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Architecture

EFFEKT creates treetop walkway accessible to “all nature lovers”

By Zarkon Group,12/06/2023

Architecture studio EFFEKT has completed Norway’s first treetop walkway, which winds up through Hamaren Activity Park in Fyresdal and ends at a circular viewpoint.

Raised 15 metres high in the air, the platform was designed with a gentle incline accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities, as well as cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchairs.

“The treetop walk in Hamaren Activity Park offers all nature lovers, regardless of age, disability or physical limitation, a new perspective on the natural landscape of Fyresdal,” said Danish studio EFFEKT.

“It grew out of a heartfelt desire to give all people, regardless of physical abilities, the sensational feeling of walking amongst the treetops.”

Aerial view of Hamaren Activity Park in Norway — It winds up through Hamaren Activity Park in Fyresdal

Hamaren Activity Park opened in Fyresdal in 2017. Alongside the new treetop walk, it has cycling and nature trails, and facilities for activities including trampolining and climbing.

The treetop walkway is one kilometre in length and is placed along the ascent of Klokkarhamaren – a hill with an elevation of 338 metres.

Aerial view of Hamaren Activity Park treetop walkway by EFFEKT — It is built from pinewood

Visitors to the walkway are guided from the pine forest floor, along past a lake and up between the treetops to the summit of Klokkarhamaren.

At the end of the trail, EFFEKT has incorporated a circular viewpoint that measures 50 metres in diameter and provides a panoramic view of the natural landscape surrounding it.

“Reconnecting with nature is an important part of the great change we are undergoing now,” studio co-founder Tue Foged told Dezeen.

“Although being a small gesture in the bigger picture, we hope that granting people free and universal access to experience the sublime nature of this site, can serve as an example for others.”

Walkway through pine forest — The walkway weaves through a pine forest

The structure is two metres wide throughout most of its length but widens into balconies at certain points to spotlight specific views or provide rest areas. It is raised on pillars that align with “the natural curves and gradients of the terrain”.

Its boardwalk-like appearance was made from locally sourced pinewood, chosen to blend in with the surroundings.

“It uses only small and straight prefabricated elements that can easily be handled with small machinery and by hand on-site to protect nature during the building process,” explained Foged.

“When joined together the segments form an organic shape that bends around the trees and along the mountain,” he said.

“The structure literally blends in with existing trees on the mounting, sometimes giving the visual impression that the boardwalk levitates through the forest.”

Hamaren Activity Park treetop walkway — It is designed to blend with its surroundings

This structure was developed by EFFEKT in collaboration with local contractor Inge Aamlid.

According to the team, this was to ensure the design also nodded to the area’s history of pinewood construction by using local craftsmanship techniques.

Treetop walkway by EFFEKT — It begins at the forest floor

“The region has a long history with logging and tradition of building with pinewood structures,” said Foged.

“The premise of the design was, therefore, to use the local predominant material of the pine tree. Pinewood is used as the loadbearing structure as well as the boardwalk and railing,” he explained.

Wooden walkway — It follows the ascent of Klokkarhamaren

Based in Copenhagen, EFFEKT is an architecture studio founded by architects Sinus Lynge and Foged in 2007.

Other projects by the studio include Camp Adventure, a spiralling tower in the midst of a forest, and the transformation of an abandoned windmill factory into a skatepark and youth centre.

The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

Reference

Nicolai Paris bedroom apartment by NOA with a bath on a wooden step and a double bed with white bedding

Interior Design

Eight bedrooms with bathtubs that make a lavish statement

By Zarkon Group,11/06/2023

A steel bathtub in a grey carpeted bedroom and a marble bath positioned on a wooden plinth are included in Dezeen’s latest lookbook, highlighting luxurious bedrooms with bathtubs.

Typically confined to bathrooms with splash-safe surfaces, a bathtub in a bedroom has an air of grandiosity and indulgence.

It is often seen as an impractical design trend due to ventilation considerations, the need for a strengthened floor and the transition of moving from a soapy bath soak to fresh bed sheets, but this roundup showcases different ways baths in bedrooms have been achieved in homes and hotels.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring cherry red interiors, minimalist bedrooms and concrete kitchens.

Nicolai Paris, France, by Network of Architecture

Architecture studio Network of Architecture added curved lines and custom oak furniture to this Parisian apartment, including a curved wooden plinth for a Botticino Fiorito marble bathtub in the main bedroom.

Located in the former Hotel Nicolai, the studio transformed the interior into a two-level family home that “reflects the elegance of the Parisian ambience in the flat”.

Find out more about Nicolai Paris ›

Bedroom and adjacent open-plan ensuite at Apartment A by Atelier Dialect with a rectangular bathtub — Photo by Piet-Albert Goethals

Apartment A, Belgium, by Atelier Dialect

For the Apartment A residence in Antwerp, Belgian design studio Atelier Dialect placed a shiny steel rectangular bathtub in the carpeted open-plan bedroom, offsetting the surrounding green walls.

Behind the tub is a partition wall covered in white and black subway tiles, creating a graphic backdrop and concealing a walk-in shower.

Find out more about Apartment A ›

Lundies House guesthouse in Tongue by Wildlands and Groves-Raines Architects

Lundies House, UK, by Groves-Raines Architects

Scottish studio Groves-Raines Architects combined Scottish vernacular and contemporary Scandinavian design when converting a former clergy living quarters into the Lundies House guesthouse, complete with a slipper bath in the main bedroom.

With views out the nearby window of the Scottish highlands, the freestanding tub is a luxurious addition to the calming neutral-toned interior.

Find out more about Lundies House ›

Concrete bedroom with a rectangular bathtub by a window looking out to rocks — Photo by Gaudenz Danuser

Concrete Cabin, Switzerland, Nickisch Sano Walder Architects

A deep polished concrete ledge with a sunken bath stretches the width of this holiday cabin bedroom, which is sunken into a rocky site in the Swiss Alps.

Architecture studio Nickisch Sano Walder Architects designed the Concrete Cabin as a stark hideaway for up to two people. Timber salvaged from a log cabin previously on the site was used as the formwork for the cast concrete walls.

Find out more about Concrete Cabin ›

Studio Hagen Hall 1970s-style townhouse bedroom with a bathtub and glass screen — Photo by Mariell Lind Hansen

Primrose Hill townhouse, UK, by Studio Hagen Hall

The owners of this refurbished London townhouse can draw a pink curtain to separate the cork-tiled bathtub from the rest of the bedroom, designed by architecture office Studio Hagen Hall.

The pastel-toned bedroom has a paired-back appearance compared to the rest of the home, which features elm, velvet and fluted glass surfaces informed by 1970s Californian modernism.

Find out more about the Primrose Hill townhouse ›

Standard Studio use patio and skylights to funnel light into Amsterdam loft

Amsterdam canal house, the Netherlands, by Standard Studio

Local firm Standard Studio converted a canal house in Amsterdam into an apartment with rooms arranged around a central courtyard, including a bedroom with an oval bath and freestanding bath tap.

Large glazed doors open the bedroom and bath area to the courtyard, and both interior and exterior spaces were finished with polished concrete floors.

Find out more about the Amsterdam canal house ›

Tiled bathroom inside Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence — Photo by Ricardo Oliveira Alves

Open Hearts, Portugal, by AB+AC Architects

Open Hearts is a wellness centre in Lisbon that doubles as an artists’ residence, designed by Portuguese practice AB+AC Architects.

The studio added terracotta tiling to a corner of the white bedroom, visually separating the bath area from the rest of the space.

Find out more about Open Hearts ›

Dark, red-toned bedroom in the Mona hotel in Athens with a freestanding bath — Photo by Ana Santl

Mona Athens, Greece, by House of Shila

Located in a former 1950s textile factory, design studio House of Shila created luxurious open-plan rooms with freestanding baths for the Mona Athens hotel.

A change in floor level and translucent drapes separate sleeping and bathing areas, creating a “certain balance of comfort and drama” according to the studio.

Find out more about Mona Athens ›

Reference

Sustainable News

A platform overcoming the ESG data gap in real estate

By Zarkon Group,11/06/2023

Spotted: Real estate is responsible for around 40 per cent of total global emissions, with around 28 per cent of that total generated by existing buildings. But the question of how to ensure that any modernisation is sustainable and meets environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements is not an easy one to answer. This is what startup Predium aims to tackle, with its ESG software platform for the real estate industry.

The Munich-based company has developed a platform that provides building owners and managers with a comprehensive overview of the ESG status of the property. The platform collects information on energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and other building information from a wide variety of sources. Then, the system performs a precise profitability check of various modernisation measures.

The platform is designed to allow users to prioritise the measures that best meet ESG benchmarks and cost savings, while allowing them to track implementation. Predium also supports reporting of any measure taken, and their effects, to investors, boards, and regulators.

Founded in 2021, Predium raised €1.6 million last year in a seed funding round, and has been growing fast since.

Improving the efficiency of the built environment is crucial to reaching net zero. Luckily, there are no shortage of ideas on how to achieve this. Take a look at our archive for some that Springwise has spotted, including environmentally friendly concrete and wood-based, fossil fuel-free insulation.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

Sustainable Practice: An Inside Look at the Zero Waste Design for The Greenhouse Theatre

By Zarkon Group,11/06/2023

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it has plenty to answer for in design and architecture. This is immediately evident at The Greenhouse, a zero-waste theatre complete with performance space, standalone screening room, bar and box office

Visiting three prime spots in London this summer, the first run, at Royal Docks, was part of Sea Change, a cultural program about climate. Next, the space holds a residency at Canary Wharf, from 19th June until 14th July, before finishing at Battersea Power Station between 7th August and 3rd September. A striking, if understated, approach to experimental venue design, the venue is hand-built from recycled and reused materials. After revealing his background in site-specific productions, Artistic Director Oli Savage tells Architizer how the idea came about.

“Around 2016, a close friend, collaborator and colleague of mine put a script on my desk all about eco-terrorism, Swallows. It was a metaphor for violence towards each other and towards the planet by Henry Robert, a really talented writer. I’m interested in space and how a space can make the show work. And from a practice perspective, I’m interested in working holistically. To me, if you’re putting on a show, it’s important that everything around that show reflects the ideas of what that show is talking about. You’d feel a little hypocritical working on a climate piece and having lots of impact and waste,” says Savage.

The Greenhouse is the UK’s first zero waste theatre (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

“A couple of years later, we’re on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival, our show was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Standing in the pissing rain, handing out flyers to promote the performance, I said to our head of marketing: ‘Surely this isn’t actually a very effective way of getting people through the door’. She said: ‘No, and it causes a lot of waste.’ I started digging into this, and it’s astounding how much waste is created, most of which isn’t recyclable,” he continues. “This is particularly evident in fringe arts.”

With the script for Swallows still in mind, Savage began brainstorming with collaborators, trying to figure out how the show could run at the Edinburgh Fringe and stay true to its climate message. Soon realizing there was no existing facility that could tick all necessary boxes, a decision was made to create a new space. Returning to the Scottish capital twelve months on, The Greenhouse debuted in 2019 with Swallows finally staged and, as Savage puts it, “has been on and off” since.

The Greenhouse Theatre under construction in London, 2021 (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

“I just say to people come and see the space,” Savage replies when we ask about the green credentials. “I’d say it’s obvious when you’re inside — this is not making claims that can’t be backed up. In terms of design principles, we were determined to show the materials being using, so the waste is showcased front line for people to see for themselves. And we’re a zero waste theatre, that’s the terminology. There are differences between this and, say, carbon neutral. So all the materials had a life before us, and will hopefully have another life once we’re finished.

“Broadly, the whole thing is built from three materials. Timber framing and wood pallet cladding, around a triangular lighting truss skeleton. The roof is made from corrugated PVC,” he explains. “As you’re designing, you’ve got to be thinking, if we want this to be zero waste, what materials do we have access to? How are we going to be able to deliver this in a zero waste way. Another interesting thing was our first situation for the venue didn’t have the possibility of any power. So we came to this conclusion it needed to be naturally lit with a clear plastic roof. That’s now one of my favorite aspects of the venue.”

The Greenhouse Theatre at Canary Wharf, London (C) The Greenhouse Theatre

For Savage, The Greenhouse Theatre design is all about dialogue between different demands. The requirements stipulated by the project itself — zero waste, low impact — and the need to develop a space suitable for creative practice. Form meeting function deep in the grass roots.

“It was also a necessity for me that it was in the round. That was a big thing. If I’m working in a theatrical space, it has to be either in the round or traverse. It creates this sense of community,” says Savage, pointing out all this is replicable. “Reclaimed timber is easy to come by. There are lots of facilities around the UK, recycling centres that take surplus timber from sites, clean it, then sell it on. Most are charities, awesome organizations. The trussing was from a lady who used it for trade shows, retired and sold it to us for a really good price. The plastic, I think it was a builder who bought it for a project that was cancelled or over-ordered.”

“The headline is that it’s not that hard. It seems like it’s challenging, but so much theatre, at university for example, relies on borrowing and reuse,” he adds. “We have a consultancy, working with filmmakers, other theatre makers, creatives, to help them towards zero waste. There’s a lack of provision for fringe artists in terms of this type of thing. It’s tricky, though. One of the hardest things is a lot of people expect work for free… Obviously, my goal as a person is to have the most impact and help. But the reality is some try to take advantage… If we can’t monetize, I’m not going to have a business, and we’re not gonna be able to run.”

Reference

Interior Design

Ten bathrooms with double sinks for couples who prioritise personal space

By Zarkon Group,10/06/2023

Nobody likes knocking elbows while brushing their teeth. In this lookbook, we collect 10 bathrooms with interesting takes on double sinks from the Dezeen archive.

Sometimes called his-and-hers sinks, double sinks immediately introduce a luxurious feel to the bathroom. The 10 examples below feature varying contemporary interpretations of this classic design flourish.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with colourful toilets and sinks, timber cladding and lots of concrete.

Louisville Road apartment, UK, by 2LG Studio

London design firm 2LG Studio fitted a bespoke coral-orange vanity unit with luted-lacquer-coated doors to form the double sink in this house in Tooting.

The unit contrasts with baby-blue taps that match the floor tiles and the bordering around the large bathroom mirror, as well as the shower screen.

Find out more about this Louisville Road apartment ›

York Vault House by Studio Ben Allen — Photo by Mel Yates/24mm Photography

House in York, UK, by Studio Ben Allen

A utilitarian theme pervades Studio Ben Allen’s extension to a Victorian terraced house in York, including in the first-floor bathroom.

Twin basins feature taps stripped back to their base brass and exposed copper piping, while the two curving mirrors above them continue an arch motif used throughout the project.

Find out more about this house in York ›

Candy Loft by StudioAC — Photo by Jeremie Warshafsky

Candy Loft, Canada, by StudioAC

The double sink in this Toronto loft conversion by local firm StudioAC is housed inside a wood-clad unit that is fixed to the wall and lit from underneath.

It features in a minimalist bathroom with borderless shower screen and mirrors, white walls and subtly patterned tiling.

Find out more about Candy Loft ›

Triangle by Yellow Cloud Studio — Photo by Alex Forsey Photography

The Triangle extension, UK, by Yellow Cloud Studio

A free-standing bathtub separates two sinks in the en-suite bathroom of this Victorian house in Hackney, extended and renovated by London practice Yellow Cloud Studio.

The bath fits into what was formerly a fireplace, with the original chimney stack providing a symmetrical layout for the concrete basins and pastel-green vanity units.

Find out more about the Triangle extension ›

Ibiza Campo by Standard Studio & Ibiza Interiors — Photo by Youri Claesens

Casa Campo, Ibiza, Spain, by Standard Studio

Casa Campo is an off-grid home nestled in a mountain range in northern Ibiza by Amsterdam firm Standard Studio.

In the bathroom, a concrete partition forms a low wall around the double sink, contrasting with the rustic stone walling and timber counter.

Find out more about Casa Campo ›

Casa Hualle by Ampuero Yutronic — Photo by Felipe Fontecilla

Casa Hualle, Chile, by Ampuero Yutronic

Pale plywood walls and a dark concrete floor give the bathroom in this house in Chile’s volcanic Araucania Region a rustic feel.

Architecture studio Ampuero Yutronic raised a pair of circular sinks on a simple wooden stand in line with a window above the bathtub.

Find out more about Casa Hualle ›

David Adjaye's 130 William interiors — Photo by Evan Joseph

130 William show apartment, USA, by David Adjaye

British architect David Adjaye used serrated grey marble tiling to line the walls and floors of the bathroom in this model apartment for his first Manhattan skyscraper.

This extends to the bathtub and double sink, contrasted with black tap fixtures and a black wooden vanity unit.

Find out more about this 130 William show apartment ›

Workstead House by Workstead — Photo by Matthew Williams

Workstead House, USA, by Workstead

This home in Charleston, South Carolina was created through the renovation of a building formerly used as a store for selling blockaded goods during the US Civil War.

In the darkly painted en-suite bathroom next to the master bedroom, design studio Workstead built a pair of sink units standing independently of each other and looking out through large double-sash windows.

Find out more about Workstead House ›

AML Apartment by David Ito Architecture — Photo by Pedro Kok

AML Apartment, Brazil, by David Ito Arquitetura

David Ito Arquitetura put a different spin on the double sink inside this apartment in São Paulo.

The two vanity units face each other from opposite walls, their wooden cupboards contrasting with the black fittings and floor tiles and the white wall tiles and marble in the sinks and the two-person bathtub.

Find out more about AML Apartment ›

Vallirana 47 apartment by Vora — Photo courtesy of Vora

Vallirana 47 apartments, Spain, by Vora

A more modest approach to the double sink is on display in these Barcelona apartments designed by Architecture studio Vora.

The pale marble sink is divided into two basins, sharing the same white vanity unit and grey marble counter.

Find out more about these Vallirana 47 apartments ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Land-based production of tuna – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,10/06/2023

Spotted: The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation’s 2023 report on the status of the world’s stock of fish assessed the annual global tuna catch to be around 4.8 million metric tonnes. With many markets completely reliant on wild-caught tuna, aquaculture is scrambling to provide a reliable, scalable alternative to the many types of tuna that are consistently overfished. Germany’s Next Tuna is building one possible solution in the form of the world’s first land-based source of Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT). The company’s goal is to transform the tuna fish food industry into a circular, sustainable economy.

Using a recirculating aquasystem (RAS), the company’s floating farms are protected from heat increases in the water, algal blooms, predators, and pollution. Waste from the system is collected for use as fuel or in seaweed production, and the farm itself is largely solar-powered. Next Tuna plans to offer three products and services. Juvenile ABT will be grown for producers to use in their own commercial farms. The RAS will be available for sale for use with other species of fish, and the entire system will be available as a bespoke aquaculture-as-a-service offering.

Next Tuna is currently constructing a commercial farm in Spain. Once finished, the farm should have a sufficient supply of eggs to be running at full levels of production based only on farmed tuna and no longer requiring the use of any wild-caught juveniles. The company is working with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to gain a sustainability certification for the farmed tuna.

From using improved soils to a platform that optimises agriculture in hot climates, Springwise is spotting many other innovations working to make the world’s food production more resilient and sustainable.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Architecture

yangnar studio repurposes local wood for home in thailand forest

By Zarkon Group,10/06/2023

chiang mai valley forest engulfs ing-suk house

Nestled amid a serene valley forest in Chiang Mai, Yangnar Studio’s Ing-Suk House sits elevated above compacted soil-lifted ground, reminiscent of the traditional ‘Kha-Nham’ shelters for gardeners found in southern Thailand. Showcasing experimental design solutions amid budget and accessibility limitations, the architects have repurposed local antique finds and wood from the surroundings to craft the small wooden house with meticulous detail. Notably, the architects have adapted old wooden pillars from vernacular houses in the Vietnam zone to merge with the site’s stone steps, welcoming visitors and residents as they enter the space. Across the exterior, interior, and decorative details, wood has been left primarily untreated to embrace the beauty of its natural textures and meld the home with its rich natural context.

all images by Rungkit Charoenwat

yangnar studio infuses flexibility within the compact space

The Ing-Suk House sits engulfed in greenery at the entrance of the Obkhan National Park. Stepping inside its compact wooden form, the home offers a flexible interior to adapt to versatile living conditions, as an extension of the mixed-use surrounding area. Central to the design is an elongated terrace which serves as a connecting element between various sections of the house while ensuring privacy. With staircases on both sides, it facilitates movement while providing elevated seating arrangements. Additionally, a raised den serves as a versatile space in front of the main room, distinct from the secondary space.

Yangnar Studio’s experimental design concept and skillful woodworking follows as result of resolving constructing in remote conditions and with a limited budget. The archictectural team opted to preserve the wood’s natural essence by avoiding chemical coatings, emphasizing its raw beauty. The main building materials were locally sourced, while recycled elements gathered from material shops, such as old wooden doors, windows, and steel tube profiles, were seamlessly incorporated into the design. From Ing-Suk House’s roof pole and fall protection railings to the interior decoration, these antique market finds were thoughtfully arranged for both decorative and functional use.

Reference

Interior Design

House of Shila designs industrial yet sultry interiors for Mona Athens

By Zarkon Group,09/06/2023

The ancient Acropolis of Athens is in full view from the rooftop of this boutique hotel, which design studio House of Shila has housed in a former factory building.

Mona Athens is located in the city’s lively Psirri district, within an eight-storey 1950s building that once served as a textile factory.

House of Shila, led by New York-based entrepreneur Shai Antebi and Greek photographer and creative director Eftihia Stefanidi, chose to keep as much of the building’s bones as possible when converting it into a 20-key hotel.

This meant retaining its original dramatic iron staircase, terrazzo flooring, metal window frames and marble facade.

Staircase in communal area of hotel by House of Shila — The spilt-level communal space houses a lounge and cafe

“We designed Mona with great respect for the building’s 1950s architecture,” said Stefanidi.

“The structure itself remains unchanged, revealing 70 years of history. Emphasis was given to preserving original features.”

Iron staircase in the lobby of Mona Athens — House of Shila retained as many of the building’s original details as possible

Layering over industrial materials like exposed concrete and weathering steel, the team added wooden furniture and textured fabrics to bring warmth and tactility to the spaces throughout.

Accessed from the street, the 200-square-metre split-level lobby serves as a lounge and a cafe that can host pop-up events and installations.

Guest room with exposed concrete walls in hotel by House of Shila — A variety of textured materials are layered over the building’s industrial bones

An eclectic mix of furniture and decor populate the space, which can be opened to the outside via full-height folding glass doors.

The hotel’s six different room categories range from intimate rooms of around 16 to 20 square metres all the way up to the 55-square-metre penthouses and Mona’s Suite, with some of the larger rooms providing access to private balconies and patios.

Guest room at Mona Athens — Wash areas are open to the sleeping quarters in many of the rooms

All feature a similar sultry-meets-industrial aesthetic, which House of Shila compares to a “sensual refuge”, characterised by curtains of sheer cotton and richly-coloured velvet, low minimalist beds, custom-knitted carpets and soft lighting from bespoke fixtures.

In the majority of the guest rooms, the washing areas are open to the sleeping quarters – with separate water closets for privacy – and some feature comfy lounge seating.

Bathroom in suite at hotel by House of Shila — Larger suites have access to porches, balconies and patios

White freestanding Corian bathtubs and industrial-style rain showers are shrouded by translucent curtains, creating a “certain balance of comfort and drama”, according to the design studio.

The open rooftop offers a direct view of the Parthenon and other structures atop the Acropolis, the UNESCO-listed epicentre of Ancient Greece, while the tourist entrance to the site is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

Reserved for Mona Athens guests and members, this outdoor space includes a long glass-and-metal communal table, cushioned sofas, outdoor showers, lush planting and a bar that serves cocktails and “eclectic fare” with ingredients sourced from the local food market.

There’s also a speakeasy venue in the basement, where pop-up exhibitions and private events can take place.

Corian bathtub in Mona Athens guest room — Freestanding Corian bathtubs are set against weathering steel

All of the decorative items in the rooms are available for guests to purchase, from the organic cotton bedsheets to the ceramic coffee cups.

Antebi’s background is in real estate development while Stefanidi was previously the creative director for immersive entertainment company Secret Cinema.

rooftop bar in hotel by House of Shila — The rooftop is reserved for hotel guests and members

The duo founded House of Shila after working together on their first hospitality project Shila – another boutique hotel-cum-arts venue in Athens’ Kolonaki neighbourhood.

Once a quick stopover for tourists on the way to the Greek islands, the capital is becoming a popular destination for city breaks in its own right, thanks to its rich history, growing culinary scene, year-round fair weather and relative affordability.

Acropolis view from Mona Athens rooftop — A prime view of the Acropolis can be enjoyed from the roof

The owner of Carwan Gallery described Athens as “the new Berlin” when the contemporary design gallery relocated there from Beirut in 2020.

Several boutique hotels have opened or undergone renovation in the downtown area over the past few years, including the neo-modernist Perianth Hotel and the Evripidis Hotel, which received a new rooftop bar and breakfast room.

The photography is by Ana Santl.

Reference

Sustainable News

Precision fishing technology helps fishing crews catch their target species

By Zarkon Group,09/06/2023

Spotted: Fish bycatch – when commercial fishers unintentionally catch fish and other marine animals that they cannot use – has a significant negative impact on the marine environment. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, around 38 million tonnes of sea creatures are unintentionally caught each year, representing around 40 per cent of worldwide catches. Most of this bycatch ends up dead.

A UK company – SafetyNet Technologies – has now developed technology aimed at reducing bycatch. The company designs and builds ‘precision fishing’ devices to increase the selectivity of commercial fishing practices, making the industry more sustainable.

The flagship product, called Pisces, is designed to improve the selectivity of fishing gear. It uses coloured LED lights to attract the target species while deterring unwanted bycatch, helping fishing crews to save time sorting fish.

SafetyNet has also developed an affordable underwater camera and sensor that attach to fishing gear and help fishing crews gather data. This allows them to increase efficiency, reduce bycatch, and measure the effects of climate change on fisheries. Together, SafetyNet says these technologies help both fishers and fish.

The company has recently secured £1.8 million (around €2 million) in new funding to accelerate the development of its precision fishing technology.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the percentage of stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 35.4 per cent in 2019. Luckily, Springwise is also spotting innovations aimed at protecting marine life, ranging from next-generation quiet boat propellers to turning harmful algae into sustainable products.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Aerial view of the nieghbourhood with foothills in the background

Architecture

GAF applies solar-reflective coating to mitigate Los Angeles heat islands

By Zarkon Group,09/06/2023

American roofing firm GAF has completed the first phase of a public-private initiative that seeks to mitigate urban heat in Los Angeles through solar-reflective coating.

The GAF Cool Community Project completed the first phase of their public project in Los Angeles’ Pacoima, covering asphalt roads and public areas in a 10-block radius to see if a reflective coating might reduce the effects of urban heating.

Members of the GAF team and its street coating arm Streetbond worked with NGOs and city officials including the Global Cool Cities Alliance, Climate Resolve, and the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Service to coat over 700,000 square feet (65,032 square metres) of the neighbourhood’s pavement.

The project was initiated to mitigate the heat in heavily paved neighbourhoods, a problem in urban areas sometimes referred to as “heat islands”.

Playground with colourful solar-reflective coating — The initiative is called the GAF Cool Community Project

“This is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Los Angeles,” said Streetbond general manager Eliot Wall.

“There’s not a lot of alternative solutions. There are not a lot of shade structures. There are not a lot of trees – things that we also believe are necessary to help combat this – but this was something that without any other structural changes you could do tomorrow.”

Basketball court with solar-reflective coating in blue and tan — The coating was applied to a 10-block radius

Because asphalt needs to be sealed and coated in dark colours to reduce tire marks and glare, it traps heat and holds it at street level.

The team’s solution was to paint over roads, parking lots and recreational areas with a proprietary coating that the company says may reduce the heat effect by 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5-6.6 degrees Celsius). The coating comes in a variety of different colours, with brighter colours used for recreational areas and dark ones for the roads.

The coating can be applied directly on top of preexisting asphalt. It can be applied by hand or by a paint-spraying machine.

Ball court with solar reflective coating — The coating reflects sun and mitigates the heat island effect

Instead of simply lining sections of street with the product, the team wanted to test how the coating could affect the ambient temperature of the neighbourhood as a whole.

Some of the more recreational areas within the project’s scope, such as a basketball court and public park, were coated with colourful paint mocked up in patterns approved by the residents and a mural by local artist Desiree Sanchez was commissioned to be completed with the coating.

Aerial view of basketball court — Community members were consulted on a series of designs for the public park

Phase one of the project was completed last year and now the team is utilising a variety of measuring systems to monitor the heat in the neighbourhood as the summer approaches. Wall said that the felt effects of the coating are “pretty much instantaneous”.

“The community members themselves are saying it feels cooler,” he said.

Since the application last summer, the team has noted not only a drop of up to three degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 degrees Celsius) but changes in temperature downwind from the coated area.

Wall ball court with solar-reflective coating — The team is testing the effects of the coat through monitoring systems

GAF director of building and roof science Jennifer Keegan added that there could added benefits from cooling large urban areas beyond the experience on the street.

Typically, the conversation around cooling technologies is limited to the application of materials on roofs and for cooling inside buildings, but paved public spaces present opportunities for bringing down the heat in the area in general.

“Not only are we helping the environment with that perspective of reducing the urban heat island effect, and if we keep our cities cooler, we’re reducing our carbon footprint,” she said.

Wall and Keegan said that the initiative hopes to expand the procedure to other areas that suffer from the heat island effect.

Sports field with solar-reflective coating — Residents have already commented on reduced temperatures

Other products that have been introduced to help reduce heat include a “chameleon-like” facade material developed by researchers at the University of Chicago.

Last year, Dezeen contributor Smith Mordak put together a guide for different strategies to reduce urban heating, read it here.

The photography is courtesy of GAF.

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