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A Summer Home Rebuilt on the Path to Zero
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

A Summer Home Rebuilt on the Path to Zero

By Zarkon Group,

The blue cottage in a historic Chautauqua community in Lakeside, Ohio, had hosted families for nearly a century and had been the beloved summer getaway of Frank and Brenda Baker’s family for the past 15 years. So when a tree fell on their summer home in June 2009, it crushed more than just the structure. At first, the Bakers hoped to save some of the original building, but a thorough inspection determined that even the areas that didn’t take a direct hit were too compromised to be reused. That news prompted the Bakers’ plan B: to rebuild the cottage from the ground up as a model of energy efficiency and sustainable building while maintaining the character of its 100-year-old  predecessor. To that end, they hired both a designer and a builder experienced in both sustainability and historic preservation.

Frank and Brenda have christened their project “The Lakeside Green Cottage” and have engaged like-minded professionals to bring it to life. Their designer, Dennis Feltner is an advocate for eco-friendly design and plans to adapt the sustainable building principles used in this home into his future work.  Additionally, the construction contractor, Tom Dearth, is a Certified Green Builder through the National Association of Homebuilders. Partnering with the  Lakeside Association’s sustainability initiative, the Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society, the Bakers host tours of the cottage to help educate the public about the value of green renovations. “We want to show people that eco-friendly building technology and historic character can go hand-in-hand,” Frank Baker said. 

“We really think this will be an asset to the community, and perfectly aligned with the Lakeside spirit and mission, he adds. 

Sustainable Building  Measures

The Baker cottage incorporates timber frame construction, with visible posts and beams used on the first floor.  Timber trusses support the roof and create vaulted ceilings in the second-story bedrooms. They used structural insulating products for the shell of the house, incorporating structural insulating panels (SIPs), insulating concrete forms (ICFs), and flexible EPS insulation sheets. The result is a super-tight building envelope that keeps conditioned air in, vastly reducing energy use – and energy bills.

In keeping with the Baker’s sustainability goals, materials from the original cottage were reused wherever possible, including the staircase, banister, and spindles; beadboard paneling; red pine floor planks; interior doors; bathroom fixtures, and some kitchen cabinets.

Products Used

PFB® insulating building products were used throughout the Lakeside Green Cottage. The high insulating properties of the products are due to their primary component, expanded polystyrene  (EPS), a rigid foam material that has special properties due to its structure. The individual cells of low-density polystyrene make EPS extremely light and strong, able to support many times its own  weight. The individual cells prevent heat and air from moving through the EPS, making it a great insulator. 

 

Advantage ICFs were used for the foundation of the cottage. These insulated concrete forms are interlocking blocks of EPS insulation with a void in the center. Once the blocks are in place and are filled with concrete, they create a poured, insulated foundation in one step. The ICF  blocks remain in place, isolating the concrete and preventing temperature conduction from the outdoors. Plasti-Fab Durofoam flexible insulation was installed beneath the basement floor, working in concert with the ICFs to create an unbroken “envelope” below grade. The foundation walls have an R-value of 23 and the floor is R15.

 

Insulspan SIPs are an “insulation sandwich” made of two sheets of structural oriented strand board (OSB) laminated to a continuous core of expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS). The resulting panels were used for walls and roofs, allowing the structure to be erected and insulated in one step. The span of solid insulation left no room for air movement, vastly improving energy efficiency compared to traditionally framed construction methods. The vaulted ceiling had an R-value of 38. And the whole home had 1.5 Air Changes per Hour.

Structural Timbers 

Timber framing, a centuries-old construction method, uses visible timbers as the building’s structural  “skeleton.” Timber framing requires less wood than conventional construction and makes use of a renewable resource. In addition, harvesting mature, healthy trees for this purpose ensures that the CO2 the wood has absorbed stays put, rather than being released back into the atmosphere. 

Riverbend Timber Framing created the visible posts and beams that were used on the first floor, with timber trusses supporting the roof and creating vaulted ceilings in the second-story bedrooms. 

The timber was forest salvaged Douglas Fir from fire-damaged forests and thus contributed further to the sustainability of the construction.

The Home Energy Rating 

The Bakers were committed to excluding fossil fuels from their summer home. So they used electric baseboard heat, electric hot water, and an electric stove, so they no longer use natural gas in their home; and when their local grid moves to renewable energy they will be totally fossil fuel free. Because it is a summer home they initially decided that it was not cost-effective to invest in heat pump HVAC or heat pump water heating. Nonetheless, this super airtight and highly insulated 2,479 square foot home qualified for the  NAHB’s National Green Building Standard certification at the Emerald level – the program’s highest and most demanding certification, which requires a  high level of resource and energy efficiency. The original HERS rating was 68 based on projected year-round use. 

Improving the HERS Rating

Several years after the home was completed in 2010, the Bakers replaced the baseboard electric heating with heat pump mini-splits and plan to replace the standard electric water heater with a heat pump water heater. And they are planning to have their energy consultant conduct blower-door-directed air sealing to check for and remedy any air leaks that may have occurred due to settling over the last 12 years. Then they will obtain another HERS rating. They are projecting that these energy upgrades will lower their energy use significantly and they are projecting receiving a HERS rating below 50 – qualifying the home for zero energy ready status.

Zero Energy Ready

For a home to qualify as zero energy ready it must have a HERS rating of 50 or less and be capable of having all its energy needs met by renewable rooftop solar.  While the Baker’s home is designed with roof orientation, area, and slope sufficient to enable rooftop solar, adding solar panels would not be cost-effective since it is not a year-round residence. Nonetheless, the Zero Energy Ready Home status ensures that energy costs will be very low and that its operational energy use will have a minimal carbon impact. With these new ratings, the Bakers plan to continue using their home and their more recent energy-efficient upgrades to educate and inspire others to get their homes on the path to zero through the Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society (LESS) of Lakeside Chatutauqua. 

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By Frank Baker

Frank Baker is the founder of Riverbend Timber Framing and Insulspan in Blissfield, Michigan. He is a founding member and President of Team Zero, a non-profit organization committed to building consumer demand for zero energy and zero carbon homes. He is also the current president of LESS and advocates for renewable energy with his son Peter through his website lenaweesolar.com.

 

Reference

A rooftop garden helps keep rickshaw cool
CategoriesSustainable News

A rooftop garden helps keep rickshaw cool

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: There are around 95,000 registered auto-rickshaws in New Delhi. The colourful vehicles tend to blend in to the landscape. But one vehicle stands out – the rickshaw owned by Mahendra Kumar. The rickshaw driver has installed a garden on the vehicle’s roof – planted with more than 20 types of plants.

Kumar is hoping that the mobile rooftop garden will help keep the interior of his vehicle cool. In fact, he came up with the idea two years ago, during the peak of the summer season. Due to global warming, temperatures in New Delhi have been rising, at times exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, and last year saw India’s highest average maximum temperatures in 122 years. Against this backdrop, any relief would be welcome.

To create his garden, Kumar first laid a thick sack onto the rickshaw roof as a base, then added soil and seeds. He simply waters the plants from a bottle a few times a day. Not only does the garden provide a natural cooling effect, but it also gives residents a nice break from New Delhi’s ubiquitous concrete.

Indian taxi drivers are not the only ones who have converted cabs to gardens. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when tourism in Thailand had collapsed, the Ratchapruk Taxi Cooperative in Bangkok began growing vegetables on the roofs of idled taxi cabs, and farmed frogs in piles of abandoned car tyres. The vegetables and frogs helped to feed out-of-work drivers and the surplus was sold for extra income.

As the world heats up, innovative ideas like these are going to be important in mitigating the danger. Some other ideas for mitigating the heat island effect that we have seen recently include a platform that assesses urban heat island effects and designs solutions and the use of living roofs on large buildings. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

18th May 2022

Reference

Thinking Outside of the Modernist Box: Revisiting Deconstructivist Architecture
CategoriesArchitecture

Thinking Outside of the Modernist Box: Revisiting Deconstructivist Architecture

By Zarkon Group,

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Deconstructivism is one of the most divisive architectural styles. The style and the corresponding movement emerged in the 1970s and became known in the 1980s with projects around the world by Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Bernard Tschumi etc. Several architects associated with the discipline-shattering movement are still highly active or have their influences long-lasting today, although their practices have undoubtedly evolved.

Yet, when it comes to describing deconstructivism, the term remains somewhat elusive. Buildings under this umbrella follow no specific forms and methodology, yet they can be seen as a reaction against the central tenets of modernism and classical architecture. The resulting buildings often seem extraterrestrial that so different from their ordinary surroundings.

Chora L Works

Eisenman Architects, La Villette, Paris, France, 1987. © Eisenman Architects.

Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman

The movement was rooted in the influential theories — that originated in the field of literature — by the philosopherJacques Derrida, of whom Eisenman was a close friend. Eisenman then translated Derrida’s ideas into architecture, for example, from chora (driven from Plato’s theory by Derrida) to absence and presence.

The philosopher and the architect were invited by Bernard Tschumi to design a garden in Parc de la Villette. With the design, they deeply investigated how to represent the unrepresentable. Beyond this, they not only contemplated how to represent the void, but also how to make emptiness meaningful — a delayed reaction to the horrors of World War Two, made possible by the machine-age technology that modernists had embraced in a utopian light. Although this project was never fully materialized, the investigation was rich enough to grow into the publication Chora L Works.

La Villette aerial

Perspective drawing of Parc de la Villette © Bernard Tschumi Architects.

La Villette photo

A look of Parc de la Villette from across the river, photo by Peter Mauss/Esto, courtesy of Bernard Tschumi Architects.

Bernard Tschumi

Parc de la Villette by Bernard Tschumi is believed the first built Deconstructivist project. The massive park consists of a group of buildings, walkways, bridges, gardens and more planned across a surprisingly large site in the City of Light.

The project encompasses buildings neatly placed in a matrix and a walkway system from a plan view. The walkways are in straight lines, arcs and curves that spread in a seemingly random manner and force no particular circulations. The red enameled steel buildings have no clear meaning either in themselves or from one to the next.

Casa da Musica_exterior_night

Exterior of Casa da Musica by OMA, Porto, Portugal

Rem Koolhaas

With hard-edged facets of different shapes, Koolhaas’s architecture is like cubism in three dimensions. The form can be rather simple, such as Casa da Musica. The skin made of white concrete folds into an irregular geometry that resembles an ore as well as a ship – but nothing that can be recognized exactly. The placement of glazing is unpredictable and even by seeing what’s behind the windows, the spatial arrangement of the concert hall remains unclear.

Day and night view of Seattle Central Library by OMA, Seattle, Washington.

There are complicated forms like that of Seattle Library as well. The form reminds people nothing of a library building. It is hard to tell from its appearance the function of the building at all. During the night, when the glass skin is lit from the inside, the spaces are revealed, surprising yet reasonable that are not betraying the overall form.

Walt Disney Concert Hall_exterior

Exterior of Walt Disney Concert Hall by Gehry Partners, L.A., California.

Frank Gehry

Gehry’s style is unforgettable and probably the easiest to associate with “radical.” Famous for drawing laconic sketches on napkins and other such items, his costly public structures, covered in distorted metal panels, instantly became landmarks once built.

The metal skin can be solid, hiding everything inside, like that of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Similar to Koolhaas’s buildings, you can read nothing specific from the form since the form does not follow functions. The plan behind the crazy skin is extraordinary, too. Walls can run perpendicular to each other while turning freeform a few steps away.

lou ruvo center for brain health

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health_interior

Exterior and interior of Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health by Gehry Partners, Las Vegas, Nevada

Or, the appearance can be like Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, where regular façades with rectangular windows in lines are distorted into extreme forms. It is like Dali’s drawing, building up a surreal atmosphere by deforming ordinary objects of everyday life. Some of the distorted facades are “real”, sheltering spaces underneath. Some are rather “fake”, being simply massive shapes that fly above the head. The building is disassociating “facades” with the function of sheltering and enclosing.

London Aquatics Centre_exterior_night

London Aquatics Centre_interior

Exterior and interior of London Aquatics Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects, London, England

Zaha Hadid

Featured by smooth surfaces and skew shapes rounded at the corners, Zaha Hadid’s buildings possess a futuristic feeling. They are non-referential to the architectural style of any region and any generation, resulting in the buildings appearing often alien to their surroundings. The fluid forms sometimes recall natural existence, though that likeness stays only for a second.

For example, London Aquatics Centre, which was originally built for the London 2012 Olympic Games, has a shell-like roof. The massive roof is grounded at three points, all at the ends of the structure, creating a column-less interior. The three feet are hidden by other structures. The roof is therefore uninterrupted and looks like something soft that falls on top of the building.

Salerno Maritime Terminal_exterior

Salerno Maritime Terminal_interior

Exterior and interior of Salerno Maritime Terminal by Zaha Hadid Architects,Salerno, Italy

Salerno Maritime Terminal is more “solid” than the Aquatics Centre. It is shaped like a manta on the upper half, while a steady lower part makes it resemble a spaceship in sci-fis. The mosaic on the roof appears like the reflection on the inner side of an oyster.

None of the above architects has style alike. Rather, their style seems personal and non-referential. The forms are free from stereotypes of functional spaces following certain looks. More radically, even the traditional logic of spatial arrangement is challenged, e.g. in Parc de la Villette. They break the box of modernism, bringing contemporary architecture to a larger stage of experimentation.

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Reference

Double Stud Wall Simplified – Low Cost, High Performance
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Double Stud Wall Simplified – Low Cost, High Performance

By Zarkon Group,

Simplify

The double-stud wall is a well-established method for creating a very economical, durable, and high R-value assembly in new construction – and is one reason it’s included as one of the basic 475 Smart Enclosure System assembly types. We know pushing standard code-minimum construction toward high performance is complicated. So we’re always looking for ways to simplify – to simultaneously reduce cost while optimizing efficiency and occupant comfort. Integrated with Pro Clima air sealing and moisture control components, the double-stud wall provides unmatched economic value, safety from moisture damage, and long-lasting performance.

Go Sheathingless

With Pro Clima component integration, we’re taking it one step further. Below we illustrate a sheathingless double-stud wall (that’s right: no structural sheathing) that provides the following characteristics:

  • Minimized material costs
  • Maximized moisture drying potential
  • Removal of formaldehyde, VOC’s and other toxic chemicals commonly found in SPF, rigid foams, OSB, and plywood
  • Easily adjustable wall thickness to meet your design R-value
  • Space between walls for continuous insulation
  • Utilization of dense-pack insulation (Gutex wood THERMOFIBER, cellulose, fiberglass, mineral wool, or Havelock Wool).
  • No special materials or connections needed for the framing components
  • Fits with the typical platform framing method

You can still frame your walls on the deck and raise them into place,  but without all that sheathing they’ll be a lot lighter. With this system, you build a house out of 2x4s, fibrous insulation, SOLITEX MENTO Plus weather-resistive barrier outboard, INTELLO Plus smart vapor retarder inboard, and not much else.

The Framing

The wall consists of an inner load-bearing wall and an outer exterior finishing wall. The floor and roof loads are stacked on top of the inner wall studs. This method can allow the use 24″ o.c. advanced framing assembly if your floor and roof loads meet the design criteria. The inner wall is framed like any other stick-built wall, with the exception that the shear load is carried by 2x lumber nailed, or metal strapping mechanically fastened, diagonally, to the outside face of the inner stud wall – in the insulation cavity.

It’s important to note that each structure will have very different shear and uplift retention requirements due to variables in building height, the number of windows, local codes, shape of building, seismic requirements, etc. The outer wall is connected to the decks as outriggers, there to support the insulation and finished facade elements, and consequently, it requires minimal framing material and opening headers. In taller walls, it’s important to connect the inner and outer studs for additional strength as well as partition the bays every second bay – to make dense-packing of the double stud cavities easier to reach proper density and maintain quality control.

The Integrated Service Cavity

With this approach, the inner wall studs act as the service cavity without the need for additional strapping to support the interior finish – making it an integrated service cavity. This approach takes planning but allows for fewer steps and less material. An excellent example of this approach is demonstrated in our Project Spotlight: Vermont Integrated Architecture. Leicester, VT.

Two Air Barriers Too

To optimize the insulating value of the dense-pack insulation – airtight membranes are placed on both sides of the fibrous insulation, thereby preventing thermal bypass, as well as optimizing the drying reserves of this highly insulated wall. At the interior side is the INTELLO PLUS membrane, airtight with intelligent vapor control, making it vapor open in the summer to facilitate inward drying and vapor retarding in the winter to prevent vapor accumulation into the insulation. The INTELLO Plus is reinforced so that it substitutes for the typical mesh used in a dense-pack installation. At the exterior side is SOLITEX MENTO PLUS: airtight, waterproof, reinforced and vapor open, allowing for maximum drying potential to the outside without being restricted by an exterior sheathing, like plywood or OSB, which are Class II or low Class III vapor retarders.

Windows & Penetrations

The window is installed into a plywood box that ties together the inner and outer walls. We offer a wide selection of window air sealing tapes, but to keep it simple you need only TESCON PROFIL, or the even faster TESCON PROFECT, for the airtight connections at the interior and exterior of the window. (And don’t forget to pre-make your window corners!). At the sill heavy-duty self-sealing waterproofing is provided by EXTOSEAL ENCORS. There are multiple ways to create a thermal bridge free window installation – there are many variables depending on the window type and brand.

The most important thing is to make sure that the window is precisely connected to your interior and exterior airtight and moisture control layers. This will ensure that your installation will not have condensation due to air movement at this thermally weak intersection. Small air leakage at this connection will allow the interior winter humidity to enter the insulated cavity. Making an air-tight connection at all openings is the best way to prevent future structural damage.

Learn More

For more details and variations on this concept, download  475’s free CAD details and ebook for 475 Smart Enclosure Double-Stud Assemblies.

By 475 Building Supply

This guest blog was originally published on the 475 Building Supply blog.

Reference

Commercial tyres made using soybeans
CategoriesSustainable News

Commercial tyres made using soybeans

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Goodyear began making tyres using a soybean oil-based rubber compound in 2017, albeit in a limited way. Now, however, the company has announced that its Metro Miler G152 and G652 transit tyres will be manufactured using a soy-based compound in place of petroleum products. The move is an important step in Goodyear’s drive to completely replace petroleum-derived oils in its tyres by 2040.

According to Goodyear, the Metro Miler tyres will also incorporate technology to enhance toughness and tread life and resist sidewall damage. This includes reinforced shoulders and steel sidewalls, along with integrated sidewall wear indicators to make it easier to spot wear from excessive scuffing. The Metro Miler tyres also include a multi-compound, scrub resistant tread designed to stand up to the rigours of use in mass transit vehicles and resist excessive wear, chunking, cracking, and chipping. 

The soybean oil will replace about 11 liquid ounces of free-flowing petroleum oil per tyre. This may not seem like a lot, especially compared to the 7 gallons of oil used to make a car tyre, but multiply that 11 ounces by a fleet of 1,600 buses – the rough number used by some major metropolitan cities in the U.S. The result could mean the use of around 20 fewer barrels of oil per city fleet.

Dustin Lancy, commercial product marketing manager for Goodyear North America, points out that, “The use of soybean oil in the majority of the Metro Miler G152 and G652 tyres in production today is a significant Goodyear innovation that reduces the amount of petroleum-based materials needed for production.” The tyres are currently in production and available for ordering.

It is not often considered, but tyres are a major polluter. From their use of petroleum-derived materials to the way they emit microplastics, it is important to find sustainable ways to manufacture tyres. Luckily, a number of innovators are working to solve this problem. Solutions range from making a natural rubber from dandelions to a rubber made from sulphur and canola oil. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

18th May 2022

Website: goodyeartrucktires.com

Contact: goodyeartrucktires.com/contact/contact-us

Reference

Super-efficient solar cells are digitally printed to fit any device
CategoriesSustainable News

Super-efficient solar cells are digitally printed to fit any device

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Cleantech company Perovskia Solar combines inkjet printing with customised design to build solar cells that fit almost any product. Designed for seamless integration into existing devices, the Perovskia solar cells work exceptionally well even in low lighting conditions.

Perovskia is a calcium titanite mineral that, when applied in a thin film as a semiconductor, is an incredibly efficient method for converting solar energy to power. Using green nanoparticle inks, the Perovskia solar cells are digitally printed in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit almost all smart devices, including wearables, sensors, and IoT devices.

With the speed of its manufacturing and flexibility in design and application of the cells, Perovskia’s photovoltaics could make solar power more accessible to a range of organisations. As well as being more cost-effective than current photovoltaics, the company’s production process is much healthier for the environment, producing far fewer emissions.

Another service the company provides is bespoke design to help businesses create solar cells that fit their projects, technically and visually. Continued development of the technology focuses on commercial availability and improvements in efficiencies at all stages of production and use.  

Solar-powered devices spotted by Springwise include solar-powered, wind-blown sensors, a solar-powered lamp that mimics sunrise and sunset, and solar-powered work pods.

Written by: Keely Khoury

18th May 2022

Email: info@perovskia.solar

Website: perovskia.solar

Reference

6 Simple Ways To Soundproof a Space
CategoriesArchitecture

6 Simple Ways To Soundproof a Space

By Zarkon Group,

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

In today’s competitive real estate market, large square footage is hard to come by and highly-priced. Today, smaller square footage is the norm and when living in close quarters, dwellers often pay more attention to soundproofing their tight space. The soundproofing process is rather sophisticated and there are countless products on the market to choose from. From Feltouch’s Make Up Divider panels that soften acoustics, Acoufelt’s SoftenUp Ceiling System that is aesthetically pronounced and softens interior acoustics to TURF Design’s Scanlines acoustic wall panels that double as decoration and noise-control, soundproofing options are abundant. What is more, all pay close attention to the four soundproofing elements: decoupling (vibration), absorption (air), mass (weight) and damping.

However, seeking professional help and investing in high-end products is a large investment and oftentimes off-the-table for those renting or on a budget. Thankfully, there are many inexpensive DIY solutions to help muffle sound, decrease vibration and ultimately, create a more enjoyable living environment. Listed below are six measures that will help keep out noise, keep in sound and improve a room’s overall acoustics.

Make Up Divider acoustic panels by Feltouch

SoftenUp Ceiling System by Acoufelt

1. Rearrange the Furniture and Add Mass to Walls

Rearranging furniture is a simple and inexpensive tool to improve the room’s sound quality. Placing heavy furniture, such as bookcases and large shelves, against walls can help block out unwanted sound. When a substantial mass is placed against a wall, it resists vibrations coming from surrounding rooms and thus reduces sound. This technique won’t completely eliminate sound but will certainly reduce bothersome noise.

Bookshelf House by Andrea Mosca Creative Studio, Paris, France, 2016

2. Choose Soft Furnishings

Sound is transmitted through vibrations and the more vibrations, the louder the noise. Hard objects vibrate more than soft objects, so when furnishing a noisy space, opting for pieces with soft materials can help limit sound vibration and reverberation. For example, tablecloths, cushions and upholstered pieces can help reduce vibration in a room, hence decreasing noise. The reduction of noise isn’t enormous, but neither is the effort it takes to add a few soft furnishings. Therefore, this technique is great for busy people who want to use what they have around the house and keep with their budget.

The Hedonist by Nuno Pimenta, Mannheim, Germany, 2014

3. Curtains and Blinds

Curtains are also a great way to block sound before it gets the chance to vibrate off hard surfaces. Whether it be a curtain or blind, covering apertures can help reduce the echo and reverb in a room. Equally, there are many soundproofing curtains on the market that work to trap internal sound rather than block out exterior noise. Therefore, soundproofing curtains are great if the goal is to create privacy.

4. Rugs, Carpets and Soundproofing Mats

Similarly to adding wall mass, it’s important to address the floor. Rugs and carpets are an easy solution to eliminating the sound of footsteps and pronounced movement. Using thick rugs or even layering carpets can be very effective in muffling noise. Moreover, adding a rug underlay can increase thickness and help absorb echoes. Soundproofing mats are also something to consider depending on the function of the room.

HOME^DOME by idoia otegui_i!arquitectura, Madrid, Spain, 2019

5. Decorate Your Space with Wall Art

Another simple and aesthetically pleasing way to tackle noise is to decorate the space! Think canvas paintings and tapestries. This is a cost-effective and effortless way to muffle sound while simultaneously decorating a room. This technique won’t block out sound but can help reduce the echo in a room.

The Coven by Studio BV, Saint Paul, MN, United States, 2020

6. Tape Your Windows and Sweep Your Doors

One of the most challenging spots to soundproof is windows. If there’s a gap between the window and window frame (often caused by a worn-out seal), noise will travel regardless if the window is shut. One way to easily tackle this issue is to use weatherstripping tape. All it takes is replacing the old weatherstripping tape with the new one. This will help insulate openings and keep out exterior sound. Additionally, adding a door sweep to the bottom of a door will seal the opening and help keep out sound.

These six soundproofing solutions are ideal for those renting, residing in non-permanent housing situations or on a tight budget. They are easy to install, inexpensive and will aid in blocking out the undesired noise of a loud neighbor or roommate. All it takes is a little time, patience and creativity to soundproof a space!

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Reference

Underground car parks used to heat buildings above
CategoriesSustainable News

Underground car parks used to heat buildings above

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Rather than drab grey walls, underground car parks can now feature stylish, colourful panels that are also sustainably heating the buildings above. Seeking to harness the power of shallow geothermal energy, Swiss startup Enerdrape has created modular, renewable energy panels that are customisable with any look, and easy to install and manage.

Currently being tested in an underground parking lot in Lausanne, the company expects to supply the apartment building above with around one-third of its energy needs. The metal panels are the same thickness as a painter’s canvas and can be retrofitted to any structure with a wall in direct contact with the surrounding soil.

The panels absorb heat from ground as well as ambient air from the underground structure. This is why car parks are an ideal location. Rather than waste the heat given off by vehicles after they have been driven, the panels absorb it, and the connected piping system sends it to the structure’s heating and cooling system.

The Enerdrape system can work for a single building or can connect to district heating and cooling lines. It can also be used alongside other heat and energy sources as part of a suite of power options.

Geothermal energy is becoming a more popular addition to renewable energy sources as technologies develop and storing and transfer systems become more efficient. Springwise recently spotted a new drilling technology that makes ultra-deep geothermal energy a possibility, along with plans to turn disused coal mines into zero-carbon heat sources for local communities.  

Written by: Keely Khoury

18th May 2022

Email: margaux.peltier@epfl.ch

Website: enerdrape.com

Reference

A modular lithium extraction plant recycles water and brine
CategoriesSustainable News

A modular lithium extraction plant recycles water and brine

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As demand for lithium-ion batteries rises, the extraction and production processes must be scaled up, often stressing the environment in ways that are not sustainable. Researchers forecast global growth in consumption of lithium will be 33 per cent from 2020 to 2021 and that demand is likely to continue to increase. With water resources already scarce (or polluted) in many locations around the world, improving the health of lithium production is a necessity to ensure the future health of the environment. 

Canada’s International Battery Metals company recently concluded successful tests of its first mobile, commercial-scale lithium extraction plant. Integral to the success of the new approach is the swiftness of set-up and modular design. The company points to the current five-to-twelve-year lead time to build and activate an industrial plant as one of the main reasons such flexibility and speed are needed. The modular unit was set up in 10 days by a crew of nine.

This allows the global market to expand the number of viable extraction locations, as the modularity makes it possible to assemble and work in terrains previously considered too difficult to reach. Even more importantly, the new International Battery Metals process prioritises water and brine recycling to avoid creating the many thousands of kilogrammes of salty water waste that results from most extraction methods. In fact, the new process recycles slightly more than 98 per cent of the water used in the system.

As electric vehicle demand continues to grow, creating less waste and causing less environmental damage is a priority at all stages of the battery life cycle, with innovators creating new uses for used EV batteries as well as a chemical-free process for producing the metal from granite.  

Written by: Keely Khoury

18th May 2022

Email: info@ibatterymetals.com

Website: ibatterymetals.com

Reference

7 Pocket-Sized Book Borrowing Buildings
CategoriesArchitecture

7 Pocket-Sized Book Borrowing Buildings

By Zarkon Group,

Have your say in the world’s best architecture: the 10th Annual A+Awards Public Vote is now open! Cast your ballots in the largest awards program for architects and designers before May 27th, 2022!

Libraries can be massive and solemn with classical portals and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Or, they can be tiny and playful with bright colors and lightweight structures. While their functions are not limited by size, these tiny libraries can easily be approachable community spaces that house a range of facilities and activities. Explore with this collection 7 inspiring mini-libraries that utilize their tiny site.

Microlibrary Warak Kayu_exteriorMicrolibrary Warak Kayu_interiorMicrolibrary Warak Kayu by SHAU, Semarang, Indonesia
Popular Choice, 2020 A+Awards, Libraries

This finely made timber structure is a mini-library that simultaneously functions as a children’s playground and a community space. The ground floor is highly transparent: the building is a pavilion-like space with a few structural columns, seats, stairs, and a wide swing that attracts children. Pedestrians can easily access the sheltered space and utilize it as a roadside rest point.

The library on the second floor has chairs around a table as well as a net where children can read in a playful manner. The net is also a communication portal between the two levels. A timber brise-soleil wraps around the library space, enclosing the four sides. Along with the overhang roof, the screen keeps the library space from burning sun while leaving the space naturally ventilated.

City lounge_exteriorCity lounge_interiorCity Lounge of Zhongshan Road by The Design Institute Of Landscape & Architecture China Academy Of Art CO.,LTD, Jiaxing, China
Popular Choice, 2021 A+Awards, Libraries

The City Lounge is an unusual public facility that combines public restrooms with a community reading room. Located at a street corner, the traffic noise is buffered by concrete walls which create two courtyards on the site. People enter through a rolled concrete entrance into a courtyard. The first courtyard introduces three circulations, one to the reading room, one to a water courtyard and another onto the roof.

Alternatively, another entrance behind a fenced corridor leads directly to the reading room, which features a huge staircase as the seating area and walls of bookshelves. The restrooms are hidden behind and under the staircase, away from the two courtyards.

Microlibrary Bima_exteriorMicrolibrary Bima_interiorMicrolibrary Bima by SHAU, Bandung, Indonesia
Jury Winner & Popular Choice, 2017 A+Awards, Architecture +Community

Also by SHAU, Bima is the first realized in the firm’s microlibrary series. The ultimate aim of the building is to foster learning by providing a dedicated place for reading and community-scale cultural activities. Similar to Warak Kayu, Bima has an open first floor and a more enclosed second floor. The first floor is a preexisting platform that is already a gathering place for local people. Instead of occupying the platform, the design team shelters it with a simple steel structure.

The translucent brise-soleil that wraps the second floor is made of ice cream buckets. Some of them have their bottom cut to facilitate cross-ventilation. If seeing the opened buckets as 0’s and the closed ones as 1’s in binary code — a message saying “books are the windows to the world” can be read from the façade.

Reader's House_exteriorReader's House_interiorReaders’ House by Atelier Diameter, Beijing, China

The Readers’ House is a temporary reading room that stages a 72-hour live-streaming program. Within the 72 hours, people come to the building, pick up a book of their favorite, read it out loud and share their story behind the choice of book. After the program, the building stays for another two weeks before being taken down.

The whole process of design, construction and dismantling happens within 2 months. In order to achieve this fast-paced schedule, the simple structure was primarily designed of timber and steel. The two tiling roofs resemble an opened book. Visitors enter below the lowest point of the roof. The reading areas on the two sides are visually connected to the outside with tall floor-to-ceiling glazing. The transparency of the structure makes the place public and invites passers-by in.

FKZ Quarter_dayFKZ Quarter_nightThe Quarter for Jewish Culture Festival by BudCud, Kraków, Poland

The Quarter for Jewish Culture Festival (FKŻ Quarter) activates a forgotten urban green area with a group of lightweight structures. It occupies the middle section of the site with three cabins, a sheltered platform and a table tennis corner. The three cabins respectively house a café, a library and a boutique which can also be used as a workshop. Both locals and visitors can grab a chair and enjoy a book with some drinks.

The platform can turn into a stage and as the audience spread across the lawn, the Quarter softly expands to the whole site. Plywood panels and beams together with corrugated plastic plates bring the space lightness and a sense of openness, especially when sunshine floods the cabins or when the feathered lights get through the roofs from inside the cabins.

Mobile library_exteriorMobile library_interior_1Mobile library_interior_2Mobile Library by ArchiWorkshop, Seoul, South Korea

Mobile Library consists of four small pavilions, each having an appearance and interior space different from the other ones. Out of the four pavilions, the Block Attached Pavilion is attached to the red brick building on the site. While employing a similar rectangular shape as the brick building, the pavilion block is tilted following a drop of the land. One side of the block is transparent green, the interior space is rendered green as a result, creating an unrealistic atmosphere while keeping the outside world visually connected.

The Mirage Pavilion hides with reflective skin. The simple structure of steel beams and polished stainless-steel panels is also reflective on the inside. A pine tree enclosed in the mirror cube is endlessly duplicated, from which the design team wishes to create an illusion of sitting in a forest.

VAC_sideVAC_closeupVAC-LIBRARY by Farming Architects, Hanoi, Vietnam

The VAC Library is an experimental prototype that functions as an educational urban farm while being an urban playground for children to play and learn. VAC stands for Garden, Pond and Cage in Vietnamese.

The plants cultivated hydroponically form the garden. A pond for raising aquatic animals provides nutrient-rich water to the plants after suitable treatments. The timber grids hold sitting platforms, planting pots and lights, and also hold the possibility to be extended. The modularity of the structure makes it a prototype that is adaptable to different sites.

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