Vancouver-based developer Westbank has unveiled plans for a collection of mixed-use projects in downtown San Jose, California. The development will feature six new or renovated buildings by leading architects including Kengo Kuma and Associates, Bjarke Ingels Group, Studio Gang, James K.M... View full entry
Researchers from UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced have proposed a “solar canal solution” to address the state’s water shortages, energy needs, and climate goals. In what they describe as a “win-win” for both water and climate in California, the researchers outlined the... View full entry
WRNS Studio has announced a milestone sustainability achievement for their Janet Durgin Guild & Commons, designed for the Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California. The scheme has become the first project to achieve both Petal and Zero Carbon Certification by the International Living Future... View full entry
Researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) have unveiled a structure aimed at tackling the global issue of water shortages. The cost-effective technique uses a floating module and highly efficient solar evaporation to extract freshwater from contaminated or sea water, potentially... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the winners of this year’s Upjohn Research Initiative, providing up to $30,000 to four research projects advancing sustainable architecture and design. The four projects demonstrate a variety of approaches to tackling climate change, from... View full entry
The Smithsonian has announced plans for an interactive exhibition inviting visitors to collaborate with AI, and each other, in designing their ideal city. The “FUTURES” exhibition, opening in November 2021, will be among the first to pilot an experimental new way of designing inclusive cities... View full entry
Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed bistable inflatable structures inspired by origami, raising new possibilities for the future of emergency shelters, pop-up architecture, and even extra-terrestrial structures. Many of... View full entry
In collaboration with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Baltimore-based architecture firm GWWO Architects shares their design for the new Niagara Falls State Park Visitor Center. Familiar with museum and visitor center projects, the firm has also... View full entry
On the subject of architecture and construction’s contribution to climate change, our existing building stock is coming under increasing scrutiny. While the United Kingdom recently announced a review into embodied carbon in buildings, thanks in part to the Architect Journal’s RetroFirst... View full entry
With infrastructure negotiations currently taking center stage in the United States’ political discourse, researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) have published their findings on how a new approach to infrastructure maintenance would save federal and state governments millions of dollars... View full entry
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled their design for the new R+D headquarters of OPPO, the largest smartphone manufacturer in China. Named the O-Tower, the scheme seeks to reflect the company’s ethos of “endless innovation in the pursuit of perfection” and serve as an iconic gateway to... View full entry
Scientists in the US have developed a paint significantly "whiter than the whitest paint currently available".
Tests carried out by researchers at Purdue University on their "ultra-white" paint showed it reflected more than 98% of sunlight.
That suggests, the scientists say, that it could help save energy and fight climate change.
— BBC
The paint's whiteness opens up a range of cooling features that, applied at an industrial scale, could limit the built environment's contributing effect to global warming and its dependency on traditional air conditioning. "If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square... View full entry
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced over $90 million in grants allocated for affordable housing in Tribal communities. The funds, distributed to 24 Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) are intended to support the construction of new houses... View full entry
Alon Schwabe and Daniel Fernández Pascual of the London-based studio Cooking Sections explore food systems through architecture, ecology, visual arts, and geopolitics. Featured in the second issue of Archinect's print publication Ed Issue 2, The Architecture of Disaster... View full entry
More cities are incorporating biophilic design approaches for several reasons. While some firms genuinely practice regenerative and sustainable design methods, others could be placed into the category of "greenwashing" to satisfy trends and bolster their firm's PR efforts. However, according to... View full entry
