The VEST “hackathon”: designing safety vests for everyone
Despite its importance, a lot of construction wear isn’t made for comfort, especially if you don’t have a “default male body”. With a wide range of body types in the construction industry and its growing diversity, construction wear seems to operate on a one-size-fits-all standard, even Read More...
Recycled old tires could make roads last twice as long
Prolonged sun exposure is one of the main contributors to asphalt cracking. That’s because the heat from the sun dries up the road’s moisture content, making it brittle and prone to wear. A team of scientists has found that adding rubber from old tires to asphalt can help roads last twice as Read More...
These prefab facades could make old buildings carbon negative
Retrofitting buildings so that they consume less energy is key to meeting current climate targets. A company in Germany is working to accelerate that process by building tailored facades with built-in insulation that can fit like a glove onto old buildings to reduce their energy use. Prefab Read More...
Amsterdam plans to build its first wooden neighborhood in centuries
When it comes to sustainable urban development, Amsterdam stands out as a metropolis ready to integrate a variety of strategies to make the city more livable and eco-friendly: from underwater bike garages to energy-sharing, floating villages. Now, the city is planning to build an entire Read More...
New York City bans the use of fuel-burning systems in new construction
Following in the footsteps of green cities like San Francisco, New York City voted last week to pass a bill that will ban fuel-burning systems, like stoves and heaters, from all new construction. A huge source of emissions and indoor air pollution, gas stoves are being replaced with electric models Read More...
Czech school will be home to first 3D-printed parkour playground
Last year, we wrote about Protozoon, the world’s first-ever 3D-printed floating house. Now, Buřinka, the same Czech group that built the 3D-printed floating structure, has 3D-printed the world’s first parkour playground. The result of a partnership between the private sector, the public Read More...
Scientists aim to turn our built environment into rechargeable batteries
According to the World Green Building Council, about 11 percent of the environmental footprint of buildings and construction comes from embodied carbon emissions. This includes all the CO2 emitted in producing the materials needed for creating our built environment. Seeking more sustainable and Read More...
This self-healing concrete fixes its own cracks to last longer
Concrete is responsible for around nine percent of global CO2 emissions — that’s three times more than the airline industry. Those emissions come from the material’s production and transportation, as well as repairs associated with its degradation. Though some innovators are working on Read More...
This partnership aims to create net-zero concrete out of industrial waste
In order to reach the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, we urgently need to find a greener alternative to concrete — the most widely used man-made material in the world — whose key component (cement) emits about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. Narrowing in on this sustainability Read More...
Scientists use discarded citrus peels to create sustainable transparent wood
Turning a tree into glass may sound like magic, but creating transparent wood to replace the glass in your windows is something scientists have been working on for some years. This emergent wood-based glass substitute holds great potential as a more sustainable, durable, and thermally-efficient Read More...