Bees are perhaps the insects that most arouse our fascination and curiosity. With the exception of Antarctica, they are found on all continents, in all habitats that contain insect-pollinated flowering plants. Representations of humans collecting honey from wild bees date back to 15,000 years ago, and pots of honey have even been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs like Tutankhamen. Although we generally have a fixed idea about what cartoon bees look like, there are thousands of species around the world, with different sizes, colors and behaviors. There are even several examples of solitary bees, many without stingers, and even some species that survive by plundering other weaker colonies. But something that has consistently impressed researchers is the organization of their hives, which are truly highly populated cities with an efficiency to make any urban planner envious.
“Counting sheep” is a well-known mental exercise that people use when trying to fall asleep. It is thought to have been popularized by Miguel de Cervantes in Don Quixote, who is said to have been inspired by a twelfth-century Spanish tale. Whatever its origin, it is curious to think that falling asleep has been a problem for so long, even long before the invention of electric light or social networks on smartphones. In the early 2000s, the University of Oxford developed a study to prove the effectiveness of this sheep-related method. The conclusion: this tactic does not work.
Something thatis scientifically proven, however, is the relationship between the body's production of melatonin and the feeling of sleepiness at the end of the day, which can in turn lead to a restorative night of sleep. This is directly related to the circadian rhythm, our daily biological clock. This inner "clock" synchronizes our body's functioning and is highly influenced by the wavelengths and intensities of natural and electric light we are exposed to during the day. As we continue to spend more and more time indoors, typically with inadequate visual stimuli from electric lighting during the day, and too much stimulation from electronic devices and overhead lighting after dark - it is essential to focus on the study of lighting in architecture and how it affects people and their well-being.
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Qunli Stormwater Wetland Park / Turenscape. Image Cortesia de Turenscape
Eucalyptus forests in Australia are known to burn periodically. It is the trees' way of ensuring propagation, as its fruits – known as gumnuts – have an insulating layer breaks down with the heat of the fire. Once they open, the burnt soil is covered with seeds, initiating a process of forest renewal. Glenn Murcutt, an Australian architect, has created a body of work rooted in the country's landscape. His innovative houses embrace the possibility of frequent fires, including elements that allow for fire control with the least possible loss. In short, the houses are built with very non-flammable materials, always have huge water reservoirs, and a “flood system” that allows the building and its immediate surroundings to be spared in the case of a forest fire.
Concrete can be found in almost any type of construction around the world. But how is it made?
During manufacturing, once in contact with water, concrete’s main ingredient, cement, binds to any aggregates present and goes through a number of complex chemical reactions. That eventually turns it into concrete, a material that is very durable and easy to work with. Despite this reliable durability, concrete can go through a number of internal processes that can lead to serious structural concerns. One of these is alkali-silica reaction (ASR), which can cause cracks in concrete and even put structures in danger of collapse over time.
The expression "a perfect storm" refers to an event (typically an unfortunate one) which is exacerbated due to a confluence of negative or unpredictable factors. It is widely used when describing meteorological phenomena, but can also be applied to other contexts, such as the economy. The analogy can also be used to describe the relationship between the climate crisis and the world's dependence on concrete. As demonstrated in the Chatham House report, while cement (an essential element for concrete manufacturing) is extremely detrimental to the greenhouse effect and climate crisis –representing about 8% of global CO2 emissions–, its global production is nevertheless expected to increase over the next 30 years. It is said that this increase will stem from the demand for rapid urbanization in regions such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, the last IPCC report warned that we only have 11 years to reduce emissions and prevent irreversible damage due to climate change. In other words, the cement industry is facing a significant expansion at a time when emissions need to fall rapidly – a perfect storm.
The primary function of architecture, and possibly the most important and basic, is to protect against the weather. Whereas our ancestors would stack tree trunks and animal skins to create rudimentary shelters against the sun and rain, the emergence of architecture took on impressive proportions, creating temples and captivating spaces that fulfill many other functions. The purpose of sheltering people from the outdoors, however, remains an important one and can turn an outdoor area into a functional and engaging space. With all the innovations that currently exist, there are also numerous improvements emerging for their mechanisms and functions.
Cortesia de Saint-Gobain's Architecture Student Contest
The 17th edition of the "Architecture Student Contest" has come to an end, with the participation of over 220 universities from 32 countries. This year, the challenge was to transform a district located in Warsaw, Poland in order to revitalize an area located next to Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East). The contest involved the design of a new student residence and housing, as well as a meeting and entertainment center in an old factory building that is classified as a historical heritage site. With the requirement of addressing the space's performance as well as its architectural, environmental and social aspects, the contestants were tasked with a project that positively impacts its users and the planet, with low carbon emissions throughout its life cycle.
Wallpapers can be quite controversial. They can be typical of old-fashioned and antiquated homes, but at the same time, they can also add personality to otherwise dull spaces. One of the best parts of using these elements is that they can be quickly installed, and with relatively low costs. This also means that they aren't very long-lasting, and can therefore be quickly discarded and replaced, making them transient decoration items. As Joanna Banham—a researcher on wallpapers—states, “Wallpaper is often regarded as the Cinderella of the Decorative Arts – the most ephemeral and least precious of the decorations produced for the home. Yet, the history of wallpaper is a long and fascinating subject that dates back to the 16th century and encompasses a huge range of beautiful patterns created both by anonymous hands and by some of the best-known designers of the 19th and 20th centuries.” Today we are seeing another wallpaper resurgence, with numerous options of materials, patterns, and colors, and several examples of architects who have used them creatively in their projects. In this article, we go through the history of wallpapers and some of the current alternatives on the market, by diving into the Architonic catalog.
Food pyramids are familiar to all of us. They are visual guides that show us the proportions of foods that we should supposedly eat on a daily basis, in order to stay healthy. Composed of a series of layers with different food types–such as grains, flour, fats, vegetables, and others–, at the base are the foods that should be consumed in larger quantities. Towards the top, each layer becomes successively smaller, indicating the foods that are meant to be ingested rarely. The pyramid can vary according to countries and cultures, but its main purpose is always to provide a guide for a balanced life. There are no prohibitions, but it does indicate some foods that should be consumed with caution because of their impacts on our health.
If we are what we eat, is it possible to also replicate this in the construction industry and our buildings? Using this same easy to understand visual language, the Royal Danish Academy Center for Industrialized Architecture (Cinark) developed the Construction Material Pyramid. The idea was to highlight the environmental impact of the most used construction materials, focusing on the analysis of the first three life phases: extraction of raw materials, transportation and manufacturing.
Façades don't always have to be opaque. Whereas in the past the only options were heavy and raw–such as stone and brick–in recent years façades have adopted an increasingly lighter appearance, with innovative materials becoming the protagonists. These give the building a different look, delicate and transparent, while still maintaining privacy and thermal comfort. Examples of these include polycarbonate, translucent sheets, perforated tiles, glass and even metal chain links, which was the chosen material for a building in Montpellier, France.
The terms critical regionalism, popularized by theorist Kenneth Frampton, proposed an architecture that embraced global influences, albeit firmly rooted in its context. That is, an approach defined by climate, topography and tectonics as a form of resistance to the placidity of modern architecture and the ornamentation of postmodernism. Bringing familiar elements to a particular location can allow the building to be better accepted and incorporated into the local context. This was the case of the New Maitland Hospital, which incorporated a large brick panel next to the main façade, as a reference to the community's traditional symbols.
In the face of increasingly alarming predictions regarding the climate crisis, just increasing the efficiency of buildings is no longer enough. Zero energy buildings - or, better yet, energy positive buildings - make it possible to mitigate the negative impacts of the construction industry, which is responsible for 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions. These are buildings capable of producing more energy than they consume through the use of renewable sources. To reach this ambitious goal, it is necessary to follow three main steps:
Install a renewable power system to provide clean energy;
Include high efficiency systems, such as climatization equipment and low energy lighting.
Improve the construction envelope to conserve energy and reduce loads.
There are many myths and misunderstandings around sustainability in construction. First, the belief that what is sustainable must inherently be technological, complicated or out of reach. Or that the products will necessarily be more expensive, will be made of recycled materials or will not be so aesthetically pleasing. When it comes to material specification, there is often confusion. Is steel more sustainable than bamboo? Would it be better to use a material that is said to be sustainable, but which goes through numerous industrial processes, or one with a low level of processing? The answer is not so simple, and there are various comparison mechanisms to help guide us. But this is an important consideration to make, as one of the main ways the construction industry can help reduce its carbon footprint is to select materials with the lowest general contribution to emissions and environmental impact. Natural slate, which can be used for roofing and facades, is a great example of this.
As humanity becomes aware of its impact on the environment, it has also sought ways to reverse some of the harm caused to fauna and flora, especially in cities. Our way of living, consumption and construction has caused severe damage to nature. In fact, according to a study from the Weizmann Institute of Science, we are at a point of inflection where the mass of all man-made materials is equal to the planet's biomass, and it should double by 2040. But not necessarily everything we build should have a negative impact. "The Tidal Stool" project is an example of this - part of a comprehensive revitalization project in Kuk Po Village in Shau Tau Kok in Hong Kong, which brings together two different ecologies, the anthropocentric and natural environment.
Choosing a career as soon as we leave high school can be somewhat challenging and even tormenting. Although it has been said that in the future it will be common to change careers or have various overlapping jobs, the fear of making the "wrong" choice causes many soon-to-be graduates to lose sleep. Having a good overview of what each profession entails is important to understand whether or not it is a good fit, especially in creative areas or newer and more dynamic professions. Architecture, for example, is a career that is well known for covering several areas - from mathematics to art history - but also for requiring many hours of dedication, critical thinking and mastery of computational tools. To give prospective students a taste of the experience of being an architect or an architecture student, Design Immersion Days (DID) is a four-week immersive summer program for future high school graduates to experience the world of design and architecture.
Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection sought to explain the origin and survival of species on the planet. In short, it points out that the fittest organism survives and can reproduce itself, perpetuating useful variations for each species in a given place. Adaptation is, therefore, a characteristic that favors the survival of individuals in a context. In the construction world, we could draw some parallels. Could adaptation be an important quality to increase the useful life and efficiency of a building over time, considering the changes and demands of society, as well as technologies and lifestyles?
Whether in a compact studio in Hong Kong or in a Michelin-starred restaurant, kitchen design requires special attention in order to make the act of preparing food a pleasant experience; with adequate space for all necessary functions and without the need for useless movements. The theory of the “golden triangle” or “kitchen work triangle” was conceived 100 years ago but remains valid and helpful in the definition of layouts and the organization of functions. Basically, the three main elements of the kitchen should be located at each end of the triangle: the sink, the refrigerator and the stove, with their respective functions in cleaning, storage and cooking. According to its principles, each side of the triangle must be between 1.20 and 2.70 meters long, and the perimeter should not be less than 3.96 meters or more than 8 meters.
Of course, it is not always possible to have the ideal dimensions and proportions to implement this type of kitchen, especially when we take into account the increasingly lean dimensions of contemporary environments. Nevertheless, there are various ways of making everyday operations more efficient even in tight kitchens. Below is a selection of items and products that can increase the space and efficiency of kitchens, without having to add even one square meter to them, straight from the comprehensive Architonic catalog.
When approaching the process of recycling building materials, there are a number of obstacles to achieving a comprehensive and effective result. First, careless demolition can make the process very complex, as products with different recycling products are often mixed. In addition, not all materials can be efficiently recycled or processed, as many still need expensive or overly complex processes. But the construction industry, being a huge contributor to waste production and greenhouse gas emissions, has also developed multiple new technologies to improve its practices. This is the case of the WOOL2LOOP project, which seeks to solve one of the biggest challenges in applying a circular approach to construction and demolition waste.
