Zarkon Group, Author at Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers

Architecture

Villa FZ: The Extraordinary Materials Behind Italy’s Most Beautiful New Residence

By Zarkon Group,18/10/2022

Tucked away in the province of Ferrara lies a private residence designed, built and decorated by a collaborative team of architects and stoneware experts. The visionary Sergio Bizzarro, Principal of Studio Bizzarro & Partners, worked with architect Simone Savio to realize the design. Meanwhile, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica were brought in to decorate the home’s interior and exterior with high-performing and aesthetically-pronounced Italian stoneware. This project is a true celebration of Italian architecture, craft and culture.

Villa FZ sits on a small plot of land in a relatively built-up neighborhood. Due to its location, ensuring privacy was at the forefront of the design. At the same time, the design team was cognizant of creating an open, breathable space connected to the outdoors. In order to accommodate the need for both privacy and breathability, the design team settled on the concept of an inverted structure.

Rather than opening to the outside, the home is oriented inwards. Large French windows overlook an enclosed patio and swimming area and work to connect the interior to a private, outdoor living space. The site’s perimeter was heavily landscaped to further enclose the space, maximize privacy and create a green oasis. The result is a clean, contemporary design that promotes relaxation and comfortable living.

Completing the space with durable and quality materials was of importance to the design team, along with maintaining a cohesive visual language. In order to do so, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti’s MaxFine collection was chosen to finish the villa. MaxFine is revered for its ability to blur the lines between surface and furniture and was the perfect fit for this house. Several slabs from the collection were used throughout the home, adding textural and visual depth to the interior space.

The dwelling’s entrance consists of a small externally-covered atrium leading to the front door. The property’s atrium was covered in FMG’s Marmi MaxFine slabs in the color Statuario Light. These slabs have a crisp off-white, marble-esque quality which contrasts the dark-colored door and simultaneously blends with the external façade.

The home’s muted palette consists of shades of gray, black and white. To enhance the visual language, stoneware with decorative qualities was chosen. FMG’s MaxFine slabs in the color Black Marquinia, were used to create an accent wall that runs from the first floor to the second.

Finished in a Silky texture, this wall stands pronounced within the home, with its rich dark hue and contrasting white veiny lines. This striking backdrop serves as a focal point of the home and can be appreciated in many spots due to the interior’s relatively open plan. The stoneware’s veiny appearance provides a sense of tactility and movement against the muted interior design while still maintaining visual continuity.

To complete the floors, a stone effect was chosen to ensure it could withstand foot traffic and maintain visual continuity with the rest of the space. FMG’s Pietre MaxFine slabs in the color Lavica Grey cover the interior floors and fit seamlessly with the home’s aesthetic. This stoneware is built to last and is resistant to chemicals, which makes for an easy-to-clean surface.

To complement the charming interior space, Iris Ceramica’s Pietra di Basalto panels in the color Grigio were chosen to pave the exterior patio. The Pietra di Basalto stoneware has a slipperiness coefficient of R11, which ensures a high grip and safe walkway and is ideal for spaces with a pool. Moreover, both the interior and exterior floors are UV-resistant which helps maintain the stoneware’s rich color over time. The color gray was chosen for both the interior and exterior flooring and works to create a cohesive visual language throughout the entire property.

All the stoneware chosen to complete this seaside oasis boast high technical performance and pronounced aesthetics. It was important to the design team to choose durable and practicable stoneware, and both FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica’s products deliver just that. Both the MaxFine and Pietra di Basalto collections demonstrate that quality stoneware can serve two purposes, both functional and decorative. Villa FZ truly exemplifies that when thoughtful architecture and superior quality stoneware merge, the result is an unparalleled living experience.

To learn more about the remarkable materials used throughout the project, visit the websites of FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica.

Reference

The church is covered with Fiandre porcelain panels

Interior Design

Fiandre covers Armenian church in slabs printed with 1.5 million motifs

By Zarkon Group,17/10/2022

Promotion: Fiandre Architectural Surfaces porcelain slabs, digitally printed with 1.5 million icons, cover the facade of an Armenian church in Texas designed by New York-based architect David Hotson.

For the facade of Saint Sarkis Armenian Church in Carrollton, Texas, architect David Hotson and Yerevan-trained architectural designer Ani Sahakyan worked closely with Italian architectural surface manufacturer Fiandre to create a facade that works at a series of visual scales.

The church’s western facade that surrounds its entrance is clad with porcelain slabs depicting a traditional Armenian cross or “tree of life” with distinctive floral branching arms. This Armenian symbol of faith in the face of suffering and of resurrection and redemption serves as a memorial to the victims of the Armenian genocide.

Viewed more closely, as the visitor approaches the church, the cross is composed of interwoven botanical and geometrical motifs drawn from Armenian art. These motifs represent the bonds of ancestry and tradition that have bound the Armenian community together across centuries of challenge and upheaval.

Examined from even closer proximity, visitors will be able to see that the slabs are covered with individual icons or pixels, each one centimetre in diameter.

Printed at a high resolution using Fiandre’s “Design Your Slab” or DYS printed porcelain slab system, the tiny icons – 1.5 million in total – cover the entire church facade. All of the icons are unique and derived from the circular emblems that recur throughout Armenian decorative arts.

The close up facade of the Armenian church in Texas — The ceramic slabs are printed with 1.5 million icons based on ancient Armenian motifs

The 1.5 million unique icons are designed to symbolise the individuals who were murdered in the Armenian genocide. The scale of the individual icons that are spread across the entire building facade is intended to make tangible the scale of this historical atrocity.

To create the facade design, a computer script was developed by architectural designer Ben Elmer to generate the icons based on ancient Armenian ornamental motifs.

These icons were scaled to fit a total of 1.5 million on the facade and were distributed according to density to form larger-scale patterns when viewed from a distance.

The ceramic surfaces are also UV-resistant

The motifs were printed to the exact pixel modules required onto Fiandre’s large-format, exterior-grade, UV-resistant porcelain rain screen slabs.

“The facade is believed to be the first use of this technology to optically engage the viewer in a series of visual scales nested inside each other, from the scale of an entire architectural facade to the scale of individual pixels each rendered in high-resolution at the threshold of visual perception,” said Fiandre.

In addition to the memorial facade, Fiandre supplied the full range of porcelain interior and exterior floor, wall and soffit finishes used throughout the Saint Sarkis Campus.

A photograph of the inside of the Armenian church — The Armenian church in Texas is designed by New York-based architect David Hotson

New York-based Hotson’s design for the new church building is modelled on the ancient church of Saint Hripsime, which stands near Armenia’s modern capital of Yerevan.

Having withstood fourteen centuries of upheaval, Saint Hripsime serves as a symbol of the endurance, perseverance, and resilience of the Armenian people. The cornerstone of Saint Sarkis was laid in 2018, fourteen centuries after Saint Hripsime was completed in 618 AD.

“From this brief, Hotson developed a design that looks forward as well as backward, marrying ancient architectural and artistic traditions reflecting Armenia’s cultural legacy as the world’s first Christian nation with contemporary digitally-driven design and fabrication technologies,” explained the manufacturer.

To learn more about Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, visit the brand’s website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Fiandre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Sustainable News

Modular sewage treatment plant fits inside a trailer

By Zarkon Group,17/10/2022

Spotted: An incredibly densely populated country, India’s struggles to access and maintain clean waterways and sanitation infrastructure is well documented. UNESCO says that lack of sanitation is part of the global water quality challenge and “one of the most significant forms of water pollution.”

Israeli company Huliot has a solution specifically for densely populated communities. A modular sewage treatment plant called ClearBlack can clean water for up to 800 people per day per unit. The plants are available in three sizes, ranging from 25 to 100 cubic metres of water cleaned per day. Based on a compact design centred around a Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) rather than activated charcoal or sand filters, the mobile treatment plants are quiet to run, do not produce a smell, and are automatically and remotely managed.

The system requires only electricity to run, no additional piping, and costs around 15 cents per day. With almost 100 per cent of the water that is cleaned able to be used again, the system is incredibly efficient and could cut local water costs and volume of use by up to 40 per cent.

As water scarcity continues to grow globally, solutions such as Huliot’s have the potential to significantly improve urban living conditions. Springwise has previously spotted innovations taking inspiration from nature, with apples being used to remove nanoplastics and algae providing a chemical-free cleaning process.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Sustainable News

Miller Hull Partnership and Woods Bagot design timber airport expansion

By Zarkon Group,17/10/2022

Architecture offices Miller Hull Partnership and Woods Bagot have revealed plans for an extension of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Miller Hull Partnership and Woods Bagot will work with the Port of Seattle to carry out the 145,528 square-foot (13,520-square-metre) expansion of the airport’s C Concourse.

A sculptural pillar and a grand staircase clad in locally sourced Douglas fir will be at the centre of the C Concourse Expansion. The pillar will feature carved decorative geometric shapes.

According to the architecture studios involved, the airport’s grand staircase will be the focal point of the extension, with a design that takes materials and forms of the Pacific Northwest.

“The concourse’s interior will be an interplay of environments that is defined by both the local energy and a connection to the natural landscape,” explained Miller Hull and Woods Bagot.

Four additional storeys above the airport’s existing concourse will provide travellers with a range of amenities.

These additional floors will include dining and retail spaces, as well as interfaith prayer and meditation rooms, a nursing suite and a 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-metre) lounge for Alaska Airlines.

Due to the expansion’s height, views of the airfield and the surrounding Olympic Mountains will be expanded.

Douglas fir pillar — A staircase and pillar clad in local Douglas fir will be at the centre of the expansion

A “marketplace” modelled on the Seattle farmers’ markets will be located in the middle of the concourse. It will include a bar, various retail kiosks and an area for musicians that will face the grand staircase.

The C Concourse Expansion’s timber elements have been designed as part of Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Project Framework, which pledges to commit to more sustainable infrastructure.

The expansion will also include rooftop photovoltaic panels and electrochromic window glazing.

According to Miller Hull and Woods Bagot, the expansion will also feature fossil-fuel-free systems for heating and hot water, as well as dishwashing facilities for vendors that will intend to reduce the demand for disposal dishes and low-flow water fixtures.

The architecture firms said that embodied carbon reduction strategies and biophilic design principles will also define the expansion.

Initial construction is slated to begin this summer, with major work due to commence in mid-2023. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2027.

Miller Hull Partnership was founded in 1977 while Woods Bagot was established in 1869. The firms have individually designed many architecture projects including a net-positive building for an Atlanta university and another university building with a fluted concrete tower respectively.

The renderings are courtesy of Woods Bagot and Miller Hull Partnership.

Reference

Architecture

5 Ways Architects Can Combat Sterile Stereotypes of Elderly Care Homes

By Zarkon Group,17/10/2022

Architizer is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual A+Awards is officially open for entries! With an Early Entry Deadline of November 4th, 2022, the clock is ticking — get started on your submission today.

As the boomer generation grows old and cultural norms for caring for the elderly shift, retirement homes become increasingly important in our society. When we think of elderly care homes, a sterile and despondent image often comes to mind, one that typically lacks vitality, life and community. Retirement and nursing homes are complex spaces that facilitate a variety of tasks and undertakings. They do not only serve as living spaces; they are medical centers, social domains and spiritual places too. And such multiplex environments have proven to be complex design undertakings.

The architectural field plays an intrinsic role in the betterment of retirement communities. Through careful planning, a deep understanding of the elderly’s needs and a commitment to fostering community, elderly care homes can become places that nurture vibrant lifestyles for their aging population.

Encouraging Movement Through Accessible Floor Plans

St John’s House Nursing Home by FKL architects, Dublin, Ireland, 2021

Physical mobility decreases with age, and it is imperative that elderly homes both limit and encourage movement. There is a fine line between accessible circulation and inaccessible movement, and architects can help encourage movement through well-devised and safe floor plans. The St John’s Nursing Home in Dublin, Ireland is a space that responds to elderly needs.

This renovation completely reconfigured its amenities in order to best serve its residents. The site’s original chapel was located in an inaccessible and non-central spot. The chapel was then relocated from its former position to a central spot that leads onto an external, enclosed structure. Centralizing this place of worship within the home makes for easier movement and as a result, encourages residents to engage in moments of devotion.

St John’s House Nursing Home by FKL architects, Dublin, Ireland, 2021.

At St John’s Nursing Home, a sheltered promenade was created to join the new building with the existing structure. Covered pathways are ideal for elderly residents as they encourage outdoor movement while protecting residents from extreme weather, such as heavy rainfall, which could cause slippery conditions.

Moreover, herbs, vegetables and fruits were planted in the outdoor gardens, which create active outdoor spaces where residents can engage their senses through scents, textures and taste. The home’s interior design was carefully placed and boasts contrasting colors in order to remain accessible for residents with cognitive impairments. Thus, creating a space for accessible circulation and healthy movement.

The Hainburg Nursing Home in Austria is another great example of accessible and tactical design. Inside, niches were implemented in front of each resident’s bedroom door, and thus turn the hallways into active spaces for circulation and gathering that are an extension of residents’ rooms. The interior surfaces are demarcated by their materiality: laminate and linoleum and wooden floors. Meanwhile, contrary to the anonymous and bland exteriors that lend a medical air to many nursing homes, this Austrian project is sheathed in a pattern of colored diamond-shaped Eternit-shingles, offering a unique expression of identity for the place that residents call home; which brings me to my next point.

Steering Away from Sterile Environments

Home for Dependent Elderly People and Nursing Home by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Orbec, France. Photos by Eugeni Pons

Homes for the elderly encompass much more than a simple place to eat and rest. These spaces are typically equipped with large medical teams made up of doctors and nurses. More often than not, a pragmatic reality takes precedence over design creativity and as a result, sterile spaces are erected.

However, there are ways to ensure that a caregiver’s work can be performed without a hitch while creating inviting and dynamic spaces. The simplest way to do so is through color. The Home for Dependent Eledery People and Nursing Home in Orbec, France chose unconventional colors for its design. The interior hallways are painted with a bright red and crisp white color, steering away from conventional medical palettes. Even the exterior’s green façade makes for an inviting space and connects the center to the surrounding landscape.

St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment by Nomade Architectes, Saint-Brieuc, France | Photo by Mathieu Ducros

This bold use of color can be seen in additional homes, including the St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment in France, which boasts a colorful interior and exterior purposefully done to energize the space. The design respects the area’s residential nature by breaking the program into nine small blocks and borrowing traditional architectural codes, such as double-pitched roof. The array of materials and color further differentiate units of the housing, reinforcing a sense of individuality for the residents in the community.

Encouraging Autonomy Through Separated Public and Private Spaces

Indeed, balancing autonomy and independence can be a challenge when designing an old folk’s home, especially when most residents require assistance from staff. Separating public and private spaces in order to encourage independence — while not compromising community and efficient care — is key. The Old People’s and Nursing Home in Rolle, Switzerland finds a perfect balance between public and private spaces. Residents’ bedrooms are located on the upper floors while the main level is reserved for communal areas. Additional common spaces are added to upper floors, which encourages private gatherings and therefore, allow residents to socialize on their own terms.

Old People’s and Nursing Home, Rolle by PIERRE-ALAIN DUPRAZ ARCHITECTE ETS FAS, Rolle, Switzerland, 2015.

Hospitality-Based Design

Some designers have approached the architecture of a senior’s home similarly to that of a hospitality space. The Nursing Home in Sceaux was informed by hotel designs and mimics a similar aesthetic through its thematic spaces. This home has three pronounced gardens, all of which boast a unique theme and create exploratory spaces for residents to discover.

Dining, lounging and media rooms are all separated to further encourage movement and exploration — just like one would in a hotel. Moreover, the entire façade is wrapped by wooden logs which create an enclosed passageway and provides an environment completely atypical of a nursing home but still safe for the elderly.

Nursing Home in Sceaux by Philippe Dubus Architectes, Sceaux, France, 2013.

Hospitality-influenced design is equally see at the St Brieuc’s Eldery Establishment (mentioned earlier in this article) which has an in-house hair salon and delineated family reception area. These sorts of hospitality-focused spaces bridge the gap between the home and the outside world by providing a sense of ‘normal’ living. Residents can engage in mundane tasks such as visiting the hairdresser and hosting family.

Improved Areas for Staff and Caregivers

As important as it is to consider the residents’ needs when designing spaces for the elderly, it is equally paramount to take into consideration the very people that make these spaces possible — the staff. Caregivers have arguably one of the most challenging jobs and it is critical they are well-considered when designing nursing homes and retirement residences. Delineating clear environments where staff can perform their work, as well as look after themselves, help create an environment ideal for growing old.

Reference

Sustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Act Now: List or Update Your Home in the Inventory of Zero Homes

By Zarkon Group,17/10/2022

Did you know that as of the end of 2020, there were more than 17,000 zero energy housing units in North America? That’s a 26% increase over the previous year. Many more are in the pipeline for 2021. Other interesting facts: 75% of zero energy residences in North America are multifamily, and London, Ontario, Canada has more zero energy residences than any city in North America. This is the kind of information you can access from Team Zero’s Inventory of Zero Energy Homes.

The Inventory of Zero Energy Homes provides a crucial metric to demonstrate the growth and viability of the zero energy movement. If you have designed, built, or purchased a zero energy home, be sure it is listed in the Inventory. Because there are now new inventory data fields where you can provide more useful information on your home, if you already listed a home, please update your listing. You can add or update your listing here.

But act fast. Team Zero, EEBA, and the Zero Energy Project encourage builders, designers, and homeowners to submit new zero energy homes and update previously listed ones soon — so they’ll appear in the 2021 Inventory of Zero Homes report.

The Inventory covers many categories: homes currently under construction, those in the design phase, and completed homes — whether they’re zero energy, positive energy/net producer homes, zero energy ready or passive homes. The 2021 Zero Home Inventory report will help build momentum for zero homes. Stand up and be counted by listing or updating your zero home in the Inventory now!

Reference

Private House in Cologne by SMO Architektur

Interior Design

Ten homes with staircases that have statement balustrades

By Zarkon Group,16/10/2022

In our latest lookbook, Dezeen has rounded up 10 home staircases that incorporate contemporary and non-traditional balustrades from circular perforations to bold colour blocking.

A balustrade is a railing that runs alongside a staircase and prevents a person from falling over its edge. Balusters are vertical posts that typically support a bannister or handrail above, balusters traditionally have a lathe-turned form that results in a bulbous and curving profile.

Although often focal points of interior settings, balustrades can be relatively similar from home to home. In this lookbook, we have highlighted 10 alternative balustrades that bring a non-traditional and statement look to homes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring maximalist interiors, homes that use tiles as a decorative feature and interiors with ornate ceilings.

Private House in Cologne, Germany, by SMO Architektur

This perforated balustrade complements the rigid and cubic form of this house in Cologne, which was designed by architecture practice SMO Architektur and informed by Le Corbusier’s Plan Libre.

A staircase that runs through the home was bounded by a seamless, perforated balustrade that is constructed from a singular sheet of material. The perforations within the balustrade contrast against the square and angular shape profile of the staircase.

Find out more about Private House in Cologne ›

Mo-tel House by Office S&M — Photo by French + Tye

Mo-tel House, UK, by Office S&M

This brightly coloured staircase sits within a Georgian townhouse in the London borough of Islington, which was renovated by London studio Office S&M.

Titled Mo-tel House, the home has a brightly coloured interior scheme with a geometric and boldly coloured staircase. Its vertically slatted balusters were painted pink while a bright yellow handrail folds over and into the staircase’s end post.

Find out more about Mo-tel House in London ›

Tel Aviv townhouse by David Lebenthal — Photo by Tal Nisim

Tel Aviv townhouse, Israel, by David Lebenthal

In Tel Aviv, architect David Lebenthal suspended a staircase behind a wall of vertically organised steel rods that function as the staircase’s balustrade.

The home was designed for Lebenthal and his family and was organised around an exposed concrete party wall that hosts the metal staircase that runs through the home. Steel rods stretch between each floor of the home and were fixed to and intersect with the outer edge of the metal-folded tread.

Find out more about Tel Aviv townhouse ›

White Rabbit House by Gundry & Ducker — Photo by Andrew Meredith

White Rabbit House, UK, by Gundry & Ducker

Architecture studio Gundry & Ducker fitted a cantilevered staircase into this 1970s house in London.

Its balustrade is comprised of green-painted vertical rods that run the entire length of the staircase and a one-piece wooden bannister that was placed on top of the green balusters and pierces through an overhanging lip on the tread of the base step.

Find out more about White Rabbit House ›

Bonhôte House by AOC — Photo by Tim Soar

Bonhôte House, UK, by AOC

Angular brass rods, arranged in a zigzagging formation, flank the sides of this staircase that ascends above an open-plan living and kitchen area in a north London townhouse.

The home was designed by architecture studio AOC within a contemporary family home. It has an open-plan design with its brass-wrapped staircase used to divide the ground floor living spaces

Find out more about Bonhôte House ›

Hearth House, UK, by AOC

Architecture studio AOC incorporated a negative relief-style balustrade into the staircase at Hearth House in Golders Green.

On the upper levels of the staircase, the profiles and silhouettes of traditional spindle balusters were laser cut into plywood sheets creating voids where ornamental spindles would sit. Elsewhere, a lamp extends from the handrail of the bannister.

Find out more about Hearth House ›

O12, Germany, by Philipp von Matt

German architect Philipp von Matt fitted a golden-hued, perforated-brass bannister to a solid concrete staircase at O12, an artist’s home in Berlin.

The mesh brass bannister zigzags along the side of the concrete stairwell from the front door of the home through to its first and second floors. As a result of its perforations, light can travel through the bannister and filter into the monolithic stairwell.

Find out more about O12 ›

Ash House by R2 Studio — Photo by Andy Stagg

Ash House, UK, by R2 Studio

A full-height ash bannister, which was pierced with circular cut-out openings lines a wooden stairwell that connects two storeys of an Edwardian house in Lewisham, London.

Architecture studio R2 Studio mimicked the stair profile when creating the hole pattern across the ash bannister, incorporating larger holes at eye level for both adults and children. A groove was cut into the opposite side to form an inset handrail.

Find out more about Ash House ›

Maryland House by Remi Connolly-Taylor — Photo by James Retief

Maryland House, UK, by Remi Connolly-Taylor

A red metal staircase at designer Remi Connolly-Taylor’s home in London has a weightless look. It has a red folded tread that sits on top of the home’s stone floors. Besides the tread, a tubular, pipe-like hand rail-cum-balustrade has a similarly weightless look and protrudes from the ground and follows the profile of the steps below.

The staircase is encased within a glass block-clad stairwell that Connolly-Taylor explained was used to bring light into the interior while also providing privacy from neighbours.

Find out more about Maryland House ›

Coastal House by 6a Architects — Photo by Johan Dehlin

Coastal House, UK, by 6a Architects

A wooden staircase sits at the heart of this home, which was renovated by London-based architecture studio 6a Architects. Thin tapering spindle-shaped balustrades were organised at alternating angles creating a wave-like rhythm across the entire staircase.

The bannister and balustrade were made from oak and have an unfinished, rustic quality that ties the staircase to the home’s original beams and textural stone walls.

Find out more about Coastal House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring deliberately unfinished interiors, maximalist interiors and walk-in wardrobes.

Reference

Sustainable News

A platform helps companies track ESG, CSR, and sustainability in one place

By Zarkon Group,16/10/2022

Spotted: With research showing that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are frequently withdrawn during times of economic uncertainty, the full picture of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is still developing. Many environmental advocates hoped that the sudden drop in global emissions would become the new norm, but the opposite happened. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that global emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021. Part of that was a rebound in airline travel and a steep increase in transport by car.

In light of the corporate struggle to do what is best for the planet, Spanish software company APlanet created a single, customisable dashboard for companies to track their environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures in one place. Whatever a business is doing to protect the global health of the planet, and wherever that occurs in the supply chain, the APlanet platform tracks it.

A company sets up the categories that it wants to track, which can include global standards as well as internal, local, or regional measures. APlanet helps identify data inputs and builds a bespoke dashboard. Companies can assign owners to different data sets and, when needed, easily create holistic performance reports for the entire organisation.

The detailed analysis provided by APlanet helps operational managers track efficiencies and a range of measures across multiple locations, including gender equality, emissions, energy usage, recycling, water usage and more.

CSR and ESG are important to consumers, with much brand loyalty pegged to a company’s ethos. As organisations seek ways to bake sustainability into their very foundations, innovators are rising to the challenge with technologies such as a platform that verifies and tracks impact projects and a social media app that raises funding for sustainable brands and causes.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Sustainable News

UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard to verify net-zero carbon buildings

By Zarkon Group,16/10/2022

A group of leading industry organisations including the Royal British Institute of Architects have come together to create a building standard that will verify net-zero carbon buildings in the UK.

Named the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the initiative will help the industry to ensure and prove that buildings claiming to be net-zero hold up to that claim.

The launch, announced by the Royal British Institute of Architects (RIBA), responds to confusion over the term net-zero and “a clear demand for a single, agreed methodology”.

It is also hoped to encourage the industry to decarbonise and help the UK to meet its 2035 and 2050 emissions targets.

Standard will “help the entire industry to move forward”

“This is a really exciting and timely initiative that will help the entire industry to move forward in its efforts to reach net-zero carbon,” reflected RIBA president Simon Allford.

“Working together we will address current ambiguities around the much-used term and develop a common understanding, based on clear performance targets, to support all those involved in the procurement, design, construction and operation of buildings.”

Net-zero carbon buildings are designed to eliminate all possible emissions over a building’s lifetime. This takes into account both embodied carbon, which are emissions caused by the construction supply chain, and operational carbon, which are emissions caused by a building’s use.

Any remaining emissions must be offset by removing carbon from the atmosphere.

As the built environment is responsible for around 40 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, net-zero carbon architecture could help the UK meet its decarbonisation targets.

The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard will verify both new and existing buildings, and take into account both their operational and embodied carbon emissions.

The Carbon Trust among supporters

Among the industry bodies backing the initiative are RIBA, the Carbon Trust, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).

The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP), Building Research Establishment (BRE), London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) are also in the steering group.

“We look forward to contributing to the development of this highly impactful standard, which will be instrumental in guiding the UK real estate industry, the construction sector and the wider built environment, in the rapid and urgent transition towards net-zero,” reflected the Carbon Trust’s director Dominic Burbridge.

“Addressing the energy demand of the built environment and the associated emissions is a key driver in accelerating the move to a sustainable, decarbonised future and we are excited to be supporting such an important and pioneering initiative.”

Delivery will require “radical collaboration”

According to the RIBA, the standard will be accessible to everyone and “anyone who wants to fund, procure, design, specify, or occupy a net-zero carbon building and anyone wanting to demonstrate that their building is net zero-aligned with an industry-agreed standard”.

The steering group is now looking for support from other industry figures and stakeholders to deliver the standard.

“A UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard will be critical for asset owners and managers to evidence that their buildings are built and operating in line with climate science,” concluded Sarah Ratcliffe, the CEO of steering-group member BBP.

“An industry-wide standard will enable stakeholders including investors and occupiers to differentiate between assets that are net-zero and those that are not,” she continued. “It will take radical collaboration to deliver this project.”

Architecture is “one of the least well-represented businesses” in the UN initiative to get companies to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, according to UN climate champion Nigel Topping.

In 2019, RIBA launched a voluntary challenge to help architects create net-zero carbon buildings. However, less than six per cent of UK studios have signed up.

The main image is of the carbon-negative Paradise office by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.

Reference

Architecture

‘the house of a thousand faces’ by OOIIO architecture frames mountainous views in spain

By Zarkon Group,16/10/2022

the house of a thousand faces

OOIIO Architecture plays with bold geometries for ‘LLO House,’ a single-family dwelling in Valdemorillo, Spain. The final composition presents itself as a series of angular volumes that interconnect and point in different directions, framing scenic views of the mountainous landscape around Madrid. The presence of several trees and rocks on the property was a great challenge that led the team to intervene gently in the existing vegetation with a design that slides through it. Taking shape as a large spatial pinwheel — as mentioned by the architects — the project aims to open up to the horizon but also itself becomes a sculpture with expressive forms of materials and shapes. From the perspective of a passerby, the house emerges with vague boundaries and invites one to discover them gradually by walking around it.

‘Wandering around the building, a passer-by discovers that the house is never the same, it has a thousand faces.’ shares the Madrid-based studio. ‘It is a house that looks to several different points, and also, when you look at it, it will always appear different, depending on the time of day, the season, and the position. You will always see a different house. A nuance, a shadow that throws with a specific inclination, but never the same as before.’all images by Javier de Paz

Form & material variety in domestic residential architecture

The functions are distributed throughout the various masses, each of them generously opening in different directions. The building’s core is a double-height space that embraces the staircase and acts as a connector between the two levels. The imposing geometries of the project are softened with a skin of clay-type ceramic pieces in reddish and grayish tones and smoothly integrate the building into its natural setting. At the same time, its muted color palette creates a pleasing contrast with the pops of green as a backdrop. The interior, which is also designed by OOIIO Architecture (more here), showcases a similar character following earthy tones expressed throughout the spaces. A series of fired clay mosaics combined with wood in natural and mint green tones are strategically positioned in the central staircase, the living room, or the kitchen furnishing, thus achieving aesthetic continuity between in and out. the functions are distributed among the various masses

the house appears different depending on the angles of view

Reference

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‘the house of a thousand faces’ by OOIIO architecture frames mountainous views in spain

the house of a thousand faces

Form & material variety in domestic residential architecture

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