior to be filled with water. As the article notes:

The “Mars Ice Home” is a large inflatable torus, a shape similar to an inner tube, which is surrounded by a shell of water ice. The Mars Ice Home design has several advantages that make it an appealing concept. It is lightweight and can be transported and deployed with simple robotics, then filled with water before the...

Finnish University receives grant to explore industrial applications for hemp

2016-04-20T17:32:00-04:00

Turku University of Applied Sciences has received a grant of 70,417 euros to see if hemp could be used more in construction projects. The research will involve investigating the soundproofing and fireproof properties of the substance. Researchers will also look at how hemp decomposes and to see how it could be used as fertilizer - in order to determine how eco-friendly hemp's waste materials are.

The article is careful to note that hemp has far less THC than marijuana and is therefore not a psychoactive substance (obviously) – but the news still feels topical.

Hemp has been used for centuries for ropes, oils and textiles. But marijuana criminalization efforts in the 20th centuries seriously hurt hemp's brand (among other things). Now that marijuana is beginning to become destigmatized, there's been a renewed interest in hemp and its many potential uses.

"Hemp-based concrete is already marketed with names like Hempcrete and Canosmose, and is made up of a mixture of hemp fibres, lime and other materials," the authors note. "The mixture is not as strong as conventional concrete however and is used in conjunction with extra framing support."

Here's some other 4/20-related articles from the archives:

UCL researchers present a new kind of self-cleaning nano-engineered window

2016-01-21T17:46:00-05:00

Researchers at University College London (UCL) claim that a “revolutionary” new type of window could cut cleaning costs in tall buildings and reduce heating bills by up to 40% thanks to a new combination of nano-scale engineering inspired by the eyes of moths, and thermochromic coating. The prototype, revealed today, has conical nanostructures engraved on its surface that trap air and prevent all but a tiny amount of water coming into actual contact with the glass.

"The lead UCL researcher said this would be a big draw for high-rise building owners, since the cost of cleaning the windows surpasses the cost of installing them after the first five years."

Editor's Picks #432

2015-10-25T18:43:00-04:00

Amelia Taylor-Hochberg penned an essay on The humanity of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, wherein she argues "the Biennial is more about architects than it is about architecture."

Meanwhile Julia Ingalls reviewed the book Conversations with Architects: In the Age of Celebrity, by former corporate interior designer turned international architectural curator Vladimir Belogolovsky. DTElmore was convinced "this article has helped me to see that now, more than ever, buildings and criticism of buildings are inextricably linked to the characters that design them, possibly to the detriment of architecture."

News

Moscow is on a roll, of post-industrial rehab; with Renzo Piano Building Workshop releasing a redesign - for turning a Moscow power station into an art site for the V-A-C Foundation and Neutelings Riedijk Architects proposing golden glass and steel towers for a defunct Moscow auto plant.

The SANAA designed arts and community center, the River, finally opened its doors to the public...

Flaunting foam and function in An Insulation Installation at Makeshift Society Brooklyn

2014-07-18T18:40:00-04:00

From preventing drafts and keeping moisture out of walls, to being used as inexpensive material for crafting 3D models, rigid insulation foam is a familiar friend to many architects and designers during the creative process. But what to do with all those scraps?

Designers Elisa Werbler and Lucy Knops of The Foam Agency (TFA) are inviting architects and designers around the Brooklyn community to send their foam scraps to be permanently showcased in An Insulation Installation at the Makeshift Society's newest location in Brooklyn.

The installation reclaims the foam back to their original place in a transparent wall, while also sharing the back-stories of the collected foam pieces that'll add a collaborative vibe to the Makeshift space.

Werbler and Knops -- who are both product design grad students at New York's School of Visual Arts and are doing their summer residency at Makeshift -- established The Foam Agency this year to celebrate the foam and its purpose in the creative process.

TFA'...

Editor's Picks #357

2014-03-05T19:15:00-05:00

The latest edition of Student Works: highlighted "Eidos" a proposal for a housing complex located in East Harlem, New York, by GSAPP students Carlo Bailey and Lorenzo Villaggi.

Plus, Archinect launched a new a new feature series, highlighting some of the more ambitious and intriguing workshops out there. The inaugural issue features the Tiny House Design workshop, put on by Boneyard Studios in Washington, DC.

News

The Guardian published Zaha Hadid’s defense, regarding her role in Qatar World Cup following migrant worker deaths. vado retro was basically in agreement “she is absolutely correct architects are not responsible for job site safety and if architects become involved, even by commenting as to what should be done to remedy the situation, then the architect opens him/herself to liability claims...before condemning her comments it might be of some value to review Article 10 of A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction”

Nice suggested “We all know Zaha is not at fa...