Archinect - News

From dirty diapers to clean concrete to affordable housing

2023-06-14T18:55:00-04:00

In a novel approach to sustainable construction, a team of researchers led by Siswanti Zuraida, Bart Dewancker from Kitakyushu University in Japan, and Romi Bramantyo Margono, have pioneered a method to utilize non-degradable waste, notably disposable diapers, as composite materials for building low-cost housing. This compelling study is attracting substantial interest within the architectural community, providing an enticing alternative to traditional building materials, which can account for up to 80% of a dwelling's overall worth.

The research centered on the potential of disposable diaper waste in the construction of affordable housing, adhering to Indonesian building standards. The results showcased that disposable diaper waste could make up to 10% of structural components and 40% of nonstructural and architectural components in a housing unit. A prototype housing structure demonstrated that approximately 1.73 m^3 of disposable diaper waste could be repurposed for a housing are...

LafargeHolcim Awards seeks progressive sustainable construction projects from architecture's "Next Generation"

2019-10-09T09:30:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by LafargeHolcim Foundation

Call for exemplary construction projects and visionary design concepts. The LafargeHolcim Awards seeks leading projects of professionals as well as bold ideas from the Next Generation that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence. The 6th cycle of the international competition is open for entries until February 25, 2020. The Awards offer a total of USD 2 million in prize money and foreground projects and concepts from architecture, engineering, urban planning, materials and construction technology, and related fields.

Image © LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Submissions in the LafargeHolcim Awards main category include sustainable construction projects at an advanced stage of design, with a high probability of realization. Construction/fabrication must not have started before January 1, 2019. The Awards Next Generation category seeks visionary design concepts and bold ideas at...

The 2019 International LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction Calls for Entries

2019-06-25T12:03:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by LafargeHolcim Foundation

LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Middle East Africa prize handover ceremony in Nairobi. Winners celebrate their recognition in the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design. Image © LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Submissions in the LafargeHolcim Awards main category include sustainable construction projects at an advanced stage of design, with a ...

AIA announces four recipients of the Upjohn Research Initiative

2019-05-15T13:27:00-04:00

Supporting applied research projects that 'enhance the value of design and professional practice knowledge', The AIA Upjohn Research Initiative funds up to six research grants of $15,000 to $30,000 annually for projects completed within an 18-month period.

This year's grants recipients are:

Nexus between Sustainable Buildings and Human Health: Quantifying EEG Responses to Virtual Environments to Inform Design

Principal Investigators: Ming Hu (University of Maryland), Madlen Simon, AIA (University of Maryland)
Collaborators: Justin Benjamin, Assoc. AIA (Perkins + Will), Tim Bakos, AIA (Perkins + Will), Edward Bernat, PhD (University of Maryland)

The goal of this research project is to develop, test, and validate a data-driven approach using virtual reality and electroencephalogram technology for understanding the potential physiological influences of sustainable design features. In collaboration with an architecture firm and a neuroscience laboratory, the researchers propose technolog...

2015 Holcim Awards grand prizes given to Colombia, Sri Lanka, and U.S.-based projects

2015-04-20T19:46:00-04:00

The Holcim Foundation finally announced today the three winning projects for their global 2015 Holcim Awards. Every three years, the awards competition seeks architectural design interventions that address sustainable building and construction issues worldwide. As a global competition, the Holcim Awards highlight people's different lifestyles and draws attention to their specific communal issues.

At the same time, it promotes the innovative sustainable strategies that architects and designers can create in effort to improve a community's quality of life. The Holcim Awards jury -- chaired by Harvard GSD Dean Mohsen Mostafavi -- chose the three grand-prize winning teams, who each won a trophy and shared the $350,000 prize.

The $200,000 Gold prize went to "Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park | Medellín, Colombia" by Colombian team Mario Camargo, Luis Tombé, Colectivo720, with Juan Calle and Horacio Valencia, and EPM Group (Empresas Públicas de Medellín). Their proposal tra...

Twelve winners for the regional Holcim Awards 2014, Africa + Middle East

2014-10-20T21:14:00-04:00

The winners of the Holcim Awards 2014 Africa Middle East regional competition were recognized in a recent awards ceremony in Beirut, making it the fourth installment of the 2014 global awards program. The Africa Middle East competition focused on multi-disciplinary design solutions for building social and environmenal resilience...The winning projects will be implemented in nine countries including Turkey, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Palestine, Rwanda, and Morocco.

Check out a selection of the Africa - Middle East winners:

HOLCIM AWARDS GOLD 2014 - Eco-Techno Park: Green building showcase and enterprise hub, Ankara, Turkey
AUTHOR: Onat Öktem and Zeynep Öktem, ONZ Architects, Ankara, Turkey

HOLCIM AWARDS SILVER 2014 - Evergreen City: Urban pine forest rehabilitation, Beirut, Lebanon
MAIN AUTHOR: Raëd Abillama, Raëd Abillama Architects, Metn, Lebanon
FURTHER AUTHORS: Sawsan Bou Fakhreddine, Associaton for Forests Development & Conservation, Jdeideh, Lebanon; Youssef Abillama, Maintenance Management Group, Antelias, Lebanon

HOLCIM AWARDS BRONZE 2014 - Incremental Construction: Low-cost modular housing scheme, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
MAIN AUTHORr: Dirk Donath, Bauhaus University, Weimar, Germany
FURTHER AUTHOR: Brook Haileselassie, Asgedom Berhe, Helawie Sewnet and Sarah Yusuf, Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building, Construction & City Development (EiABC), Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Peter Dissel, Afro-European Engineers, Addis Ab...