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From headwaters near Salem, Missouri, the Meramec River snakes 218 free-flowing miles, through 14 counties and scores of towns, skirting St. Louis before emptying into the mighty Mississippi. Derek Hoeferlin grew up outside St. Louis, on a wooded hill close to the Meramec. As he commuted to school... View full entry
The World Green Building Council (WGBC) has published its Advancing Net Zero Status Report 2021, offering an overview of the construction sector’s progress towards decarbonization throughout the last twelve months. Available to read and download here for free, the 48-page report offers detail on... View full entry
The City of Miami has published a draft of its Stormwater Master Plan; a $3.8 billion plan to be enacted over the next 40 years, seeking to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels on the city. The plan sets out a wide portfolio of measures, from stormwater pumps and sea walls to more novel... View full entry
Snøhetta has announced details of their partnership with Norwegian startup Saferock to develop net-zero concrete for the future of construction. To develop the product, the team has looked to exploit the vase residues and waste streams created by the world’s industrial processes. The result... View full entry
Artist Maya Lin’s long-awaited skeletal forest has finally opened in New York’s famed Madison Square Park. With the help of 49 dead Atlantic Cedar trees sourced from the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the 61-year-old Lin has transformed the park into an immersive installation — her first in... View full entry
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have published unique research into the idea of rechargeable batteries made from cement. The team, led by Doctor Emma Zhang and Professor Luping Tang at the institution’s Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, believes... View full entry
The National Building Museum announced today that it will present its 2021 Honor Award to global design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). For the first time in 36 years, and inspired by this year’s honoree, the Museum will transform the annual Honor Award into a Climate Change Call to Action, including weeks of provocative, expert-led online programming open to the public. — National Building Museum
On June 17, the National Building Museum will present the award to SOM at a dynamic virtual event. The firm will be celebrated for its leadership and commitment to combating the climate crisis by advocating for a seismic shift in the way we design, build, and do business. Starting on May 19th, the... 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
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
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 Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (maat) launched in October 2016 as an international design institution championing discourse and creative practice to "inspire new understandings of the historical present and an empowering engagement with the common future." The riverfront... View full entry
It’s easy to imagine CLT becoming the next luxury building trend to invade the skylines of rapidly gentrifying cities, giving an eco-friendly excuse for remaking the city in service of maximized profit. [...]
In order for mass timber to truly engage with the regenerative power of forests to help alleviate our current climate predicament, it must be linked to a greater movement towards ecological reformation at all scales.
— Failed Architecture
In his latest piece for Failed Architecture, writer and architect Alexander Hadley takes a critical look at the future economical and environmental impact of the accelerating cross-laminated timber boom. "Building from regenerative materials like trees instead of intensively extracted substances... View full entry
Petaluma, California, has voted to outlaw new gas stations, the first of what climate activists hope will be numerous cities and counties to do so. [...]
The Petaluma effort inspired groups like the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations — or CONGAS — which seeks to ban gas stations in Sonoma County, California.
— Axios
The ordinance will not shut down Petaluma's 16 operational gas stations but prevents them from adding more pumps and prohibits the construction of new gas stations. It is expected that the move will inspire more municipalities to follow the example, similar to Berkeley's 2019 ban on natural gas... View full entry
This week's list of featured online events from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide includes lectures, presentations, discussions, a conference, an award presentation, and a symposium. Are you hosting a virtual lecture? Presentation? Tour? Interview? Happy Hour? Submit... View full entry
