Archinect - News

Studio Gang's super green Populus hotel opens in Denver

2024-10-15T16:42:00-04:00

Today marks the long-awaited debut of Studio Gang’s Populus hotel project in Denver. The 265-room design is being promoted as the first ‘carbon-positive’ hotel development in the United States and features a combination of highly sustainable building materials and offsetting strategies that target a LEED Gold certification.

Image: courtesy Jason O'Rear

Image: courtesy Steve Hall

The firm’s first project in Colorado precedes their involvement on the Phase 1 redevelopment of the adjacent Civic Center Park. It is designed, as its name suggests, to mirror the natural processes of endemic Aspen trees (aka Populus tremuloides) with a textured facade featuring an arrangement of scalloped windows that contribute passive shading while channeling rainwater with widths tailored to the public and private spaces contained within.

Image: courtesy Jason O'Rear

Founder Jeanne Gang says: "Denver strikes a unique balance between being a vibrant city and a gateway to some of the country’s most awe-inspir...

Former Lakers favorite Rick Fox now has carbon-neutral concrete company aimed at building change

2024-01-05T18:36:00-05:00

His pitch is pretty straightforward. In a world where companies—including construction companies and their clients—are trying to gloss their climate credentials, and where countries have made commitments to hit carbon reduction targets, why wouldn’t you shift wholesale to carbon-neutral concrete? The answer, Fox says, is simply inertia. “Why would they change what’s working for them? They’ve been burning rocks for 200 years.”

The company Fox co-founded with an architect named Sam Marshall, Partanna, has been active since 2018 in using its product, which was developed with the help of materials science researchers using a mixture of brine taken from desalination plants and slag. Arizona State University's Dwarak Ravikumar says an outside review of the data that pertains to its environmental footprints and scalability is needed, according to another recent profile in The Verge.

Still, Fox's ambits are admirable for someone of his position and fame. He says Partanna has a plan to construct one thousand homes in the country. Their product can also be used in coral reef development. "The business plans to build and operate facilities around the world, initially in key territories where it has long-term offtake agreements with customers, including The Bahamas, the Middle East, and the United States," their website reads.

Additional details about the year-old operation can be found here.

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BIG designs off-grid 'adventure village' Vollebak Island

2023-06-01T14:29:00-04:00

BIG has shared details about their latest collaboration with British clothing company Vollebak to design a self-sufficient, off-grid island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Named after the brand, the 11-acre Vollebak Island is intended to be fully powered by carbon-neutral energy.

The island site centers around the 6,426-square-foot Earth House, a village-like series of nine interconnected buildings clustered under a man-made hill, and the 947-square-foot Wood House, a standalone garden suite structure on the island’s eastern shoreline.

View of Vollebak Island's Earth House. Rendering: MIR. Image courtesy Vollebak

Each space on the island is made from material tailored for their specific uses, including stacked seaweed, compacted earth, hemp, glass brick, and locally-sourced stone. The island will be powered through a combination of offshore wind, geothermal energy, and solar power, with the energy stored in Tesla power walls.

The Earth House. Rendering: MIR. Image courtesy Vo...

6 Hawai'i-based architecture firms join AIA's 2030 climate commitment

2023-04-27T17:01:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects' 2030 commitment program aims to transform building design to address climate change by setting standards and goals. AIA Honolulu member firms AEPAC, AHL, Ferraro Choi, KYA Design Group, MASON and WRNS Studio signed onto the commitment in honor of Earth Day.

The AIA 2030 Commitment program requires participating firms to report the predicted energy performance of all projects in their portfolios each year. Energy by fuel source, renewable energy, post-occupancy energy use, and embodied carbon are also tracked. The program has mapped out energy reduction targets of 80% and 90% by 2025 and complete carbon neutrality by 2030.

Previously on Archinect: AIA 2030 signatories making progress on commitment to reduce energy use

U.S. Department of Energy grants $39 million to projects developing carbon-storing buildings

2022-07-21T19:01:00-04:00

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $39 million to 18 projects dedicated to developing technologies that can transform buildings into net carbon storage structures.

The initiative titled the Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) program is being led by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

The awardees will use the funding to develop alternative building materials and construction techniques. The decarbonization goals for the program align with President Biden’s plan to reach zero emissions by 2050, aiming to increase the total amount of carbon stored in buildings to create carbon sinks.

“This is a unique opportunity for researchers to advance clean energy materials to tackle one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors that is responsible for roughly 10% of total annual emissions in the United States,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm remarked on the initiative.

The fiel...

Hemp is about to take an outsized role in the building industry's push to go green

2022-07-19T17:40:00-04:00

While most of these buildings are constructed out of more traditional materials like cement, brick, drywall, and plywood, forward-thinking architects and members of the construction industry have increasingly been turning to natural materials as an alternative for the future. Due to its ability to sequester carbon, hemp has landed itself at the forefront of the conversation about natural building.

Hemp’s high tensile strength, pliability, and strength-to-weight ratio are increasingly valuable in the manufacture and design of products like fiberboard and even a new concrete alternative. The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow featured the speculative 'Urban Sequoia' design from SOM that combined hempcrete with other green materials like algae and bio-bricks to create a high-rise tower capable of sequestering 1,000 tons of CO2 per year.

One industry executive says it’s going to change the way we build, and that this is only the beginning in terms of what we’ll see coming onto the marketplace in the next few decades. “We’ve made blueprints for hemp villages,” Jayeson Hendyrsan, CEO of Hempcrete Natural Building Ltd., told the AIA’s Topic A blog. “We want families to live in these carbon neutral homes for generations. While we’re a way off from that being widespread, we...

New first-of-its-kind office tower in Melbourne sports an integrated solar façade

2022-06-07T17:55:00-04:00

Australia’s first office tower with a “solar skin” is expected to be built next year in a landmark moment for the construction industry and decarbonisation efforts. The eight-storey building at 550-558 Spencer Street in West Melbourne will cost $40m and has been designed by the architecture firm Kennon on behalf of Dr Bella Freeman.

The first-of-its-kind structure for Australia will be covered by 1,182 solar panels with the equivalent thickness of a conventional glass façade. The cladding is called Skala, developed by German solar energy technology company Avancis. The system utilizes a thin-film PV module that sits atop a network that channels the generated electricity into the building’s power supply. As reported by The Guardian, it has the ability to produce 50 times the energy of an average rooftop photovoltaic array used in residential housing.

When the building is completed, the solar skin will reportedly provide nearly all its energy needs. The addition of extra roof panels will cut almost all ongoing power costs, and after a few years, the site is expected to be carbon-neutral. While involved in projects in Europe, the technology is a first for Australia, given its strict building codes. It is currently undergoing a final round of testing before it can be approved, which would make Skala available to u...

Los Angeles officials plan to make all new buildings zero-carbon

2022-05-31T11:30:00-04:00

The Los Angeles City Council have passed a motion instructing several city departments to begin work on a framework that would require all new residential and commercial buildings in the city to be built to achieve zero-carbon emissions. Passed on May 27th, the motion may see a roadmap to zero-carbon buildings published before the end of 2022.

“We have lagged behind other California cities in tackling our largest source of climate pollution citywide: buildings,” the motion reads. “Over fifty cities and counties in California have already taken action to reduce carbon emissions in new building construction and prepare their buildings for a carbon-neutral future. It is time for Los Angeles to do the same.”

According to the motion, buildings in Los Angeles are the largest emitter in the city, accounting for 43% of L.A. greenhouse gas emissions. The 43% figure is significantly above the average...

California climate action plan calls for all-electric new homes by 2026

2022-05-12T17:11:00-04:00

A new draft plan by the California Air Resources Board was released on Tuesday that lays out an ambitious roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality in the state by 2045.

Called the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan, the guide highlights the necessity for a comprehensive shift away from fossil fuels across all sectors, notably households, businesses, and transportation.

The plan suggests the state require all new homes to have electric appliances starting in 2026 and new businesses by 2029. For existing homes, 80% of appliance sales should be electric by 2030 and 100% by 2035. As noted by TIME, this, coupled with the plan’s stringent transportation regulations, would put a significant new demand on the electric grid, which would require California to rapidly scale up solar power and storage options. Hydrogen infrastructure would also need to expand.

The plan is not final, however. It wi...

Arup completes the Netherlands' tallest timber-hybrid residential building

2022-03-31T19:16:00-04:00

Arup has designed and engineered the Netherlands’ tallest timber-hybrid residential building.

Completed this year, HAUT is part of the country’s commitment to becoming climate-neutral by 2050, in which the use of timber as a building material has been identified as one of the most effective ways to accelerate decarbonization. As noted by Arup, in 2021, over 80 Dutch companies signed the Green Deal covenant Houtbouw of the Metropoolregio Amsterdam. With this, the nation's capital and most populous city is committing to the goal of building at least one in five buildings using primarily timber from 2025 onwards.

Previously on Archinect: Arup, TEAM V to build world's tallest timber residential building in Amsterdam

HAUT was conceived in 2016 with the aim of being of both sustainable and high architectural quality. Situated near the Amstel river, the structure is one of the tallest timber-hybrid buildings in the world, standing 21 floors tall at nearly 240 feet. It was also certified B...

Arup-supported $2.3 billion light rail project nears completion in the Greater Boston region

2022-03-25T18:29:00-04:00

The Union Square Branch opening of the long-awaited Boston Green Line Extension (GLX) marks a major milestone for the Arup-supported project.

The first of two segments as part of a 4.7-mile extension of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) regional transit system, the Union Square Branch comprises the new Union Square and Lechmere stations. The opening of the Medford Branch later this year will conclude the development of this decades-long project.

The GLX is expected to add 50,000 daily passenger trips to Boston’s transit network and bring much-needed service to the Somerville, Cambridge, and Medford communities. The project will also help bring the city closer to meeting its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality by significantly reducing vehicle-related emissions.

Arup is serving as the project’s Design Professional, supporting the MBTA with overseeing the design development, and testing and commissioning process. The firm was first tapped by the MBTA as a consultan...

Cornell University to drill 10,000-foot hole to utilize geothermal energy

2022-02-03T13:51:00-05:00

In May 2022, Cornellians will see a drill the height of McGraw Tower rise above a plot of land between the Cornell Teaching Dairy Barn and Cascadilla Creek as it drills a 10,000-foot hole. The drilling is part of the Cornell University Borehole Observatory: the first stage of the University’s Earth Source Heating project, which aims to eventually use geothermal heat to provide ecologically-friendly heating to campus buildings.

Cornell’s Earth Source Heating Program, aiming to harness renewable energy in Ithaca, is part of the school’s Climate Action Plan. The goal of the initiative is for the University’s campus operations to be carbon neutral by 2035. This step of the project will first explore the feasibility and safety of the site before delivering heat to the campus.

The Borehole Observatory will allow researchers to investigate how much heat geothermal energy can provide, determine whether it will be sufficient for Cornell’s campus, and if there are any consequences to using this site.

Biden administration issues mandate to make federal vehicles and buildings run on renewable energy by 2050

2021-12-14T13:46:00-05:00

President Biden on Wednesday set in motion a plan to make the federal government carbon neutral, ordering federal agencies to buy electric vehicles, to power facilities with wind, solar and nuclear energy, and to use sustainable building materials.

Biden called for the transformation of 300,000 government buildings, 600,000 cars and trucks, and the use of its annual $650 billion budget for goods and services to meet his goal for a carbon-neutral federal government by 2050.

Detailed by The New York Times, his timetable for the transition is as follows: By 2030, Biden wants the federal government to purchase electricity only from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide. By 2032, the administration wants the emissions from building operations, such as heating, halved. And by 2035, all new federal car and truck purchases would also be zero-emissions.

There’s uncertainty over whether Biden’s climate goals will come into fruition as Congress has yet to approve a $1.7 trillion spending bill that would help achieve his targets and the expected limitations posed by the Supreme Court.

The world's largest hybrid solar-hydropower floating farm has begun operation in Thailand

2021-11-17T12:36:00-05:00

A floating solar farm that’s equivalent to about 70 soccer fields in size has begun generating power in Thailand, reflecting the country’s push to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050.

Located at the Sirindhorn Dam, which is about 410 miles east of Bangkok, the facility is the world’s largest hybrid solar-hydropower system. It combines two methods of electricity generation, with 145,000 solar panels generating power from the sun during that day, while three turbines convert energy from flowing water at night. It can send up to 45MW of power to three different provinces in the region.

The $34 million solar farm started operating on October 31st. It is the first of 16 similar floating solar panel projects planned in key Thai reservoirs as the country aims to shift away from its reliance on natural gas. According to Bloomberg, Thailand will reach carbon neutrality by 2050, ahead of its previous target of 2065 that was pledged by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha at COP26. In addition, the country aims to reach net zero emissions by 2065.

A new study finds that multi-storied buildings made of wood sell for nearly 9% more than other construction in Helsinki

2021-05-24T18:04:00-04:00

A new study out of Aalto University in Finland shows that building with wood can be economically feasible. The research team analyzed statistical data from real estate sales in the Finnish capital of Helsinki and two suburbs between the years of 1999 and 2018. Of these, timber-built homes made up 2.23% of cases. The findings reveal that multi-storied buildings made from wood sold for an average 8.85% more than those made from other materials.

The study derives from the challenge of increasing urbanization and the need to meet the demand for new residential developments. Simultaneously, the building and construction industry is accountable for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Program. As cities across the world set ambitious carbon neutrality goals, finding ways to meet this demand while cutting construction emissions is extremely important. One approach and challenge is to use more environmentally friendly materials as m...

A&D Goes Carbon Neutral: Innovations in Supply and Manufacturing Chains

2020-09-17T16:25:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Parade, the only online platform dedicated to tracking new product releases for the A&D industry

So the story goes, when Elon Musk’s SpaceX was faced with a $120,000 price tag for a rocket booster actuator, the famed visionary advised his engineer thusly: “That part is no more complicated than a garage door opener. Your budget is $5,000. Go make it work.” Some nine months later, the actuator was finalized at a price tag of $3,900, accelerating production of the rocket while similarly providing impetus to Musk’s objective of verticalizing his supply chain in order to enhance quality, decrease transportation costs, and reduce fossil fuel use.

Keilhauer products are designed for a long, useful life with replaceable components. Their End of Product Life documents may be used as guidance for those wishing to replace product components or dismantle and recycle products at home.

Though arguably the most famous, Musk certainly isn’t the only one bent on innova...

Ireland to plant 440 million trees by 2040

2019-09-04T19:59:00-04:00

Twenty-two million trees are to be planted every year in Ireland over the next two decades as part of a plan to tackle climate change, the Government has said. While the Government’s climate action plan, published in June, proposed 8,000 hectares – or 19,768 acres – of new forestry every year in a bid to capture carbon emissions, it did not specify the number of trees involved.

Ireland is aiming to turn a large portion of its agricultural land over to forestry as a plan to plant 22 million trees per year for the next 20 years takes shape.

A Department of Communications spokesperson for the Irish Climate Action and Environment told The Irish Times, “The climate action plan commits to delivering an expansion of forestry planting and soil management to ensure that carbon abatement from land-use is delivered over the period 2021 to 2030 and in the years beyond.”

First fully solar-powered museum is planned for LA's Institute of Contemporary Art

2019-08-22T13:30:00-04:00

In a statement released today the museum shared their goals to becoming the first solar powered art museum. According to ICA LA's deputy directory Samuel Vasquez, "Our audience counts on us to uphold the wellbeing of our community, and once we looked at the numbers and saw that it was possible to go solar, we felt obligated to make the change. It will not be easy and there will be a large cost, but we feel it is our duty as a civic leader and advocate for social progress."

Plans for transforming the museum to run on solar is launched through a crowd-funded Kickstarter campaign. The goal is to install 206 solar panels and raise $25,000. In total the project is estimated to cost $156,000 in total.

According to their Kickstarter page, the plans to go solar are driven by Los Angeles' attempt to become carbon-neutral by 2050. With our world in a state of "climate emergency" the ICA LA is the second art museum to tackle climate change and implement a sustainable approach. According to ar...

AIA issues statement of support for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal

2019-02-08T21:13:00-05:00

AIA President William Bates has issued a statement praising the efforts of a Green New Deal, an ambitious resolution put forth by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that addresses the immense threat of climate change while stimulating the economy through sustainable job creation across various sectors.

The transformative package of policies, announced yesterday, is both broad and bold, giving attention to everything from environmental justice and labor to health care and education. And to get there, the road map calls for a range of policy-driven projects that would heavily touch on the building industry, which accounts for nearly 40% of CO2 emissions in the United States.

Most notably, the bill calls for densifying urban areas and demands the U.S. “upgrade all existing buildings and build new buildings, to achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability"—both of which would have huge impacts for how and wh...

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.”

Winners of Transiting Cities - Low Carbon Futures Competition

2013-01-21T14:42:00-05:00

A few days ago, we published one of the finalist entries of the international design ideas competition, Transiting Cities - Low Carbon Futures. The competition was open [...] to develop innovative visions for Latrobe City, in eastern Victoria, Australia to make the transition from a singular economy dominated by the power industry (coal mining and electricity generation) into a diversified economy and prosperous low carbon regional city.

Transiting Cities - Finalist Entry “Networked Ecologies: Rethinking Remediation”

2013-01-11T14:01:00-05:00

Last fall, the international research project and design ideas competition, "Transiting Cities - Low Carbon Futures," had invited designers and academic institutions from various fields to envision new, innovative and alternative cities of the near future by defining opportunities for transition into low carbon, prosperous, and vibrant communities. One of the finalist entries [...] is the concept "Networked Ecologies: Rethinking Remediation" by Arizona-based team Studio One.

Pixel Building: Australia's First Carbon Neutral Building is Now Complete!

2011-12-16T12:36:23-05:00

This crazy building is a real live structure and it's also Australia's very first carbon neutral building. Recently completed, the Pixel Building is an office building located on the former CUB Brewery site in Melbourne.

Can New York City Achieve Carbon Neutrality in Buildings by 2030?

2011-04-20T20:18:18-04:00

Most buildings in New York will undergo renovation over the next twenty years. A number will also get demolished. As well, many building enclosures will soon need replacement, particularly post-WW2 curtain wall buildings. Gut renovations of office spaces take place on a regular basis. There is great opportunity to re-imagine and reduce energy consumption in all these buildings.

Our friend Jacob Slevin talks to Ed Mazria, sustainable architecture activist and founder of Architecture 2030, about changes he envisions for NYC and beyond.