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A trippy trend in building technology has taken top billing at the 6th annual Tallinn Architecture Biennale in the Baltic nation of Estonia. Using 3D-printing technology, the Australian team of Simulaa and Natalie Alima has taken a timber-frame formwork imbued with mycelial fibers that grow... View full entry
Since lumber, steel, and other construction material costs began skyrocketing during the summer of 2021, Archinect has followed the ongoing fluctuation of construction costs. During our July construction coverage, the cost of lumber began to drop, which brought a slight glimmer of relief... View full entry
Construction input prices have risen by 23.1% within the last 12 months, according to an analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data, carried out by the Associated Builders and Contractors. For non-residential construction, this increase totaled 23.4% over... View full entry
A team of scientists from the University of Bristol in the UK has gotten closer to solving an ancient mystery central to the country’s most famous archaeological site thanks to a “Holy Grail” core sample that has waited nearly 60 years to reveal its crystalline clues. Led by Professor... View full entry
Lumber prices have seen their largest monthly drop on record, after a year of inflated prices driven by COVID-19 disruption. Throughout June alone, lumber prices declined more than 40%, driving an 18% overall decrease throughout 2021. The decline is attributed to a number of factors, including... View full entry
A team of researchers at Northeastern University has created a sustainable material that can cool buildings without the need for conventional AC systems. Led by associate professor Yi Zheng from the university’s College of Engineering, the team has developed a “cooling paper” made from... View full entry
The cases against concrete and its environmental impacts are prevalent in the AEC community. As a result, numerous attempts and research initiatives have been made to help mitigate the material's environmental impact. Research from firms like Snøhetta and their net-zero concrete to companies like... View full entry
3D print applications have revolutionized industries from architecture, construction, furniture design, and fashion. Last year, 3D print fabrication aided in provided medical professionals, patients, and facilities with PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. As fabrication continues to develop and... View full entry
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled their design for the future of metal production, combining land and sea-based elements. Collaborating with The Metals Company, a developer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor rocks, BIG sought to bring innovative, sustainable, whole-system design... View full entry
Portland-based LEVER Architecture is known for its work with material innovation, specifically cross-laminated timber (CLT) and mass timber construction. Founded by Thomas Robinson in 2009, the practice has received much notoriety and was recognized as one of the Architectural League of... View full entry
Researchers at the University of Kassel in Germany have published their findings on the potential for smart glazing to transform building energy use. With buildings responsible for 40% of primary energy consumption, and 36% of total CO2 emissions, the team led by Harmut Hillmer sought to explore... View full entry
Materials engineer Nzambi Matee heads a recent start-up called Gjenge Makers, which creates low-cost lightweight building materials from recycled plastic and sand. Beginning with pavers, the company has introduced a product that is stronger and more flexible than concrete, heightening its... View full entry
Results of a new five-year study of recycled concrete show that it performs as well, and in several cases even better, than conventional concrete. Researchers conducted side-by-side comparisons of recycled and conventional concrete within two common applications -- a building foundation and a municipal sidewalk. They found that the recycled concrete had comparable strength and durability after five years of being in service. — Science Daily
Find the complete study Recycled aggregate concrete from large-scale production to sustainable field application by University of British Columbia Okanagan researchers here. View full entry
Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) researcher Junyong Zhu in co-collaboration with colleagues from the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, have developed a transparent wood material that may be the window of tomorrow. Researchers found that transparent wood has the potential to outperform glass currently used in construction. — USDA Forest Service
The abstract of the researchers' paper A Clear, Strong, and Thermally Insulated Transparent Wood for Energy Efficient Windows points out that besides its energy-efficient qualities, transparent wood is a "sustainable material, with low carbon emissions and scaling capabilities due to its... View full entry
A study conducted by Javier Fernandez and colleagues from Singapore University of Technology and Design provides research that the bioinspired material, chitin, would be a viable building material for Mars inhabitation and tool production. Fernandez shares with Universe... View full entry
