Sustainable construction
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about sustainable construction
Project • By Moriyama Teshima Architects • Visitor Center
Rouge Park Visitor, Learning, and Community Centre
Established in 2015 by Parks Canada Agency (PCA), the Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) is an ecologically protected zone that encompasses much of the Rouge River and Little Rouge Creek valleys. At 7,910 hectares, RNUP is the largest urban park in North America and Canada’s first “National Urban Park”. Straddling parts of Toronto, Markham, Durham, and Uxbridge, the RNUP forms a green corridor of forests, farmland, wetlands, ravines, and meadows that connect the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario.
Moriyama Teshima Architects
Moriyama Teshima Architects
The RNUP Visitor, Learning, and Community Centre will serve as the park’s primary orientation, learning, and events facility where visitors can learn about Rouge&rsquo... More
Project • By Wallmakers • Private Houses
Chuzhi
Chuzhi is a project that helps to understand what can be built in odd sites that are generally deemed ‘unsuitable’ for construction. Situated in a gated community called Sanctity Ferme in a picturesque location called Shoolagiri, the owner was in a fix as there were unwanted obscure plots at the periphery of the community characterized by steep rocky topography, huge trees, and thick vegetation making people reluctant to make homes there as the buildable area seemed less.
Syam Sreesylam
Syam Sreesylam
Syam Sreesylam
Chuzhi as the meaning suggests in Malayalam, “whirpool” are swirls of precast poured debris earth composite bottle beams, fashioned from 4000 discarded plastic bottles designed around the... More
News • News • 8 Feb 2024
Sustainable forestry company HQ in Czech Republic embraces environmental approach to construction
Mjölk architekti, an architectural studio based in the city of Liberec in the Czech Republic, designed the new headquarters for the sustainable forestry company Kloboucká lesní. The building in Brumov-Bylnice, a small town in the Czech Republic, embodies the guiding principles of sustainable design and embraces a thoroughly environmental approach to construction: through the design and development of the new HQ, Mjölk demonstrates the potential of sustainable construction, in line with Kloboucká lesní’s ethos.
BoysPlayNice
BoysPlayNice
The new headquarters is designed with flexibility in mind: “The main load-bearing structure forms a modular shell for the building, leaving... More
Project • By WalkThru Contracting • Offices
AL-MUNTADA - Knowledge Space by Saint-Gobain
AL-MUNTADA - Knowledge Space by Saint-Gobain is a forum for learning and a space for exchanging ideas and collaborating. It serves as a proof of concept that sustainable construction in the region is possible using light and innovative materials and is a live example of wellbeing and comfort in the region. Located in the capital’s sustainability hub, Masdar City, the building has a a built-up area of over 17,000 square feet, is spread across three floors, and includes a digital and physical solutions library, offices, as well as a learning centre.
Caption
Caption
The project, in a design collaboration with AMGD and Obermeyer Middle East, was fully executed by Walkthru to include a comprehensive construction and interi... More
News • News • 1 Dec 2023
Berger + Parkkinen transforms three vacant Viennese post-war buildings into a glassblower’s studio
Austrian-Finnish architecture firm Berger + Parkkinen has completed the transformation of an unused site in Währing, the 18th district of Vienna, into a glassblower’s studio. Emphasizing sustainable construction, the project preserved the site’s three existing buildings while introducing a new functionality.
Wolfgang Thaler
Designed as the workshop, showroom, and home of glassblower Robert Comploj, Berger + Parkkinen adapted the three vacant buildings with a focus on contemporary comfort and energy efficiency. The architectural firm is recognized for its thoughtful approach to sustainable construction, as demonstrated in the 2022 Wientalterrassen residential complex in Vienna, a project that was awarded klimaaktiv... More
Project • By XBD Collective • Private Houses
Solar House
In the heart of Emirates Hills, Dubai, stands Solar House, seamlessly fusing lavishness and a sustainable approach to modern living. This architectural masterpiece, a collaboration between XBD Collective and a forward-thinking family of five, is not only a home but a beacon of green luxury, powered by solar energy. Forbes acknowledged its exceptional features, including a two-story pool, suspended glass bridge, and a USD 95 million price tag.
Charly Simon Photo
Harmony of Design and Sustainability
Covering an expansive 37,550 sq ft, Solar House is a retreat designed to meet the family's vision of green luxury. As you step inside, the warm embrace of modern elegance welcomes you. With ten bedrooms, outdoor pools cascading across two f... More
News • Innovations • 16 Nov 2023
HygroShell: a self-shaping, lightweight, and sustainable wood structure
HygroShell harnesses the hygroscopic properties of wood to achieve form and structure. (A hygroscopic material is one that can absorb and release moisture from the environment.) Described as a “self-constructing timber building system,” HygroShell makes use of advanced computational methods to access the inherent shape-changing nature of timber. This self-shaping system is demonstrated via the design, construction, and production of a wide-span, lightweight shell made using individual curved wood components.
ITECH/ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart
ITECH/ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart
Recent years have seen a growing interest in using timber as a construction material, replacing ubiquitous high-carbon material... More
News • News • 14 Nov 2023
Studio LOES creates new living spaces in a dense inner city Berlin district
Berlin’s inner city Moabit district is an area characterized by its dense perimeter blocks. It is here that Berlin-based Studio LOES has been extending and adding to two existing residential buildings from Germany's Wilhelmine Period (1890 – 1918) and post-war period. The project incorporates the construction of a new “garden house” (dubbed “Element”) on an inner courtyard that sits between the two existing buildings. In addition, these two buildings have been extended upwards with new rooftop apartments (dubbed “Lingot”).
Nate Cook
Nate Cook
STUDIO LOES
Solving the challenge of creating new living spaces in a densely packed area, Element and Lingot are two co... More
News • Innovations • 25 Oct 2023
Hempcrete block installation highlights the potential of bio-based materials in construction
In September 2023, Casa da Arquitectura – Centro Português de Arquitectura (Portuguese Centre for Architecture) in Porto hosted the second edition of “Build - From High to Low Tech”. This international conference aims to challenge prevailing perspectives and thinking around the use of materials and technology in architecture. Its remit is based on the World Green Building Council’s assertion that “buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions.”
Park Associati
During the Build conference, Milan-based architecture, interior design, and urban planning studio Park Associati organized a two-day “Hempcrete Workshop” in collaboration with Natura... More
News • Detail • 20 Oct 2023
Detail: 3D-printed earthen structure of the TECLA prototype, Ravenna
The first eco-sustainable housing model 3D-printed entirely from local raw earth, TECLA (a name derived from the terms ‘technology’ plus ‘clay’) is a prototype home that integrates research, vernacular construction practices, climate studies and bioclimatic principles.
3D printing is an industry and technology that has only recently made its way into the world of architecture. But it has done so at a rapid pace, with companies around the globe now springing up to offer building-printing services using a range of materials, promising one-of-a-kind designs and, often, access to affordable and low-carbon construction practices. Yet hurdles remain, including material costs and the rewriting of regional building co... More
News • News • 5 Oct 2023
“Bricks in Common” pavilion questions the relevance and place of brick in a sustainable future
The city of Copenhagen is currently celebrating its status as UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture for 2023. The Danish capital also played host to the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023. As part of the event, a series of pavilions — experimental projects and explorative constructions — were erected to consider ideas around building for the future, in line with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the 2023 UIA congress theme: “Leave No One Behind”. One pavilion — “Bricks in Common” — considers this ancient building material’s part in creating a sustainable future for the construction industry.
Kontraframe
AART
In Denmark, and indeed across Nor... More
News • Specification • 19 Sep 2023
10 structures that demonstrate bamboo’s construction capability
Bamboo is a material of remarkable strength, durability, and versatility. A tall woody grass, bamboo is typically fast-growing — responsibly harvested, it is an excellent regenerative material. Of the 1,600 known species of bamboo grown worldwide, a small number possess the qualities necessary for building construction. Their features generally include a straight culm, flexibility, and a favorable aesthetic.
Bamboo is particularly prevalent in East and Southeast Asia, where it is often utilized as a building material in housing and community buildings. Larger, thicker bamboo is frequently used in construction owing to its load-bearing capacity. Smaller diameter bamboo can be bundled together to create a resilient building compo... More
News • News • 24 May 2023
Spruce House & Studio by ao-ft sets an exciting precedent for infill sites in the UK
On an infill site in Walthamstow, East London, London-based practice ao-ft has completed a new-build home and self-contained studio. The Spruce House & Studio is the first completed project by the emerging design studio and highlights the practice's interest in sustainable construction and fabrication techniques.
Rory Gardiner
The house occupies a wide plot, situated in a former conservation area on what was once the village high street. It is neighboured by various building types that have transitioned from retail uses to homes over the past century. In recognition of this transitional site history, ao-ft sought to reference the original shop front typology of the neighborhood in a contemporary way with glazing stretched acro... More
Product • By Lunawood • Lunawood Decking
Lunawood Decking
Lunawood Thermowood makes for an outstanding decking material due to its stability and durability. The Luna Profix hidden fixing clip enables quick and easy installation of the deck and creates a clean and elegant apperance without visible screws. Our decking products are also available factory oiled. More
Product • By Lunawood • Lunawood Interior
Lunawood Interior
Non-toxic Lunawood Thermowood is highly suitable for panelling and partition walls to create a welcoming atmosphere. The porous wood surface does not reflect sound in the same way as hard and artificial materials, making Lunawood an excellent choice for public spaces. Thermowood is one of the most used materials in saunas and it is excellent for spa interiors for it's low thermal conductivity, improved stability and resin-free nature. More