Designing Domestic Interiors for the Microbiome
CategoriesArchitecture

Designing Domestic Interiors for the Microbiome

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

One of the clearest byproducts of the pandemic has been a renewed focus on the domestic interior. As stewards of our own homes, we have found ourselves examining them under a new microscope, both for their aesthetic ability to bring comfort during a difficult period and for imagined traces of the virus, which we may have reluctantly brought indoors from the outside world at any time. Early on, bags of groceries often spent a day or more outside of our homes; they were punished as alleged viral transmitters and forced to enter a period of quarantine before being allowed in to provide much-needed sustenance. Countertops, doorknobs, and other surfaces that regularly made corporeal contact were scrubbed with a renewed vigor in an effort to sterilize our home from any living presence but our own.

Over the course of the last century, much of modernist architecture can be understood as a consequence of the fear of disease; the construction of physical space to facilitate an ability to cleanse rooms where bacteria lurk. Clean, empty white walls, open floor plans and industrial, highly polished surfaces became synonymous with functional space that allowed the occupant to feel comfortable, safe and germ-free — at least to the naked eye. Architects such as Le Corbusier famously thought that a house should function as a “machine à habiter” or machine for living in his 1923 manifesto for future habitation, Towards a New Architecture. But the lines immediately following this iconic phrase are equally revealing:

“Baths, sun, hot water, cold water, warmth at will, conservation of food, hygiene, beauty in the sense of good proportion… We must clear up a misunderstanding: we are in a diseased state because we mix up art with a respectful attitude to mere decoration.”

The entrance hall in Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. © Thomas Nemesker

On the surface, Corbusier’s aesthetic focused on the qualities of unornamented, rectilinear spaces. Yet, a deeper reading reveals an agenda of moral and physical cleanliness. While diseases like tuberculosis and the resulting technologies developed to diagnose them helped to shape modernism and the work of architects like Corbusier throughout the 20th Century; similarly, Covid-19 and our cultural propensity to spend time indoors (up to 90% of our days) will influence architecture in the near future.

Today, our culture is saturated with products focused on sanitizing and architectural surfaces that help to facilitate this ritual cleansing. We commonly hold that sterility is the ideal state of existence, even though it is impossible to achieve for more than even a brief moment. We regularly consume antibiotic treatments for even the most minor illnesses, hoping to eradicate all germs or bacteria on contact. In reaction to the pandemic, architectural publications widely circulated articles detailing products and surfaces with natural anti-microbial properties, including copper and cardboard (to name a few). While there are certainly architectural contexts including the healthcare industry that require starkly hygienic environments, this strategy exists at the expense of the “good” bacteria we need to foster healthy immune systems.

Colonies formed by a variety of bacterial and fungal species. © Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

Conversely, we are composed of 100 trillion microbes, and over half of the cells in our body belong to foreign microbes that inhabit us. On an architectural scale, according to Emily Anthes’ book The Great Indoors, our homes are filled with up to 2000 different microbial “squatters” at any given time. Different areas of the home tend to reveal distinct differences; bacteria found in kitchens is most commonly associated with food, while doors and door knobs are covered in species most typically found in leaves and soil.

Domestic elements like toilet seats and pillowcases look more similar than you’d like to believe under a microscope — both harbor bacteria that typically lives on our skin and in our mouths. More recent research on hygiene espouses a modern microbial perspective that is complex and intertwined with both outdoor and indoor environments; a combination of strategies to expose the body to certain bacteria while targeting certain hygiene to create the framework for healthy protection from pathogens while restoring and reinforcing our microbiomes.

With this in mind, how should our interior domestic environments intervene to foster the restoration, growth or even flourishing of microbial cultures? Revisiting the kitchen with a renewed focus would not be a bad start. In order to re-frame our relationship with microorganisms, we should reference symbiotic examples from the world’s culinary traditions. Bread-baking, kombucha and other fermentation processes that revolve around the kitchen, all produce healthy bacteria that humans benefit from, both during the processes of production and following consumption. In some cases, as with sourdough bread, the microbes found on bakers’ hands even mirror the microbes within their starters, the bubbly mix of yeast, bacteria and flour that’s the basis of every loaf.

Kombucha is fermented by a floating biofilm made up of a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast, or SCOBY. © Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

In “Micro-ecologies of the Built Environment,” a chapter in The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture, Ted Krueger argues that architecture’s conventional focus on the human scale should be brought down in scale to the microbial and that architects should operate more like “creative chefs than forensic doctors”, manipulating conditions to encourage the cultivation of healthy microbiota. In turn, as the architectural discipline evolves into a more microscopic realm, we should promote the design of micro-ecologies within our domestic spaces through the careful selection of materials and spatial conditions, that do not only destroy bacteria but work to nurture what may be beneficial to us.

How can we reframe the notion of cleanliness through the lens of architecture in an age where filth and germs might actually help us survive? It’s clear that our interior environments and the products we use within them need to evolve from a purely adversarial position towards microorganisms, to a far more symbiotic relationship with “good” bacteria. There is an urgent need to develop “architectural probiotics”; environments and surfaces that support the complex conditions needed to partner with microorganisms for mutual benefit. What would this architecture look like?

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

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A vegan social media app gives users the option to own shares in the company
CategoriesSustainable News

A vegan social media app gives users the option to own shares in the company

Spotted: As the world increasingly turns to social media for news and entertainment, a new crop of sustainable startups are looking to tap into their pool of engaged users to further their social purpose. Vegan social media platform abillion is one such startup.

Launched in 2017 as a social platform for connecting people with plant-based food choices, the company is on a mission to make it easy for everyone to be an environmental hero. As the company has developed, it has shifted its focus to helping individuals and businesses become more aware of their choices and proactive about sustainability. It does this by funnelling back cashback rewards from brands to users, who can then direct those funds to their favorite environmental causes.

To date, abillion has given more than $1.4 million (around €1.33 million) to environmental causes, including Sea Shepherd and One Tree Planted. With over 60 recipients to choose from, users can easily support the causes they’re passionate about.

Now, in a first-of-its-kind move for social media, the vegan social app is giving its users the option to own shares in the company. The company says this represents a new concept of ownership and allows users of the platform to take a vested interest in its success. Previously, credits amassed by leaving reviews of vegan products could be redeemed for rewards like discounts or free products. But now those credits will be convertible into shares of abillion.

A democracy of ownership will allow users to not only connect with plant-based food choices, but also to have a say in which companies are featured on the platform. As a result, abillion is positioning itself as a leader in the sustainable food space. And with $1 in review credit equal to a $1 stake in the company when it goes public, abillion is giving its users a chance to profit with purpose.

Other innovations in environmental giving recently spotted by Springwise include a CSR platform that lets companies choose and monitor impact projects, an ad platform that rewards users for watching ads by giving them credit to donate to a cause of their choice, and a search engine that donates its profits to non-profit organisations.

Written By: Katrina Lane

Website: abillion.com

Contact: abillion.com/contact

Reference

Nanofiltration reduces industrial chemical separation emissions
CategoriesSustainable News

Nanofiltration reduces industrial chemical separation emissions

Spotted: An invisible polluter, industrial chemical separation is a necessity in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, oil refinement, and semiconductor and vegetable oil production. Accounting for up to 15 per cent of the world’s energy use, the process of separating chemicals for commercial and industrial use creates significant volumes of carbon emissions – possibly up to 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases.

Seeking a way to reduce the environmental harm of those processes, Singapore-based Seppure built a membrane capable of separating even the harshest chemicals at the molecular level without using heat. Built with nanotechnology, the membrane is so strong yet porous at a nano level that it can be reused multiple times, in a wide range of temperatures, and remain resistant to degradation from the chemicals with which it comes into contact.

Importantly, the membranes can be used throughout the processes of separation, from distillation to evaporation, without heat at any stage. By removing the need for high temperatures, the new membranes conserve water while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Resource conservation and energy conservation are key aims in every industry. Springwise is spotting an exciting mix of initiatives that tackle these goals, from magnetic levitation for frictionless motors, to a new method for extracting lithium that recycles water and brine.  

Written by: Keely Khoury

Email: farahani@seppure.com

Website: seppure.com

Reference

What Can North Americans Learn About Design From European Cities?
CategoriesArchitecture

What Can North Americans Learn About Design From European Cities?

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

As a Canadian ex-pat currently living in France, I was excited for and whole-heartedly welcomed a change of pace from North American life. Canadians and Americans often idolize Europe and its accompanying lifestyle, and after nine months in France, I can confirm the charm of European living has yet to wear off.

Europe covers a relatively small landmass, especially when comparing it to the rich array of countries that make up the continent. Each country offers its own distinctive culture and way of life, and because of this, it is difficult to categorically define ‘European living.’ Nonetheless, there are certain cultural similarities that can be strongly felt amongst countries (especially those in Western Europe). I will use my time residing in France as a case study to help make sense of North America’s infatuation with the European lifestyle. An infatuation that I continue to feel here in France.

I’ve been residing in Orléans, a small French city located one hour southwest of Paris. The city dates back to antiquity and has a charming mix of half-timbered medieval homes, Haussman-style buildings and Gothic architecture. Those living in the city center typically reside in the town’s older infrastructure, while those in the surrounding suburbs occupy newer, more contemporary buildings.

One of the most apparent reasons why North Americans are so charmed by Europe is its history. European cities are filled with an incredible history that is recognizable through architecture. As a North American, it’s hard not to be taken by such ornate and historic surroundings. When living in Orléans, I can confirm that walking past the striking gothic cathedral and rows of half-timbered homes never got old to my North American eyes.

Despite such apparent beauty, history and charm, there were certain aspects of French living that took some time to get used to. While in France, I said goodbye to the many North-American luxuries I had grown accustomed to: high-end heating, accessible infrastructure, dryers and large living spaces. At first, I missed such luxuries but I quickly discovered just how easy it is to live without them. All it took was a bit of adjusting to eventually realize that many North-American amenities are superfluous. In the winter months, I learned to layer my clothes and in the summer months, I made sure to keep my shutters closed during the day. Quickly enough, giving up modern amenities was easy to do when, in return, you get to live in a historic city.

Even as we enter the hot summer months, I do not long for North American amenities. One of the most pronounced differences between Europe and North America in the summer is the absence of air conditioning. Most old European apartments do not come equipped with air conditioning. European homes are often built with brick and stone, unlike North American homes, which are built with wood. Building with stone and brick provides much better insulation and thus a more temperature-regulated living space. Therefore in Europe, it is possible to keep a dwelling cool in the summer. Moreover, the use of exterior window shutters is common in Europe and helps keep out the heat during the days and ventilate the home at night. Perhaps it is less convenient not having air conditioning, but the traditional building infrastructure makes it possible to endure hot summers.

Window Shutters – ‘Pierre Bottero’ media library and park in Pélissanne by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Pélissanne, France, 2020

Stone Buildings – Former Monastery of San Giuliano by CN10 Architetti, Bonate Sotto, Italy, 2016

Moreover, I realized that Orléans’ architecture contributed to my ability to find community in a foreign country. For example, the tight living spaces and communal courtyards helped foster strong connections with my roommates and neighbors. Equally, the abundance of mixed-use buildings furthered this strong sense of community living. In North America, we are often used to separate residential and commercial districts. Whereas in Europe, everything is much more densely organized. We often perceive density as a negative urban characteristic, but in this case, it helped me find my place and personal rhythm in Orléans. Whether it was visiting my local boulangerie or pharmacie, the intertwined nature between commercial stores and residential dwellings fueled a strong connection between all Orléanais people. In addition, the numerous public squares sprawled throughout the city would hold weekly farmer’s markets and social events. These public squares further contributed to my ability to comfortably integrate into the local way of life.

Public Spaces – Leyteire Courtyard by Martin Duplantier Architectes, Bordeaux, France, 2012. Yohan Zerdoun Photography

Dense ArchitectureVoltaire by SABO project, Paris, France, 2017

Before I knew it, the very things I at first disliked about France became the very aspects I now appreciate. Today I see claustrophobic close quarters as intimate spaces, narrow sidewalks as endearing and the bike-unfriendly cobblestone roads as a welcomed challenge to my daily commute to work. All in all, what I’ve taken away from my time in France is that European living is often more laidback. It’s at times less convenient and less polished but equally, if not more, enjoyable to North American life. The homes may not be equipped with the standard appliances found in North America, however, one will quickly find great satisfaction and purpose in navigating the quirks of European life.

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 



Reference

A CSR platform enables companies to choose and track verified impact projects
CategoriesSustainable News

A CSR platform enables companies to choose and track verified impact projects

Spotted:  Investors and corporates alike are increasingly interested in using software as a service (SaaS) models to integrate sustainability-focused infrastructure into corporate platforms. In line with this trend, Singaporean startup Handprint is providing businesses with an easy way to improve their planetary impact. 

The Handprint platform offers companies a choice of pre-verified impact projects grouped into themes such as social justice, clean water, and deforestation. Each company can then choose to support the ones that best align with its brand and values.  

Once a company has chosen the projects it wishes to support, software plugins integrate contributions to those projects into core business functions such as e-commerce. For example, food delivery company Saladstop integrated with Handprint’s technology to allow its customers to order ‘climate positive’ meals. Similarly, media platform Teads worked with Handprint to let its users dedicate part of their advertising spend to the regeneration project of their choice.  

The idea behind Handprint is that the company makes the contribution rather than the end consumer. But by using Handprint’s platform, companies gain benefits such as increased brand loyalty and greater cart conversion, while also linking their impact contributions to their core business. 

Handprint also makes it easy to track the company’s overall contribution – both in terms of monetary investment and impact outcomes. The progress of the company’s chosen projects can be traced with quasi-real-time data and on-the-ground photos – which the company can post on social media. 

A really important benefit of Handprint’s approach is that it significantly reduces intermediary costs on the back-end. By using blockchain technology and satellite imagery Handprint is able to avoid some of the costs normally associated with donation-based systems. As a result, more money flows to projects on the ground and less to third-party administration. In fact, the company claims to have one of the best dollar-to-impact rates in the world, being on average 68% cheaper than its competitors. 

In a crowded marketplace for corporate impact, Handprint’s credibility is boosted by its links with academia, and the financial backing it has recently received through a $2.2 million (around €2.08 million) funding round. 

Other recent software innovations aimed at corporate sustainability include a platform for measuring an organisation’s IT footprint, a SaaS platform that helps real estate investors lower their environmental impact, and a platform that simplifies ESG data. 

Written By: Katrina Lane

Website: handprint.tech

Contact: handprint.tech/contact

Reference

Global innovation spotlight: Singapore – Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

Global innovation spotlight: Singapore – Springwise

Global innovation spotlight: Singapore

Global Innovation Spotlight

Reflecting our global Springwise readership, we explore the innovation landscape and freshest thinking from a new country each week. This week, we’ve headed to Southeast Asia…

Singapore Innovation Facts

Global Innovation Index ranking: 8th

Climate targets: reduce GHG emissions intensity by 36% by 2030 (compared to 2005), net zero by 2050

Sustainability challenges

Dependence on food imports – Over 90 per cent of the food consumed in Singapore is imported. This not only incurs carbon emissions from transportation – it also makes the city-state vulnerable to supply problems and price hikes.

Waste management – Despite its reputation for cleanliness and investment in waste management, Singapore faces unique challenges when it comes to waste. Recycling rates are low, and more than 40 per cent of rubbish produced by the city-state is incinerated. 

Energy security – Around 95 per cent of Singapore’s domestic electricity is generated from imported natural gas. Natural gas is a fossil fuel, and Singapore’s reliance on imports makes it vulnerable to high energy prices. In response, the government recently announced targets to import around 30 per cent of the country’s electricity from low-carbon sources by 2035.

Sector specialisms

Deep tech

E-commerce

Fintech

Source: Startup Universal

Three exciting innovations from Singapore

Photo source Oyika

A BATTERY SWAP STARTUP TURNS PETROL-POWERED MOTORBIKES INTO EVS

In Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia between 83 and 87 per cent of households own motorbikes. Despite being smaller than cars, the sheer numbers of these vehicles on the road contribute to ongoing air pollution problems in many urban areas. Seeking to change that, startup Oyika has created a battery swapping service that turns petrol-powered motorbikes into electric vehicles (EVs). Read more.

Photo source Handprint

A CSR PLATFORM ENABLES COMPANIES TO CHOOSE AND TRACK VERIFIED IMPACT PROJECTS

Singaporean startup Handprint is providing businesses with an easy way to improve their planetary impact. The Handprint platform offers companies a choice of pre-verified impact projects grouped into themes such as social justice, clean water, and deforestation. Each company can then choose to support the ones that best align with its brand and values. Software tools allow client companies to integrate contributions to those projects into core business processes such as e-commerce. Read more.

Photo source Seppure

NANOFILTRATION REDUCES INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL SEPARATION EMISSIONS

An invisible polluter, industrial chemical separation is a necessity in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, oil refinement, and semiconductor and vegetable oil production. The process of separating chemicals for commercial and industrial accounts for up to 15 per cent of the world’s energy use. In response, Singapore-based Seppure has built a membrane capable of separating even the harshest chemicals at the molecular level without using heat. Read more.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

To keep up with the latest innovations, sign up to our free newsletters or email info@springwise.com to get in touch.

Reference

10 Architectural Photographers Who Dominate the Field
CategoriesArchitecture

10 Architectural Photographers Who Dominate the Field

Send us a photo. Tell us a story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge is underway with an Early Entry Deadline on May 27, 2022! Start your entry for architecture’s biggest photography competition here.

Architectural photography has forever changed the way we understand design. As images have become ubiquitous, their influence on culture and society can be felt throughout the world. Over the last thirty years, we’ve transitioned from discovering architecture primarily through individual experience and print to seeing buildings through renderings and photography. This has created an opportunity for architectural photographers to help designers see their work in a new light and utilize a photographer’s eye for structure, light and form.

Enter One Photo Challenge

Taking three-dimensional space and making it two-dimensional, architectural photographers build off their understanding of both their subject and the mediums by which their work will be shared. Focusing on composition and narrative, their images use buildings to tell a story. At the same time, photographers balance the need for the accurate representation of a structure and how it connects to a larger place. Showcasing the individuals shaping the image of architecture, the following photographers capture design from a range of perspectives. Together, they give a glimpse into how we discover architecture.


Roberts Pavilion, Claremont McKenna College by JFAK Architects, Images by Fotoworks/Benny Chan

Benny Chan lives in Los Angeles and works as both an art and commercial photographer. Through architecture and photography, Benny Chan makes sense of the world; he is fascinated by how things go together. His photographs may collectively be read as an assembly manual for Los Angeles. They show the city from top-down perspective, as plan-views of its infrastructures and everyday monuments. They get inside the machines that run the metropolis, from the port of Los Angeles, to utility stations, transportation terminals, warehouses, and laundromats. They all have powerful stories.

Chan’s efforts to make sense, to figure out, shapes his work. He hangs from helicopters to get the right angle. He builds his own cameras to surpass focal length limitations of off-the-shelf models. And, he finds his way behind the scenes and into highly restricted sites.


Elbphilharmonie Hamburg by Herzog & de Meuron & L’Arbre Blanc Residential Tower by Sou Fujimoto, Photographs © Iwan Baan

Iwan Baan is a Dutch photographer known primarily for his images that narrate the life and interactions within architecture. Born in 1975, Iwan grew up outside Amsterdam, studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and worked in publishing and documentary photography in New York and Europe. Iwan fell unexpectedly into the subject of architecture in 2005 when he proposed to document a project by OMA to Rem Koolhaas, leading to his first major project, the documentation of the construction of OMA’s China Central Television (CCTV) building.

Today, Iwan collaborates with some of the world’s most well-known architects, photographing institutional, public and private projects. His work is characterized by the portrayal of the context, society and environment around architecture.


Heydar Aliyev Centre and MAXXI Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects, Courtesy of ammann // projects. Photographs © Hélène Binet

Over a period of twenty-five years, Hélène Binet has photographed both contemporary and historical architecture. While following the work of contemporary architects — often from construction through completion — Hélène Binet has also photographed the works of past architects as Alvar Aalto, Geoffrey Bawa, Le Corbusier, Sverre Fehn, John Hejduk, Sigurd Lewerentz, Nicholas Hawksmoor and Dimitris Pikionis.

More recently, Hélène Binet has started to direct her attention to landscape photography, wherein she transposes key concerns of her architectural photography. Hélène Binet’s work has been published in a wide range of books and is shown in both national and international exhibitions. Hélène Binet is an advocate of analogue photography and exclusively works with film.


CopenHill by BIG & Leeza SOHO by Zaha Hadid Architects, Photography Courtesy Hufton + Crow

Hufton + Crow is a UK-based photography studio that was founded by Nick Hufton and Allan Crow. The duo work as a team and have captured contemporary interior and exterior architecture for renowned practices. Nick and Allan grew up together in Macclesfield, northern England, before moving to London. Both trained in analogue using a large format camera favored by many architectural photographers, but switched to digital as soon as the opportunity arose. The technical possibilities of digital photography mean it is now possible to stitch together several images to show wider views or to combine a series of moments into one. Harnessing these strategies has led the team to earn further commissions.


Denver Art Museum by Gio Ponti and James Sudler Associates & Anaheim Convention Center by Adrian Wilson and Associates, Photographs Courtesy Wayne Thom

Raised in Hong Kong, Thom moved to California in the mid-1960s and trained in the technical craftsmanship of photography. He is adept at harnessing natural light for both interior and exterior compositions. For more than thirty years Thom has captured the surfaces and depths, the shapes and textures, the contrasts and reflections of the objects of the built environment.

A patient reveler in the natural staging of the atmosphere, he creates compositions of materials around color and glow. Thom’s still life depictions unveil an idealized portrait of the inhabitable world, exposing the ultimate ambition of the architectural work as that which renders existence as art.


Tessalace Commercial Office Space by Studio Ardete and Titan Integrity Campus by Mindspace, Photography Courtesy Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

Purnesh Dev Nikhanj is an architectural photographer based in Chandigarh, India. His strengths are in experimenting with illusions, patterns, and abstract perspectives for storytelling. He worked with many renowned international design practices, and his main interest lies in the area of architectural and landscape photography, and video making. He is the only photographer to have won the Trends Excellence Award for Architectural photography twice and a silver spot at PX3, Paris.

Dev draws from deep psychological interests to represent space in various contexts. In all his signature series, such as Lost in Paradox, Beyond, Child’s play, etc. he explores psychological, philosophical, and existential ideas.


Centro de Interpretação do Românico Museum by Spaceworkers & Guelmim Airport by Groupe3Architectes, Images Courtesy Fernando Guerra, FG+SG

Fernando Guerra is a photographer of architecture based in Lisbon, Portugal. He obtained a degree in Architecture from Lusíada University (Lisbon), before working as an architect in Macau for five years. Fernando has been taking photographs since he was 16 years old and, in 1999, with his brother Sérgio Guerra, founded the studio ‘FG+SG – Fotografia de Arquitectura’. Five years later, they established the publishing house ‘FG+SG – Livros de Imagem’ to publicize the various architectural works they photograph. In 2012, he assumed the role of Canon Ambassador of Europe for architectural photography.


Salt Boutique Hotel by Camille Walala & La Muralla Roja by Ricardo Bofill, Photography Courtesy Tekla Evelina Severin

Using social media to explore color and composition, Tekla is a photographer that started her journey by turning her lens to interiors. She is both a colorist and interior architect who has become famous for her strong colors and graphically playful expressions.

Tekla started her journey to find colors, lines, and shapes in every object and surroundings. She is a freelancer in Stockholm as well as an art director and set designer. Whether it’s to design a product for a collaboration, or to photograph architecture for a commission, Tekla’s work highlights the importance of color in design, not merely as decoration, but as an important element in a project.


The Broad Museum by Diller Scofidio + Renfro & Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel, Photography Courtesy Mike Kelley

Mike Kelley is an architectural photographer from Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and after studying studio art and environmental science at the University of Vermont, he eventually found himself taking up an offer to photograph a few homes for a client.

What started by chance turned out to be a mix of technical challenge and creative outlet. In 2018, he founded the Architectural Photography Almanac, a resource for architecture photographers and those in the architecture industry seeking to learn about the craft and theory of architectural photography.


Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra & Stahl House by Pierre Koenig, Photography Courtesy Julius Shulman Photography Archive

No discussion of architectural photographer can be had without mentioning Julius Shulman. His career as an architectural photographer began in 1936 when he showed Richard Neutra some photographs he had made of the architect’s Kun Residence in Los Angeles. Neutra liked the images and asked Shulman to photograph more of his houses for him.

Ultimately, Shulman photographed most of Richard Neutra’s work and was introduced to other modernist architects working in Southern California. His extraordinary client list eventually included: Charles and Ray Eames, Raphael Soriano, John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, Rudolf Schindler, Frank Lloyd Wright and hundreds of others. Shulman did not merely document significant architecture, but interpreted it, becoming one of the most important and influential architectural photographers in history.

Send us a photo. Tell us a story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge is underway with an Early Entry Deadline on May 27, 2022! Start your entry for architecture’s biggest photography competition here.

Reference

A wood-based cooling foam could improve energy efficiency
CategoriesSustainable News

A wood-based cooling foam could improve energy efficiency

Spotted: As global temperatures continue to rise, the demand for air conditioning is skyrocketing. In fact, according to a recent study, the use of air conditioners is expected to quadruple by 2050. This increased demand will not only strain the world’s energy resources – it will also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In response, engineers in China and Germany have designed a new type of foam made from wood-based cellulose nanocrystals. 

The new foam is lightweight and reflective, meaning it can deflect solar radiation and allow heat to escape. The material is also thermally insulating. In fact, during trials the material reflected 96 per cent of sunlight and emitted over 90 per cent of the infrared radiation absorbed. If widely adopted, this technology could help to reduce the cooling energy needs of buildings by more than a third. As the world looks for ways to mitigate the effects of climate change, this foam has the potential to be a game-changer. 

When placed over an aluminum foil-lined box, the researchers found that the material was able to keep the temperature inside the box 16 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the outside. And when the air was humid, the material kept the inside of the box 13 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. The team estimates that placing the foam on the roof and exterior walls of a building could reduce its cooling costs by up to 30 per cent. So far, the material has only been tested in small spaces. But if it can be scaled up to commercial applications, it could provide a much-needed break for our overburdened air conditioners.

The researchers believe the foam can be adapted to work in a wide range of environments, making it an ideal solution for a variety of applications.  

The study also provides an important proof of concept for the use of cellulose-based materials in thermal management, and it is hoped that this technology will eventually lead to significant reductions in energy consumption. 

Other recent heating and cooling innovations spotted by Springwise include a smart building management system that heats and cools offices as needed, a smart roof coating for better energy saving, and a window coating that blocks infrared light.

Written By: Katrina Lane

Email: kai.zhang@uni-goettingen.de

Website: pubs.acs.org

Reference

The world’s first cell cultivated leather
CategoriesSustainable News

The world’s first cell cultivated leather

Spotted: As the world becomes increasingly aware of the ethical and environmental issues associated with traditional leather production, companies and retailers are on a mission to find high-quality leather alternatives. Lab-grown meat has received a lot of attention, with several companies’ products expected to hit the shelves in 2022 and 2023. Now, another startup is in position to scale up the production of lab-grown leather.

Vitrolabs is developing a process that can efficiently produce leather from only a few cells in an environmentally friendly way. This process involves taking a biopsy—a one-time collection of cells—from a live animal. These cells are then grown in a nutrient-rich environment – dividing and forming into tissue that can then be turned into leather. The composition of the material produced through this process achieves the complexity of traditional hides. This addresses a problem often levelled at other leather alternatives – that consumers crave the luxurious quality of real leather.

Last autumn, the company expanded into a new facility to pilot production, and as the company makes its way to commercialisation, it has received $46 million (around €43 million) in a new round of funding.

“There has been an explosion of companies that are developing alternative materials to leather,” explains VitroLabs CEO Ingvar Helgason. “At VitroLabs, our cultivated animal leather preserves the biological characteristics that the industry, craftsmen, and consumers know and love about leather, while eliminating the most environmentally and ethically detrimental aspects of the conventional leather manufacturing process associated with its sourcing.”

Many innovators are developing leather alternatives made using materials such as apples, hemp, and grape waste. However, VitroLabs is the first innovator spotted by Springwsie that is taking a lab-grown approach to sustainable leather.

Written By: Katrina Lane

Email: hello@vitrolabsinc.com

Website: vitrolabsinc.com

Reference

Your Architecture Firm is Leaking Money: How to Identify Losses and Plug the Holes
CategoriesArchitecture

Your Architecture Firm is Leaking Money: How to Identify Losses and Plug the Holes

Architizer is thrilled to announce the next webinar in our live series about how to run a successful architecture business — and you’re invited! We’ll be joined by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software, as he reveals the many ways in which architecture firms tend to let money “slip through the cracks”, and provide some valuable techniques for how to maximize the profitability of your practice.

Architects can receive 1 AIA Continuing Education Credit for this event, courtesy of BQE! Hit the button below to register for the talk, which will take place at 1pm EST on Wednesday, June 8th:

Register for the Webinar →

Most firms look at profitability as a bottom-line metric. They use this as a gauge to determine if the firm is financially healthy. However, every firm is composed of countless independent elements: employees, clients, projects, phases, consultants, and a myriad of expenses.

What does a firm do when they aren’t achieving the profit margins they desire or experiencing losses? Knowing the answer to this question is the purpose of this webinar.

In this webinar, we will explore:

  • The best practices for monitoring the various profit-centers of your firm.
  • The means and methods that will not only alert you to problems but discuss how to resolve them.

Most architecture and engineering firms don’t apply the same rigor, discipline, and consistency that they use when executing their projects. We will show how easy it is for your firm to be well-organized, efficient, and profitable by applying best practices and utilizing modern, effortless, affordable computing technologies.

Join Steven as he shares lessons learned over 35 years working with over 1,000 A&E firms!

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Learning Objectives

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

  • Explain the importance and informativeness of a perfectly organized Chart of Accounts
  • Identify each of your firm’s profit centers and the KPIs that measure their performance
  • Determine which technology plays an integral role in every healthy firm
  • Assess how simple it can be to turn your firm into a profitable, elegant enterprise

About Steve

Steven Burns is a member of the College of Fellows of the AIA and Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software. After receiving his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Steve spent 7 years at SOM – working in Chicago, London, and Berlin before founding his own firm, BBA Architects in 1993. In 2007, Steve sold BBA to pursue his passion for business management software — starting with his creation of ArchiOffice. Steve is now focused on the product development of BQE CORE ARCHITECT, a fully-integrated, cloud-based firm management platform that includes time billing, invoicing, accounting, and project management for firms of all sizes. Steven is a global speaker and thought leader on topics related to firm management and emerging technologies.

About Paul

Paul Keskeys is Editor in Chief at Architizer. Paul graduated from UCL and the University of Edinburgh, gaining an MArch in Architectural Design with distinction. Paul has spoken about the art of architecture and storytelling at many national industry events, including AIANY, NeoCon, KBIS, the Future NOW Symposium, the Young Architect Conference and NYCxDesign. As well as hundreds of editorial publications on Architizer, Paul has also had features published in Architectural Digest, PIN—UP Magazine, Archinect, Aesthetica Magazine and PUBLIC Journal.

Event Registration →

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