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

Realty Sage is Revolutionizing the Green Real Estate Market

By Zarkon Group,21/07/2023

Zillow created a powerful and historical shift in real estate by opening up the traditional real estate industry to the public, offering home listing information directly to consumers. A full 99% of home buyers between the ages of 23 and 56 use the internet to find their homes. This remarkable effort has unmasked previously hidden information, so that home buyers are now more educated and confident in their home buying and selling. Consumer trust has shifted from real estate agents to publicly accessible data, helping buyers and sellers better understand market trends. Specializing in the green real estate market, Realty Sage shines that light on the features and real benefits of eco-friendly homes.

While Zillow helped bring the real estate industry into the light, sustainable homes are demanding more attention. Realtors see value in promoting green home features to the public, but most well-known national real estate websites do not offer the ability to search for sustainable homes in a comprehensive way. Even though sustainable homes are almost always a better investment compared to traditionally built and equipped homes, tracking and understanding their eco features has been difficult. The data about sustainable homes is, for the most part, unavailable, inaccurate, or difficult to trust. And realtors with real green home expertise can be difficult to find.

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Bringing the Sustainable Homes Market to the Fore

Realty Sage has stepped in to fill that void in the market with a green real estate website that focuses primarily on sustainable homes. Structured differently than Zillow or Trulia, Realty Sage listings deliver innovative marketing and education that specifically focus on sustainability and new building technologies. It gives homebuyers, sellers, and real estate professionals an online shopping experience that helps them better understand the hidden value of sustainable homes.

Realty Sage listings provide detailed and educational information about eco and energy-efficient homes for sale, including renewable energy, advanced building techniques, energy rating scores, and numerous third-party certifications like Energy Star, Pearl, Passive House, and the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home. Listings feature verified information on cost savings and environmental impact, in addition to all the standard home listing information.

More Trust in Eco Claims for Home Listings

Energy Sage works to verify the eco claims about each home listed on the site, including energy efficiency scores and third-party certifications. The database’s Sage Score simplifies verified information on the sustainable qualities of listed homes. The score considers hundreds of features in a home and its community: renewable energy and energy efficiency; water efficiency; advanced smart home systems and appliances; interior finishes; quality construction; community and outdoor amenities; and utility costs. In conjunction, the Realty Sage Livability Categories evaluate the potential benefits of certain property features, including potential cost savings, comfort, environmental impact, and health benefits.

This helps green real estate agents and sellers more accurately market homes for a better return on the homeowners’ eco investments. And verification boosts buyers confidence in the seller’s claims. Meanwhile, industry professionals can track and understand the performance of real estate listings showcasing detailed eco features and certifications.

Connecting with Green Real Estate Agents

The right professionals can make it easier to evaluate your high-performance home at the time of sale, or when financing a new home or undertaking a sustainable renovation. Green-savvy real estate agents and other eco professionals serve every state. And Realty Sage Pros helps homeowners identify the ideal agent. To minimize spam, customers complete a short questionnaire of their real estate needs, and Realty Sage Pros will send inquiries to just three to local, knowledgeable professionals.

Realty Sage supports a culture where home buying is not just about price, location, and features. Selecting a home that delivers a positive homeowner experience includes ongoing cost savings, comfort, health, quiet, durability, functional design, future-proofing, and environmental impacts. Buying a home is one of the most important and most expensive purchases a person may ever make, so having access to the hidden attributes of a home is critical.

Realty Sage.com provides:

A platform for home buyers to search thousands of sustainable homes for sale across the country.
Searchability by type: energy and water efficiency, third-party certifications, healthy communities, smart homes, and much more
Free green real estate listings for sellers and real estate agents with advanced marketing opportunities
Hundreds of more-detailed property fields than many local multiple listing services (MLS)
Prominent promotion of sustainable features and green certifications
Information on long-term value, cost savings, and environmental impact of sustainable homes
Resources for buyer’s financing
In-depth information on sustainability and the benefits of eco features
Easy connection to local real estate professionals who are knowledgeable and experienced with sustainable homes

The next time you venture into the housing market, visit Realty Sage and then let us know how it helped you. Or connect with a local, green real estate agent via RealtySagePros for advice and guidance. And if you’re a realtor with a sustainable, high-benefit home ready to sell, be sure to post your listing for free.

The author:

Kari Klaus is the Founder and CEO of Realty Sage, a dynamic real estate platform solving one of the largest obstacles to consumer adoption of high performance and sustainably built homes: education and return on investment. Realty Sage applies intelligence to big data, simplifying eco-home features with the Sage Score and benefits with the Realty Sage Livability Categories. An award-winning tech startup, Realty Sage has been featured in The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Silicon Valley Startups Radio, Elemental.green, and more.

Reference

Architecture

yoshichika takagi tops hokkaido house with ‘greenhouse’ kitchen

By Zarkon Group,21/07/2023

hokkaido dwelling opened with loft spaces

A typical 1975-built row house in Hokkaido has been renovated by Yoshichika Takagi + Associates to introduce a pair of modern, sunlit student dwellings and studio spaces. With its contemporary intervention, the architects sought to open up the existing structure, which long stood with dark interiors, low ceilings, and a light layout which included four cramped living units. The team notes that the structure had even been extended against local building code, which needed to be corrected. Thus, a section of the house was cut back while a rooftop ‘shed’ was added to houses a stairwell and spacious bedroom loft.

images © Yoshichika Takagi

yoshichika takagi makes the most of a compact site

One of the primary goals of Yoshichika Takagi’s renovation in Hokkaido was to reduce the number of households from four to two while updating the entire house to provide a modern lifestyle despite its compact size. The team considered the site’s proximity to a streetcar line and aimed to create a structure that could be adaptable for future conversions. Although the building was situated in a densely populated residential area, the east side offered an open garden across the street.

The architects decided to capitalize on this borrowed landscape by incorporating glass walls to actively connect the interior with the garden. On the west side, the building boasted views of Mt. Moiwa, a prominent symbol of Sapporo, inspiring the architects to design spaces that could make the most of the strong western sunlight that left a lasting impression.

Balancing Privacy and Connectivity in Design

Considering the potential conversion of the first floor into a SOHO (Small Office/Home Office), the architects at Yoshichika Takagai + Associates designed the front portion of the ground floor to be open and connected to the street while ensuring privacy in the further back areas. To maintain a balance between openness and privacy, the large windows were positioned higher up, offering a connection to the city while also considering external lines of sight.

Embracing Hokkaido’s traditional approach to creating a warm and stable environment for harsh winters, the first floor followed these practices. In contrast, the second floor featured three rooms with different environmental characteristics arranged in series, providing a flexible and nomadic living space that can be adapted according to the climate.

Design Elements Inspired by Scandinavian Winter Living

Drawing inspiration from Scandinavian winter living rooms, which offer comfort and safety even during severe cold waves, this renovated house also incorporated a ‘winter living room’ on its west side. With high insulation performance and limited openings, this space ensured a stable indoor environment. Adjacent to the winter living room was the ‘summer living room,’ a private space enclosed by walls. While not insulated, it was protected from the wind and rain by a tarp, primarily used during mild seasons and even in winter, when people gathered for events and barbecues, donning appropriate clothing.

Another unique feature was the ‘greenhouse kitchen,’ which faced the city through a glass wall, creating a living-on-the-street feel. This space, however, experienced significant temperature fluctuations due to sunlight, making it challenging to control the indoor climate. Nevertheless, the evergreen appearance throughout winter and the ability to witness the beauty of a blizzard from within the space provided a joyful living experience that transcended minor inconveniences.

Reference

Interior Design

2LG Studio brings colour and personality into London family home

By Zarkon Group,20/07/2023

Ornately corniced ceilings were preserved and painted pastel inside this detached Edwardian house in southeast London, which local firm 2LG Studio has renovated for a returning client.

Set in the leafy residential area of Forest Hill, the house on Sunderland Road belongs to a couple who needed space for their three young children to grow and play.

“Having designed this couple’s previous home, we had a strong sense of their tastes and wanted to evolve that for them in this house,” 2LG Studio founders Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead told Dezeen.

“We wanted to bring out their characters by emboldening their love of colour and finding ways to build pattern and joy into the materiality of the home,” the duo added.

“The intent here was to respect the period elements of the building, whilst reflecting the modern style of the family who live there.”

Open-plan living room and kitchen in London house by 2LG — Hand-printed wallpaper by Custhom Studio features in the lounge and hallway

Throughout the house, playful elements are in balance with a more serious aesthetic.

Instead of treating the home’s elaborate ceiling mouldings separately – as tradition dictates – 2LG Studio applied a colour-block philosophy and painted them in the same pastel tones used across the upper walls and ceilings.

The studio drew on a range of references for the interior, from 1980s colours to Italian design elements such as marble and Murano glass lighting, all the way to the Scandinavian influences seen in the natural materials and minimalist approach to furnishing.

Kitchen and dining room of Sunderland Road house — The kitchen is defined by sky-blue cabinetry and marble countertops

Creating impact in the entrance hall is a hand-printed wallpaper, designed by 2LG Studio with long-term collaborator Custhom Studio and used here in a bespoke calamine-pink colourway that’s repeated in the connecting spaces throughout the house, as well as in the rear living area.

“It creates a welcoming, human feel as soon as you enter,” the design team said.

This ballet-slipper colour is paired with a brighter candy pink, bringing calm and warmth to the overall scheme.

Lounge of Sunderland Road house — 2LG painted ceilings, mouldings and upper walls in pastel colours

Pink-heavy palettes have become a signature for 2LG, also reflected in the natural pink undertones of the extra-wide Douglas fir floorboards that feature throughout the house alongside a grey poured-resin floor in the kitchen.

“The floorboards set the tone with a nod to Scandi minimalism, adding a natural soul throughout that unites the bolder elements,” said 2LG Studio.

In the kitchen, sky-blue cabinetry is used alongside marble countertops and splashbacks, with arched forms uniting the two finishes while pink elements such as bar stools pop against this calm backdrop.

“The colours are a key part of the atmosphere and identity of this house,” said 2LG. “The blues gets deeper and bolder as you move upstairs into the study and the family bathroom.”

“Primary red details give structure to the colour palette in the living room. Pastel green in the baby’s room is serene and fresh, warmed up with a mix of wood tones and creams.”

Bedroom of house in London by 2LG — Pink details feature throughout the home’s interiors

The project features bespoke joinery including a playhouse on stilts in one of the kids’ rooms alongside existing 2LG pieces such as the Luca bedhead in the loft bedroom and the Tilda sofa, both designed for London furniture company Love Your Home and upholstered here in Kvadrat x Raf Simons fabric.

“The fitted elements of the furniture give a sense of coherent design and function to the spaces whilst the classic design pieces bring a curated gallery feel, not unlike a contemporary luxury fashion store,” said 2LG Studio.

Children's bedroom of house in London by 2LG — 2LG designed custom joinery including a stilted playhouse

Various recycled materials provide textural interest throughout the house, among them the recycled plastic wall lights in the living room by Spark and Bell.

2LG Studio also added a pink Foresso top made using waste wood chips and resin to the dining table, while the bespoke bathroom cabinet was made using leftover Douglas fir floorboards with recycled plastic details by UK company Smile Plastics.

Children's bedroom in Sunderland Road house — Pastel green was used to finish the baby’s room

Since Cluroe and Whitehead founded their design practice in 2014 under the name 2 Lovely Gays, the studio has completed a number of residential projects in the British capital.

Among them is the couple’s own home and office – to which they recently added a garden pavilion with a “touch of Beetlejuice” – and an equally colour-led renovation of a period property in the Heaver Estate conservation area.

The photography is by Megan Taylor.

Reference

Sustainable News

Identifying and offsetting carbon footprints across restaurants and hospitality

By Zarkon Group,20/07/2023

Spotted: The UK’s hospitality sector is responsible for around 15 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. One company tackling this issue is Skoot, a multi-faceted platform with a variety of solutions that help businesses, communities, and individuals cut their carbon footprintsm by enabling them to identify, offset, and avoid carbon emissions. The company’s Eco-Contribution tool focuses on restaurants and hospitality businesses.

Video source Skoot

With Skoot, businesses can first calculate their own net emissions. Then, the Eco-Contribution solution allows restaurants and venues to counteract the emissions generated from every meal or bill – taking into account food miles and other contributors – by planting trees. The company estimates that each tree can remove 6 kilogrammes of CO2 per diner and, over the course of its lifetime, could trap up to 1 tonne of CO2.

Not only does Skoot’s hospitality tool help to reduce an establishment’s overall carbon footprint, at no additional cost to the business, but it also empowers customers to be greener when they’re eating out. Upon receiving a bill, diners can choose to pay the optional Eco-Contribution – as set by the restaurant – and offset emissions from the meal. Depending on the restaurant’s preference, this Eco-Contribution can either be applied per table or per person.

The tool can be easily integrated across any existing till system, and to make it even easier to implement, Oracle Simphony and Micros users are able to download the Eco-Contribution app directly from the Oracle marketplace onto their POS (point of sale) system and integrate the solution remotely.

Skoot has now planted over 800,000 trees, and countered over 4,000 tonnes of CO2. The company’s aim is to expand the environmental support it offers, broaden its collection of sustainability projects, and grow operations to new countries – having already confirmed its first clients in America and South Africa.

Springwise has also spotted other innovations in the archive that help offset carbon footprints, like one platform that helps employees make tangible company-wide eco-friendly changes or another that makes it easier to track and manage carbon offsets.

Written By: Archie Cox

Reference

Rainstick water-saver shower in white-tile and glass walk-in shower - photo

Sustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Tackling Water Scarcity: RainStick Showers Changing the Game

By Zarkon Group,20/07/2023

In-home greywater recycling systems offer significant advantages to certain homes and businesses. However, due to the involved installation process, storage requirements, and extended payback period, distributed greywater treatment has been slow to take hold. Centralized public greywater treatment systems still involve several carbon-intensive transportation and treatment processes.

The founders of RainStick Shower have created a point-of-use (POU) water treatment technology to combat water scarcity. The first-of-its-kind, recirculating shower in North America, RainStick offers a self-contained, sustainable alternative to traditional showers that waste water by constantly sending it down the drain. Employing a closed-loop system captures, treats, and recirculates shower water, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

How RainStick works

The innovative POU loop features three distinct cleaning stages to ensure the water remains suitable and safe for reuse:

A micron-level screen traps debris, such as hair and dirt, preventing them from circulating in the water.
Precisely controlled, fresh hot water is continuously introduced, maintaining the desired water temperature and pressure.
RainStick disinfects the recirculating water, using high-intensity UV LED technology. This eliminates harmful bacteria and viruses, delivering purified water.

RainStick can reduce water consumption by up to 80% compared to conventional showers, with no compromise on the quality of the shower experience. According to a study conducted by the US EPA, the average American uses 82 gallons of water per day. By adopting water-saving technologies like RainStick on a larger scale, we can collectively minimize the strain on freshwater resources and reduce the energy footprint of water use in our homes.

Reference

Architecture

KoningEizenberg lines secluded island house with expressive columns

By Zarkon Group,20/07/2023

Cedar siding wraps the exterior of the Shelter Island House, which was designed by KoningEizenberg Architecture to exhibit a sense of “deliberate informality”.

Los Angeles studio KoningEizenberg Architecture designed the beach house for a couple that architect Julie Eizenberg has known for years, and for whom she designed an apartment in New York City in 2009.

The home is located on Shelter Island, which sits between the North and South Forks of the Long Island peninsula. The island has a year-round population of 2,300 and is only accessible by boat.

For the secluded site – which formerly held a caretaker’s cottage – KoningEizenberg Architecture conceived a “modern cabin” that is meant to complement the landscape.

The Shelter Island project was envisioned as a casual retreat for the parents – one is an academic, the other is a psychoanalyst – and their two children.

“The clients’ must-have list included ample shade, as well as an outdoor shower, big fireplaces and good ventilation,” the team said.

Wood-lined interior of house by KoningEizenberg Architecture — Inside, there is a clear division between public and private areas

“The architecture has a deliberate informality,” the architects said.

The 2,500-square-foot (232-square-metre) building consists of a single-storey volume attached to a slightly taller box, with the main entrance placed between them.

Cedar-clad rectilinear home on Long Island — Facades are wrapped in cedar siding

Facades are wrapped in cedar siding that will weather over time.

“The cedar rain-screen siding is quickly turning gray, and it will continue to gather more character as it ages,” the team said.

The home is approached from the north, where trees and a mostly solid facade “create an edge to the property to increase privacy without adding fences”.

The home opens up on the south, where it looks toward the water and an abandoned, overgrown boathouse.

Long, covered porch by KoningEizenberg Architecture — Stretching across the home’s southern elevation is a long, covered porch

Stretching across the home’s southern elevation is a long, covered porch that recalls a similar feature in the former cottage.

The porch offers a comfortable spot to engage in family activities and enjoy the scenery. A row of columns was incorporated for practical and aesthetic purposes.

“Columns create a bold visual effect and add a sense of rhythm and texture while protecting the house from the elements and bringing light into the interior,” the team said.

Within the home, there is a clear division between public and private areas. The communal space occupies the lower portion of the house, while the sleeping zone is found in the taller volume.

Glazed-brick blue backsplash in wood-lined kitchen — A glazed-brick backsplash features in the kitchen

The interior features ample use of wood, including cedar wall slats and Douglas fir structural beams and columns.

In the kitchen, the team incorporated a glazed-brick backsplash, birch plywood cabinetry and concrete countertops. A clerestory brings in soft daylight.

Wood-lined bedroom by KoningEizenberg Architecture — Slatted wood on the facade creates dramatic shadows inside

Sustainability was a concern for the team. Photovoltaic panels were placed on the roof to generate energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels. On the south wall, wooden vent flaps supplement airflow.

To improve drainage and protect from flooding, the ground was raised up and graded in a way that directs water away from the house.

Wood-lined bathroom interior — The interior features ample use of wood

Other projects on Shelter Island include a General Assembly-designed pool house that has blackened timber cladding and a central pergola, and a concrete dwelling with a micro vineyard that architect Vibeke Lichten created for her family.

The photography is by Michael Moran.

Reference

Kitchen interior of Cloudy Outlines apartment by Note Design Studio

Interior Design

Note Design Studio enriches Cloudy Outlines aparmtent with curvy stucco

By Zarkon Group,19/07/2023

Note Design Studio has updated this formerly characterless apartment in Stockholm to feature bespoke Douglas fir joinery and curvy stucco ceilings designed to suggest cloud formations.

Although the Cloudy Outlines apartment sits within a building dating back to 1842, Note Design Studio says the interior had been stripped of any historic charm and “traces of craftsmanship” during previous renovations.

It also had a poor layout, with a living area that could only be accessed via a dark, lengthy corridor snaking around the back of the apartment while the remaining rooms were awkwardly shaped and difficult to furnish.

The studio decided to redesign the home from scratch, knocking down all of its internal walls to form a more cohesive floor plan.

Interior of Cloudy Outlines apartment by Note Design Studio — The apartment’s corridor was repositioned to allow for more natural light

The corridor was repositioned to run parallel to the building’s window-lined facade and, as a result, is now flooded with natural light.

Rooms were classically finished with white-painted walls and Douglas fir flooring.

Dining room interior of Cloudy Outlines apartment by Note Design Studio — Curved stucco gives the ceilings a soft, cloud-like quality

Billowy stucco moulding was added throughout to give a soft “cloudy” quality to the ceilings and provide a contrast with the “rationality and material robustness” of the apartment, the studio explained.

“With the previous interior and finishes removed, a new holistic design was developed with a limited amount of design principles, all with a timeless ambition,” Note Design Studio said.

In the kitchen, Douglas fir was used again to create simple cupboards and a striking circular cover for the extractor fan.

The countertop, on the other hand, is overlaid with a sleek metallic finish.

Hallway of Stockholm apartment by Note Design Studio with wooden door — Furnishings in pastel hues disrupt the otherwise neutral colour scheme

All of the apartment’s doors, as well as its window sills, are also made from Douglas fir.

The material palette only deviates slightly in the bathroom, which features grey-tile surfaces and flecked terrazzo-like flooring.

Bedroom interior of Cloudy Outlines apartment by Note Design Studio — The stucco effect can also be seen in the bedroom

The Cloudy Outlines apartment is one of several residential renovations that Note Design Studio has completed in the Swedish capital, where the firm is based.

Among them is Habitat 100 – an apartment littered with references to the Swedish Grace movement – and the Mantelpiece Loft, which is distinguished by its colour-block bedrooms.

The photography is courtesy of the studio.

Reference

Sustainable News

Climate Solutions From the Global South: Why the Future of Architecture Is Regional

By Zarkon Group,19/07/2023

This article was written by Carl Elefante. Architecture 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the built environment from a major emitter of greenhouse gases to a central source of solutions to the climate crisis. For 20 years, the nonprofit has provided leadership and designed actions toward this shift and a healthy future for all.

A year after the UN climate summit relaunch in Glasgow, many participants departed COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh searching for a silver lining. For some, the bright spot was action taken toward climate justice. Although the 2015 Paris Agreement acknowledged that circumstances in developed and developing nations differ, by establishing the Loss and Damage Fund, COP27 reconfigured the international climate action framework.

The nations primarily responsible for carbon pollution are not the most vulnerable to its life-and-death consequences. Global peace and justice demand that polluting nations (largely in the “Global North”) clean up their mess and help protect others (largely in the “Global South”) from the havoc they are causing.

While nations in the Global South earnestly turn to the Global North for financial support, there is hesitation to look to the Global North for climate solutions. Too many fail to account for regional conditions and cultures.

Sana’a’s foundation dates back over 2,500 years; the city in Yemen is filled with tower-houses built of rammed earth (pisé). | Photo by: Antti Salonen, Old Sana’a, CC BY-SA 3.0

In the building sector, the mismatch between accepted Global North solutions and the needs of the Global South is pronounced. For a century, the Global North has exported its energy-consuming glass towers and concrete roadways regardless of climate zone or social structure. Still-favored Global North models are far from problem-free today, and opportunities for appropriate regional adaptation remain largely unexplored, neglecting knowledge that could benefit both the Global North and South.

For those in “advanced” countries, it can be difficult to appreciate that less-modernized cultures have ideas and know-how that are relevant and valuable today. The oldest cities, like Damascus and Cairo, have been inhabited for at least six thousand years. Until about 1800, with the rapid proliferation of fossil-fuel-driven, resource-hungry, technology-infatuated modern-era development, cities thrived without creating a global climate crisis, ecological collapse or systemic resource exhaustion.

Consider the contrast between preferred modern-era and traditional construction materials. Today, concrete is the dominant construction material in developed countries. Concrete production accounts for eight percent (8%) of annual global greenhouse gas emissions — a number greater than the annual national emissions of Canada, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia combined. Concrete does not decompose and cannot be reshaped or recycled — only down-cycled from a high-value material (structural concrete) to a lower-value material (aggregate).

Nicknamed the Manhattan of the Desert,’ Shibam is a vertical city made of sun-dried mud brick tower houses that dates back to the 16th-century (Yemen). | Photo by Dan from Brussels, Europe, Shibam (2286380141), CC BY-SA 2.0

In contrast, about one-third of the world’s population (mostly in the Global South) lives in buildings constructed with air-dried, clay-based materials like adobe and cob. The clay, sand and straw used to make them are locally sourced and decompose after use. Methods are so basic that many clay-based buildings are constructed by the people who occupy them — no global supply chain required. Incorporating wood-supported floor decks allows multi-story structures like those in the Yemeni cities of Sanaa and Shibam. Faced with lime-plaster stuccos, clay-based buildings are weather tight and durable, their heavy thermal mass beneficial in both hot and cold climates.

Some contemporary architects are taking note. Schools designed by 2022 Pritzker Laureate Diébédo Francis Kéré for his home village of Gando, Burkina Faso, are constructed by villagers from clay brick.

Yet, Kéré’s buildings are unmistakably modern. For the first school, Kéré introduced a non-traditional vaulted ceiling. The building is shaded by an overhanging sheet metal canopy on trusses fabricated from bent steel rods. With louvered wall openings, the canopy and vault produce a passive ventilation system: hot air at the canopy draws cooler air through openings in the ceiling vault and louvered windows below.

Gando Primary School Extension uses vaulted ceilings to increase the school’s thermal comfort by allowing hot air to escape upwards through integrated ventilation gap. |GandoIT, Kéré Primary School Extension Gando, CC BY-SA 3.0

To better engage diverse cultural and heritage perspectives in UN climate and sustainable development activities, a coalition of cultural organizations formed the Climate Heritage Network (CHN) in 2019. CHN was launched following the publication of The Future of Our Pasts: Engaging Climate Heritage in Climate Action. Prepared by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), The Future of Our Pasts provides a detailed roadmap for integrating cultural and heritage considerations into the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Compelling scientific evidence about the risk of climate change was first highlighted by the UN at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Carbon polluters in the Global North have not needed better science to act but greater resolve. Their inability to make sufficient progress for more than three decades has changed the international landscape. The Loss and Damage Fund adopted at COP27 acknowledges the responsibility of developed nations to act decisively and rapidly on behalf of all people.

Culture and heritage advocates such as CHN believe it must also begin a period of profound awakening in the Global North. Ideas that brought progress in the modern era have ossified into biases that are inhibiting the fresh thinking necessary to overcome the climate emergency. For those of us in the building sector, words written by Jane Jacobs ring loud and clear: “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” Her wisdom is most urgently needed for global climate solutions.

Carl Elefante, FAIA, FAPT, is a Senior Fellow with Architecture 2030 and Principal Emeritus with Quinn Evans Architects. Known for coining the phrase: “The greenest building is one that is already built,” Elefante writes and lectures nationally on historic preservation and sustainable design topics. Carl serves on the International Steering Committee of the Climate Heritage Network. In 2018, Carl served as the 94th President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He is a Fellow of the AIA and the Association for Preservation Technology (APT).

Reference

Sustainable News

Introducing traceability to the cacao value chain

By Zarkon Group,19/07/2023

Spotted: According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), around 1.3 gigatonnes of edible food is wasted each year — around $750 billion worth (approximately €667 billion). In developing countries, much of this is lost during agricultural production. Startup Cooko is working to change this by reframing the entire value chain, starting with cacao production.

Cooko, which means “source” or “wellspring” in the proto-Bantu language of West Africa, has developed a cloud-based commercial platform that adds traceability to artisanal food chains. The company starts at the point of harvest by inserting a digital click “at-source”, which embeds traceability data in each shipment.

Cooko founder Ferdi van Heerden emphasises that the company’s approach provides a “triple win”. Enhancing first-mile traceability helps farmers earn a fair price for their produce while traders have assurance that the cacao they receive is high quality. Cooko also uses its ‘source-fermented’ label to let consumers know that their product has been equitably sourced.

Van Heerden points out that Cooko’s methodology leads to: “better quality cocoa, higher yields for farmers, and less waste in the supply chain. All of this while supporting better-paid jobs for women and improved cash flow for the poorest farmers.” To date, the company has raised more than €1.7 million, including more than €800,000 in a recent pre-seed round.

Improving traceability is an important part of making supply chains more sustainable. Innovations spotted in the Springwise archive, such as using blockchain to ensure transparency and embedding traceability in finished products, are making a big difference.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

AI Architecture: Reimagining Barbie’s Dreamhouse for the Modern World

By Zarkon Group,19/07/2023

This article was produced using AI tools such as Midjourney and Chat GPT, with additional edits by our editorial team. Follow Architizer’s Editor in Chief Paul Keskeys on LinkedIn for more tips on harnessing AI in your architectural workflow!

Inspired by the monstrously popular Barbie movie, this series of AI-generated architectural renderings brings forth a new vision of Barbie’s Dreamhouse. These hyper-realistic, ultra-contemporary homes, infused with Barbie’s signature pink hue, banish plastic to the toy box and imagine what a ‘real world’ residence for the iconic doll might look like.

Harnessing AI image generation tool Midjourney, these renderings harmoniously blend the stylized world of Barbie with the sophistication of contemporary design. With their eye-catching exteriors, luxurious interiors, and generous use of Barbie’s characteristic pink hue, these houses invite us into a realm where fantasy meets reality. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling: Eat your heart out!

Keep scrolling to explore the vibrant visualizations below, check out the prompt that helped to generate these images at the bottom of the page, and let us know over on Instagram — which movie character would be your dream client?

Barbie Dreamhouse Prompt Formula

Experiment with the following prompt formula in Midjourney to generate your own Barbie Dreamhouse! Copy the following text and then select or replace the components within the square brackets, which are designed to add variety and specificity to your image:

/imagine An incredibly detailed [interior / exterior] architectural visualization of a modern barbie house [embedded within the branches of a giant oak tree / that is a perfect sphere on stilts / on top of a bright pink waterfall], everything is varying shades of vibrant pink, featuring [curvaceous walls and a flowing ceiling / an epic vaulted ceiling / pitched roofs and towers], dramatic daylighting, super realistic, 8k –ar 4:5 –v 5.2

You could also test different weather conditions, environments, architectural styles, lighting quality, materials, camera settings and additional details.

3 Tips to Help You Perfect Your Midjourney Architecture Visualizations

Midjourney makes it simple to create striking imagery of any kind, but here are a few tips to take your AI-generated architectural visuals to the next level.

1. Use professional camera settings.

Unlock the full potential of your architectural visualizations with Midjourney AI by harnessing the power of professional camera settings. By specifying these settings, you can elevate your creations to a whole new level of realism and impact.

With precise control over aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length, you can craft visually stunning compositions that mimic the subtleties of real-world photography. Adjusting the aperture allows you to control depth of field, lending a sense of realism and focus to your images. Fine-tune shutter speed to capture motion or create long-exposure effects. Master ISO to balance light and minimize noise, and experiment with focal length to achieve desired perspectives.

By taking command of professional camera settings, you’ll transform your architectural visualizations into captivating, lifelike experiences that leave viewers amazed. Unleash your creative potential and bring your designs to life in ways you never thought possible with Midjourney’s powerful capabilities.

2. Harness the power of architectural vocabulary.

Take your architectural visualizations to new heights by incorporating descriptive architectural vocabulary and keywords when generating designs with Midjourney AI. By choosing the right words to describe elements such as materials, textures, lighting, and spatial qualities, you can enhance the realism and impact of your visualizations.

Using precise terminology allows Midjourney to understand your design intentions more accurately, resulting in more faithful and detailed renderings. By specifying features like “glass curtain walls,” “warm wooden finishes,” or “dramatic vaulted ceilings,” you can evoke a specific atmosphere and convey your design concept with precision.

Empower your visualizations with the language of architecture, enabling Midjourney to create immersive, realistic representations that truly capture the essence of your vision. Let your designs speak volumes and make a lasting impression with the help of descriptive architectural vocabulary.

3. Use Midjourney acronyms.

Maximize the quality and precision of your architectural visualizations generated with Midjourney AI by leveraging specific acronyms designed to enhance your experience. By utilizing acronyms such as “–v 5.2” to specify the Midjourney version, “–ar 16:9” for a wide aspect ratio, and “–q 1” for a detailed image quality, you can achieve unparalleled control over your renderings.

By specifying the Midjourney version, you ensure compatibility with the latest features and advancements, guaranteeing optimal performance and results. The aspect ratio acronym enables you to define the proportions of your visualizations, ensuring they align seamlessly with your intended display format. Fine-tune image quality with the “q” acronym, allowing you to strike the perfect balance between file size and visual fidelity.

Embrace the power of these Midjourney acronyms to fine-tune your architectural visualizations with precision, ensuring optimal results that align precisely with your vision.

You can learn all the basics about how to use Midjourney AI in our handy guide.

Share Your AI Architecture for a Chance to Get Featured!

Calling all architectural visionaries and visual artists! Are you ready to showcase your awe-inspiring creations to a global audience? Architizer’s new Instagram channel — @midjourneyarchitecture — is the ultimate platform to elevate your AI-generated architectural imagery to new heights and inspire a fast-growing community of creators!

Here’s what you need to do:

1️⃣ Create breathtaking imagery using Midjourney AI.
2️⃣ Share your masterpiece on Instagram and tag @midjourneyarchitecture.
3️⃣ Send a DM with your image to us to catch our attention!

Our editorial team will be on the lookout for the most remarkable submissions, and select images will be featured on @midjourneyarchitecture, granting you exposure to a new audience of AI architecture aficionados, industry professionals, and design enthusiasts worldwide!

Don’t forget to follow @midjourneyarchitecture on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midjourneyarchitecture/

Reference

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3 Tips to Help You Perfect Your Midjourney Architecture Visualizations

1. Use professional camera settings.

2. Harness the power of architectural vocabulary.

3. Use Midjourney acronyms.

Share Your AI Architecture for a Chance to Get Featured!

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