Sustainable | Tag (page 2)

Nepal's "Vertical University" Will Include 6 Campuses In 5 Climatic Zones to Teach About Climate Change

May 04, 2018

KTK-BELT Studio, a not-for-profit organization based in rural Nepal, is currently working with local communities to create a fascinating "Vertical University," which will teach students about biodiversity and environmental conservation in 6 "living classrooms" positioned along a vertical forest corridor that stretches from 67 meters above sea level to the top of an 8,856-meter peak. These 6 stops encapsulate the 5 climatic zones of Eastern Nepal: tropical, subtropical, temperate, subarctic and arctic.

The project explores the specific impacts of climate change in each climatic zone, creating “classrooms” where students can walk from Koshi Tappu to Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third tallest peak in the world, and learn onsite from indigenous farmers about the biological diversity of each area. By teaching place-based skills in these micro-conservation hubs, the project aims to conserve and activate local knowledge. Each of these “classrooms” responds to the visual and cultural cues of its unique landscape, with one campus focusing on a flood-proof design in a heavy monsoon area, and another mimicking the semi-nomadic lifestyle of local yak-herders.

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Meditate In This Mobile Nature-Inspired Pinecone Gazebo

April 19, 2018

Designed by Czech designers Atelier SAD and distributed by mmcité1, this mobile, nature-inspired gazebo is a playground must-have for children and adults alike. 109 waterproof, plywood scales are treated with resistant glaze and connected by galvanized joints to create a self-supporting, sustainable structure.

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Architects Propose 120 Incremental Social Houses for Iquitos, Peru

March 23, 2018

Building and growing are two actions that should be considered more often than not at the same time. This is how the 2017 "Build to Grow" social housing competition, looked to establish bases that sustain a flexible way of living. The event took place in the Belén district in the city of Iquitos, on 3.7 hectares plot of land. The project that received first place proposed to locate 120 incremental homes, that alternatively allowed users to modify and expand it according to their needs and economic means. In short, a home with a solid nucleus formed by a structure that supports changing activities.

Landscape and Building Merge in New Czech Forestry Commission Centre

March 08, 2018

A design team under the direction of Chybik + Kristof has won the international competition to design a new administrative center for the Czech Forestry Commission in Hradec Králové. The project focuses on a symbiotic relationship between the building and the adjacent forest, where the natural landscape outside begins to mingle with the office spaces within.

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Architecture That Can Feed You: Penda's Yin & Yang House Addresses Our Detachment With Food

March 06, 2018

As a generation that has the most flexibility in day-to-day life, live-work dwellings are becoming more and more popular; a topic that is expected to be seen everywhere in 2018. We can now work anywhere as long as we have a decent internet connection and something to type on. Penda’s latest design, Yin & Yang house, calls upon millennials to take advantage of this ability and move back to the countryside for a better quality of life.

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Winning Design Seeks to Increase Public Power Corporation Headquarter's Environmental Awareness

March 03, 2018

Micromega’s winning proposal for the new Public Power Corporation HQ in Athens seeks to define the company’s public character in creating an integrated urban park around and under the structure. The site which held the steam-powered station is to become a contemporary landmark for the city whilst establishing a dialogue with the historical complex and the existing old electricity factory.

Through Micromega’s design, PPC’s commitment to sustainable forms of energy will be established by three main “topoi” (spaces) that educate and express the company’s renewable sources – sun, wind, and water. In the creation of the new urban park, the architects hope to activate environmental awareness, reminding the public of the alternative clean sources available.

Sustainable Proposal Envisions Krakow's New Science Center as a Tiered Garden

March 01, 2018

OVO Grąbczewscy Architekci's stacked garden-like proposal has been awarded third place in a competition for the new Małopolska Science Center in Krakow, Poland. The competition brief asked for the design of an innovative cultural institution with an iconic architectural form that would represent creativity, openness and independent thinking. As a reflection of both the city and the region, the center is also intended to provide a model for sustainable construction, energy efficiency, and education that inspires immersive visitor engagement.

See the complete design below.

9 Innovative Projects Tackling the Unexplored Realms of Sea and Space Win Jacques Rougerie Competition

January 31, 2018

Nine visionary projects focused on living within the relatively unexplored terrains of sea and space have been selected as winners of the 2017 Jacques Rougerie international architecture competition.

Established in 2011, the competition aims to foster the creativity of young architects by challenging them to complete “innovative, audacious and promising projects” that imagine new methods of sustainable development within the realms of sea and space.

Architectural submissions were awarded this year within three categories: Innovation and Architecture for the Sea, Innovation and Architecture for Space, and Architecture and Sea Level Rise. Within these categories, projects were selected in three disciplines: the overall Grand Prix, the “Focus” theme award, and the Coup de Coeur.

Check out the winning projects below.

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Project Earth 2: Cities of Tomorrow

January 22, 2018

Violent conflict and persecution, compounded by rising food insecurity, environmental degradation, poor governance and countless other factors, drove more than three million people to leave their countries as refugees or to seek asylum in 2016, joining millions of others already in exile. By 2050, because of the consequences of climate change, the amount of climate migrants could reach the number of 200 millions refugees. Refugee camps are usually planned, built and designed with the aim of fulfilling the basic human needs for only a short time, but only 189.300 refugees were resettled in 2016 and approximately 40% of the refugees

Open Call: Learning Resource Center Design Competition

January 17, 2018

“Once you stop learning you start dying” -Albert Einstein

Knowledge is power, knowledge is freedom. But my simple definition of knowledge is total sum of all things you know as a person, and all things known universally. Your experiences, skills you have acquired, and information that has been captured in any accessible format that can be utilized in various ways, is knowledge. And library is a temple for those who seek knowledge.

Arkitema Architects Designs 30 Shipping Container Apartments in Roskilde, Denmark

October 24, 2017

Beat Box: 30 apartments in 48 containers to transform the Danish neighborhood of Musicon, adjacent to the famous Roskilde Festival area. Designed by Arkitema Architects and constructed by Container Living, Beat Box is an integral part of Roskilde’s goal to revamp Musicon over the next 15 years by adding 1,000 jobs and 1,000 homes.

Where Roofs and Streets Become One: Iran’s Historic Village of Masuleh

October 04, 2017

More than a thousand meters above sea level on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range in Gilan, northern Iran, a remarkable village dating back to 1006 AD bustles with life. The unique ochre-brown structures of Masuleh follow the slope of the mountain that the village nestles on—or rather, grows from—giving the village its most unusual quality: the roofs of many of the houses connect directly to, or even form a part of, the street serving the houses above.

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LAVA Breaks Ground on Sculptural Energy Tower in Germany

August 12, 2017

Construction has started on the redesign of an energy storage tower by LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architects) for Stadtwerke Heidelberg (SWH) in Heidelberg, Germany. The updated facade of the 56-meter cylindrical tower and design of an adjacent park are part of an initiative to create a sculptural landmark and symbol of sustainable energy for the city.

LAVA introduces a multi-layered facade that features 11,000 diamond shaped stainless-steel plates attached to a steel cable network that can rotate 45 degrees in the wind. According to the architects, a number of plates correlate to the number of households that will be beneficiaries of the energy. The geometries of the facade are inspired by forms found in nature.

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Greenbuild International Conference and Expo

July 10, 2017

Excitement is building as preparations take place for the 2017 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, scheduled for Nov. 8-10 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, MA.

Greenbuild, owned and operated by Informa Exhibitions and sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the nation’s largest conference and expo dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. The three-day conference attracts 18,000 attendees and over 500 exhibitors annually from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates, and educators.

Call for Entries: Rise Tiny Home Design Challenge

June 28, 2017

Tiny Homes are hot these days - more and more people are seeing the value of drastic downsizing in favour of increased financial freedom and reduced consumption and footprint. These are also important values that are core to Rise’s existence - helping you save money while reducing your footprint.

Call for Submissions: International Competition in Architecture 2017

June 27, 2017

The architect, the engineer, the designer, all of them participate to the development and the construction of an upcoming world at their own level. Together, by looking further, beyond preconceived ideas and well-established concepts, these entrepreneurs, these creators, have the power to make up new rules, propose new directions: innovative facilities and housing bringing new living conditions, making room for new ways of moving, of consuming energy, to counter major environmental challenges of our era and others to come. The prizes of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation support and accompany this approach.

Innovation, architectural disruption, sustainable development and resilience against climate changes are the keywords of this 7th edition of the international competition in architecture of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation – Institut de France.

Granite - The Great Contemporary Unknown

May 01, 2017

Rediscover a natural, unique and original material, with multiple applications for current architecture and design immovable over time, granite is a jewel of nature capable of providing exclusivity to any contemporary construction or finish. Its wide range of varieties and the incorporation of new cutting technologies and those giving a surface finish, provide us with infinite design possibilities.

SkyCity Challenge 17

April 11, 2017

SkyCity is pleased to invite architects, designers, artists, engineers, scientists, conservationists, ambient warriors, tribesmen, digital nomads, craftsmen or basically anyone with great ideas from around the globe to take part in SkyCity Challenge 17. Our climate is changing, squalor, nationalism, and inequality are rising, people are constantly moving into cities and the demand for a better and more sustainable living in urban areas continues to grow. The current ways are very limited and outdated and with the modern technology available we are able to create far better and more sophisticated spaces that could affect the very way of our living in the future …

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