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A new “bioinspired” pavilion is opening in Germany thanks to some help from robotic hands. The livMatS Pavilion has been successfully installed in the botanical garden on the campus of the University of Freiburg thanks to a cross-university team of engineers, architects, and... View full entry
Increased climate change issues have greatly influenced changes in architecture and design approaches. So how can homes, commercial buildings, and land exude better sustainability practices? This week Archinect highlights nine firms that specialize in sustainable design measures to help improve... View full entry
Designs for a visitor center have been unveiled this week as the city of Rotterdam looks to transform public space in Europe’s busiest port. The new Harbor Experience Center (HEC) is a collaboration between Dutch firms MVRDV and Kossmanndejong and features a series of five exhibition... View full entry
The wide-range of benefits offered by green roofs have encouraged increasing numbers of municipalities and building owners alike to invest in this architectural sustainability solution. Aside from fighting air pollution and mitigating urban heat island effect, these roofs also implement savings on... View full entry
In a recent article in The Guardian, architecture critic Rowan Moore asks, "So what would architecture look like–more importantly, what would it be–if all involved really and truly put climate at the centre of their concerns?" It's true, the architecture profession has created a... View full entry
The leadership of the American Institute of Architects organization has officially signed off on an ambitious climate agenda that was proposed during the organization's annual meeting in Las Vegas. The so-called "Resolution for Urgent and Sustained Climate Action," introduced at the meeting... View full entry
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and research initiatives supporting responsible land use and sustainability practices. This year the J.C. Nichols Prize has been awarded to Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena. In a recent press release ULI... View full entry
Whether you're a fan or not of the influential Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels has designed some of the most distinct architectural structures. Aiming to push the limits of structural design through materials and sustainability approaches, Ingels spoke at a recent TED conference in April sharing... View full entry
Founded in 1991 by Nader Khalili, the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture has researched and developed solutions, including the SuperAdobe, a structure made with patented, long plastic bags filled with dirt from the building site and held in place with barbed wire. Khalili’s ultimate aim was to empower refugees and the poor to build homes using minimal materials and without the need for highly skilled practitioners such as architects, engineers and contractors. — LA Times
Marissa Gluck of the LA Times writes a thoughtful piece remembering the late Kahili and the influence he's made in the architecture community. Read more about Gluck's coverage of CalEarth and its revival here. Correction 6/13/19: The original article unintentionally used similar language to the... View full entry
This week, Bjarke Ingles Group announced its latest project in Quito, Ecuador. Titled EPIQ, the mixed-use residential and commercial building will be a new "vertical city" in Quito's green neighborhood of Parque La Carolina. Driven by sustainable design priniples, BIG strives to incorporate a... View full entry
Many may remember playing with cardboard boxes as children. The material is widely common and found almost everywhere. However, it is rarely seen in a contemporary design setting. Now imagine having coffee in a fully functioning cafe built almost entirely out of cardboard. Thanks to Mumbai-based... View full entry
The world’s biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.
Walney Extension, off the Cumbrian coast, spans an area the size of 20,000 football pitches and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 590,000 homes.
The project is a sign of how dramatically wind technology has progressed in the past five years since the previous biggest, the London Array, was finished.
— The Guardian
The Walney Extension is made up of 87 turbines and has a total capacity of 659 MW, enough to power almost 600,000 homes in the UK. This makes it now the largest operational offshore wind farm, however with wind farm supersizing along the British coastline it may not hold the record for long. ... View full entry
Representing more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and using up 40% of the planet's total resources, the housing sector is going to have to play a key role in effective climate policy. By building green, we can lessen the impact our buildings have on contributing to climate change... View full entry
A six-percent upfront investment reduced energy consumption by 19% — and carbon emissions by 34% — in a pair of 100-year-old brick buildings. Add solar panels and those numbers drop to 39% and 65%.These are among the findings of an ongoing experiment conducted by students, faculty and staff... View full entry
Just in time for Earth Day, the AIA and the Committee on the Environment (COTE) revealed a new set of Top Ten Green Projects for 2016. Over the last two decades, the annual awards program is considered to be the profession's most rigorous awards program for sustainable design excellence throughout the U.S.
The jury chose the projects that best convey a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.
— Bustler
Here's a peek of the winners:Rene Cazenave Apartments; San Francisco by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects and Saida + Sullivan Design Partners, Associated ArchitectH-E-B at Mueller; Austin, TX by Lake|Flato Architects, H-E-B Design + Construction, Selser Schaefer ArchitectsThe J. Craig Venter... View full entry
