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Ryuichi Sasaki/Sasaki Architecture has returned to the international spotlight with its winning entry for the mixed-use portion of this year’s Architecture MasterPrize that adds an iconic new touch to one of Tokyo’s oldest neighborhoods. Located in the city’s Minato ward, the... View full entry
A fascinating addition to the Chinese cultural program has come online this week with the completion of OPEN Architecture’s Chapel of Sound in Chengde, Hebei Province. Overlooking the ruins of one of China’s most important historic sites, the Ming Dynasty-era Great Wall, the concert hall... View full entry
Architects, officials, and villagers confirm the trend: People are discarding traditional materials, mostly mud, in favor of concrete, as soon as they can afford it. As living standards increase making concrete more accessible, some of the world’s hottest, poorest landscapes are rapidly morphing from brown to cinder block grey. — National Geographic
Architects like Francis Kéré have been attempting to buck the trend of using concrete by experimenting with upgraded versions of terrestrial materials like mud bricks that simultaneously provide tools for community-building in developing countries like Burkina Faso. Facade detail of Kéré... View full entry
The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) announced that forty of the world’s leading cement and concrete manufacturers have come together to commit to cut carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter by 2030. This is a major statement in the association’s race to produce carbon-neutral... View full entry
Researchers from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Architecture have developed a promising new kind of concrete that has the potential to reduce emissions from the construction industry. Approximately 7% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions come from the manufacture and use of... View full entry
ETH Zurich has unveiled HiLo, the latest addition to Empa and Eawag’s modular NEST research building in Duebendorf, Switzerland. Featuring a doubly curved concrete roof, lightweight funicular floors, and self-learning building technology, the new unit reflects nearly a decade of ETH Zurich... View full entry
Known as the Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA), the legislation requires New York to set an emissions standard for concrete used in public works.
If Governor Kathy Hochul signs the bill into law, New York will become one of the first states in the country to start cleaning up this highly polluting sector of the economy.
— New York Focus
The proposed law would be the first of its kind in New York and would place the state in league with New Jersey and Colorado, which just passed a similar measure aimed at reducing emissions by 90% within thirty years. Cement is the basis of traditional concrete mixes and currently accounts for an... View full entry
German architecture firm Henn, along with researchers at the Technical University of Dresden, has been working to create the first building in the world made of concrete reinforced by carbon fibers instead of steel. Labeled as the world’s first building made of carbon concrete, the Cube is... View full entry
Scientists at Rice University have published research which proposes repurposing waste tires in the production of concrete. By converting waste from rubber tires into graphene, the researchers believe the new composite can be used to strengthen concrete, and thus reduce the thickness of... View full entry
A first-of-its-kind arched masonry footbridge composed of 3D-printed concrete blocks and assembled without mortar or reinforcement is now open in Venice. The project, called Striatus, is being showcased at the public park Giardini della Marinaressa during the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale... View full entry
A new home for South Korea’s energy giant ST International is nearing completion in Seoul, adding to the city’s reputation as an emerging art capital. The combination museum and corporate headquarters heralds a new vogue museum building in pronounced geometric form. Herzog & de Meuron are... View full entry
Dutch construction technology start-up, Twente Additive Manufacturing (TAM), has announced that their Fibonacci House, Canada’s first 3D printed, concrete tiny home, is now the world’s first fully 3D printed home to be listed on Airbnb. Photo: Twente Additive ManufacturingThe design... View full entry
A new scientific paper has warned of the looming environmental and social consequences of the world’s appetite for sand. The study, headed by Aurora Torres at Michigan State University’s fisheries and wildlife school, notes that the global demand for sand and gravel is set to double by... 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
Ground was broken last week for an immaculate new chapel at Loyola University in New Orleans. The naturalistic modern sanctuary by Trahan Architects will sit at the heart of the university’s Audubon campus and serve as a communal space for Loyola’s 16,000 students. Containing a series of... View full entry
