Workspace brand NeueHouse has opened a work and social space in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, which is revealed in this video created for the brand by Dezeen.
The club is the third community and co-working space that the brand has opened in Los Angeles, California, with other locations in Hollywood and in Downtown’s historic Bradbury Building.
NeueHouse Venice Beach is located at 73 Market Street, in an area of Los Angeles known for its arts scene in the 70s and 80s.
The interiors of the club were designed by Canadian studio DesignAgency, who were strongly informed by southern California’s history as a centre of modernism.
The agency chose to use light, organic materials to reflect the Californian climate. Spaces are designed to be open-plan, in order to foster a feeling of informality and comfort.
Spaces were designed to reflect the oceanfront location
The building includes private and public workspaces, as well as a podcast recording studio, wellness room and social spaces.
As with Neuehouse’s other venues, the club will host a regular cultural programme including exhibitions, screenings and events.
The clubhouse is home to a collection of artwork curated by Caroline Brennan of design studio Silent Volume and Pamela Auchincloss of curatorial agency Eleven+. The collection combines the work of established artists with emerging talent from southern California.
The clubhouse contains co-working spaces and creative production facilities
The Venice Beach club also houses Reunion, the first in-house restaurant and bar in a Neuehouse location. The restaurant is situated on a private rooftop space with indoor and outdoor seating.
“Our latest House is a response to a historic demand from the local Venice creative community,” said chief marketing officer Jon Goss.
“We want to reimagine and pay homage to the block’s historic past, while offering a warm, design-first experience”.
Last year, Dezeen and NeueHouse teamed up to host a series of events, including a panel discussion on Afrofuturism in art and design and a live talk on the metaverse featuring Liam Young, Refik Anadol and Space Popular.
Partnership content
This article was written as part of a partnership with NeueHouse. Find out more about our partnership content here.
Spotted: Wanting to help make the long-standing agricultural practice of remineralising soil with rock powder even more effective, a team of researchers formed InPlanet. Focused exclusively on accelerating the natural carbon removal that occurs when carbon dioxide reacts with silicate rocks and water, the process cleans the air and improves crop outputs.
Working with mines across Brazil, the company is scaling a sustainable farming practice that has been practiced in the country for generations. The high temperatures and consistent rainfall of the tropics significantly affect the quality of farmed soil. But, spreading ground rock across the fields improves soil biodiversity, and particularly its mineral content, as many commercial fertilisers kill off helpful growth as well as weeds.
Once the crushed rock is spread, the CO2 will remain inground for thousands of years, whether in the field itself or as sediment in the oceans if it runs off. Farmers can save money they would otherwise spend on chemical fertilisers, and as well as enriching the soil, the rock captures high volumes of CO2 that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere.
The country has set itself a goal of certifying up to 1,000 mines by 2050 as suppliers of the rock for agricultural use. InPlanet is using its research and development (R&D) capabilities to help farmers economically justify the switch from pesticides and other synthetics to enhanced rock weathering (ERW) field management. Having recently closed an oversubscribed €1.2 million pre-seed round of funding, the company is planning to expand its team and monitoring capacity.
From growing minerals underground that lock away captured CO2 to using sequestered carbon for industrial processes, Springwise has spotted a range of ways that captured carbon dioxide is being used.
Expanded cork, construction waste and human urine feature in this roundup of brick alternatives, designed to reduce the masonry unit’s embodied carbon footprint.
After concrete and steel, brick has become the latest focus for architects, designers and material researchers hoping to slash the emissions associated with building materials.
That’s because bricks are generally made from clay – a finite resource that needs to be mined and shipped around the globe – as well as being fired in fossil fuel-powered kilns at temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius, often for several days.
This energy-intensive process generates not just a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions but also carbon monoxide and other dangerous air pollutants, especially in South Asia where kilns are often still powered by coal.
To tackle these problems, brick manufacturers and researchers are increasingly looking at how to make use of local waste materials to create masonry units, as well as reverting to traditional methods of sun-drying to cut out the need for firing.
Read on for seven examples of brick alternatives, ranging from experimental student projects to the Dezeen Award-winning K-Briq, which is set to go into mass production this spring.
Cork blocks by MPH Architects, Bartlett School of Architecture, University of Bath, Amorim UK and Ty-Mawr
Interlocking blocks of expanded cork are stacked like Lego blocks without the need for mortar or glue in this construction system, which was used to build the Stirling Prize-nominated Cork House.
This means the bricks can be used to create structures that are easily disassembled, recycled and reused, as well as having the potential to be carbon negative due to the large amounts of CO2 sequestered by the cork oaks, from which the material is sourced.
London firm MPH Architects has been working on the system in collaboration with various research institutes since 2014, and is now hoping to develop it into a self-build cork construction kit.
Find out more about the cork blocks ›
Photo by Zero Waste Scotland
K-Briq by Kenoteq
At 90 per cent, the K-Briq offers “the highest recycled content of any brick” currently on the market, according to manufacturer Kenoteq, leading the brick to be crowned sustainable design of the year at the 2022 Dezeen Awards.
As the brick doesn’t need to be fired, it requires 90 per cent less energy in its production than a traditional brick and ultimately emits less than a tenth of the carbon emissions in its manufacture.
Out of the brick alternatives on this list, K-Briq is the closest to commercialisation. But its prolonged curing process has previously posed issues for quick-turnaround projects, with South African studio Counterspace forced to abandon plans to integrate K-Briqs into the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion due to long lead times.
Find out more about the K-Briq ›
Building the Local by Ellie Birkhead
This student project from Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Ellie Birkhead makes use of local waste materials such as hair from a hairdresser, horse manure from a stable and wool from a farm to reinforce unfired clay bricks.
The result is different region-specific bricks, which Birkhead argues can help to manage waste in a more circular way and “forge a future for local industry”.
Find out more about Building the Local ›
Gent Waste Brick by Carmody Groarke, TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw, Local Works Studio and BC Materials
To form the new wing of the Design Museum Gent, architecture studios Carmody Groarke and TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw worked with materials researchers to turn local municipal waste such as demolition concrete and glass into an unfired low-carbon brick.
This carries one-third of the embodied carbon as a typical Belgian clay brick and is produced in a simple process that is being opened up to the public through workshops, encouraging local residents to have a hand in the construction of their museum.
“The bricks will be manufactured on a brownfield site in Ghent using a clean simple production process, which could easily be replicated in other urban settings,” said Carmody Groarke. “There are no resultant emissions, by-products or waste.”
Find out more about the Gent Waste Brick ›
Green Charcoal bricks by the Indian School of Design and Innovation
These concrete bricks from the Indian School of Design and Innovation in Mumbai are enriched with soil, charcoal and loofah fibres, which create air pockets and help to reduce the amount of cement needed in their production process.
The resulting building blocks are up to 20 times more porous than common bricks, promoting biodiversity by making space for plants and insects in our cities, the researchers claim.
Find out more about Green Charcoal ›
Mycelium Brick by The Living
One of the first experiments in using mycelium at an architectural scale saw New York studio The Living construct 2014’s MoMA PS1 pavilion using bricks that were grown from the root-like structure of fungi.
Based on a process pioneered by biomaterials company Ecovative, this involved placing waste corn stalks from agriculture inside a mould and encouraging the mycelium to grow around this aggregate, effectively cementing the brick.
Mycelium is also increasingly being explored as a means of insulating and fire-proofing buildings that can help to sequester carbon while being biodegradable.
Find out more about the Mycelium Brick ›
Urine bio-bricks by Suzanne Lambert
In this experimental project from University of Cape Town researcher Suzanne Lambert, human urine, sand and bacteria are combined in brick-shaped moulds.
The bacteria triggers a chemical reaction that breaks down the urea in the urine while producing calcium carbonate – the main component of cement – in much the same process that seashells are formed.
“The longer you allow the little bacteria to make the cement, the stronger the product is going to be,” Lambert told Dezeen.
Belgian architectural firm Vincent Van Duysen has built a private residence on the lush coastline of Southampton in New York. Surrounded by wetlands and large oak trees, the architecture reflects the archetypal composition of a traditional farmhouse in the form of a cluster of volumes. Seeking a timeless material palette that emphasizes the careful composition of angled and vertical surfaces and highlights their shadows cast under the unique light, the architects chose traditional local materials such as typical wooden barn siding, cedar shingles, and bespoke fired clay tiles to cover the entire façade and roofs.
the residence is clad in bespoke fired clay tiles | all images by Joseph D’Arco
reinterpreting traditional typologies against a unique backdrop
The site is enveloped by protected wetlands with a specific color and vegetation palette. Large oak trees dominate the access road to the property, creating a tranquil and natural environment. At the same time, the region is characterized by a very special light throughout the year, creating strong shadows and contrasts.
Against this unique natural background, the architecture by Vincent Van Duysen (find more here) is defined as a group of structures that house different functions of the program and consist of a main house and outbuildings. The design approach reflects the archetypal composition of a traditional farmhouse and residential structures that form an integral part of the cultural heritage of the region.
the materiality of the project emphasizes the careful composition of angled and vertical surfaces
exterior and interior merge into one overall experience
From the lush driveway, occupants pass through one of the buildings to a central courtyard. The interaction of the different volumes around the central courtyard is unified by a wooden pergola and an extended wooden terrace on a higher level, which connects and encloses all the outdoor and public areas around the house. These terraces were conceived as a pure extension of all interior spaces. In the summer, the exterior and interior spaces merge into one overall experience, ensuring interactivity between the different parts of the program.
The public areas dominate the first floor in a careful sequence of spaces and atmospheres, always emphasizing an important axis or an interesting viewpoint of the landscape. Secondary functions are located in the outbuildings, while the higher floors house the more private and exclusive areas with the master bedroom and master suite, as well as the children’s rooms. All of these rooms feature higher ceilings that capture and frame nature through generous pocket windows set into the walls.
the interaction of the different volumes around the central courtyard is unified by a wooden pergola
An important aspect of this project is the tectonic expression of the architectural volumes. It was crucial to create a timeless but contemporary material palette, but also to find a material that would highlight the careful composition of the volumes and the hierarchy between oblique and vertical planes, while emphasizing the tactility of the surfaces and the way they cast shadows under the unique light.
With an eye to the traditional materials of the region, such as the typical wooden barn siding or the cedar shingles, fired clay tiles were carefully selected for the entire façade and roofs to reflect the local architectural heritage in a contemporary way. This highly textured and tactile material, combined with naturally aged ipe wood and dark metal, completes a very powerful yet sober material palette that blends in with its surroundings.
view of the interior of the HBH residence
detail of the façade
detail of the wooden pergola
project info:
name: HBH Residence architects: Vincent Van Duysen in collaboration with:STELLECO interior design: Atelier Christian Liaigre landscape design: Piet Oudolf area: Southampton, NY, US
Architecture practice Office S&M has completed its own office inside a former paint-making workshop in Hackney, London.
With an entire wall of material samples and areas for modelling and sketching, Office S&M‘s workspace aims to act as a laboratory to support its ongoing exploration of materials “that are both practical and fun.”
Material samples are loosely placed to allow experimentation in the office
The studio, headed by architects Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen, frequently experiments with materials and colour.
For its own office, complementary shades such as electric blue, yellow, red and green, were combined.
The office combines bold colours
“For this workspace, we particularly used an electric blue and a bright yellow to contrast with each other and make the space larger,” McEwen told Dezeen.
“At the same time, because the workspace is south facing, we used the blue to cool the light and even out the warmth of the sun when looking at samples or drawings.”
The space has been broken into spaces for different uses
The office features a separate meeting room acoustically isolated with sheets of recycled plastic bottles.
The plastic-bottle wall also works as a point of light thanks to the bulbs it contains inside.
According to the architects, the recycled-plastic-bottle “provides excellent acoustic insulation”
“For our own office, we decided to use another common waste material, plastic bottles, but reimagined, to build a soundproofed meeting room,” said Stewart.
“The recycled plastic insulation is easy to work with, and irritation free, compared to traditional insulation.”
The studio also includes ergonomic workstations
The space was divided into areas focused on collaboration, discussion and making to reflect Office S&M’s commitment to community-led design.
“We live in east London, and do much of our work in the areas near where we live and work,” said McEwen. “This gives us really local knowledge, so we can make sure projects have the most impact and can give back to the area.”
The building is owned by Bootstrap, a charity that supports emerging businesses in Hackney
Additionally, Office S&M added plants, air purifiers and ergonomic workstations that intend to maintain the well-being of its occupants.
Other projects by the studio include a rental home for a young property developer that aims to offer a solution to London’s rental market, and the renovation of the Mo-tel House, a residence that features pale colours and bathroom counters made of discarded milk bottles and chopping boards.
Spotted: Once considered a panacea for democratising society and helping people feel more connected, today social media is increasingly seen as something that brings out the worst in too many people. While there have been proposals for how to make social media safer, a Berlin-based startup has come up with a new idea.
SLAY is a new app that promotes positive online interactions for teens through playful social gaming experiences. It is a ‘positive only’ platform where anonymity is used for positivity. Users answer encouraging polls about others and compliment their friends. Only friends, contacts, and classmates are allowed to vote for each other, never strangers; and there is no direct messaging feature.
When users start the app, they are presented with questions that they respond to by selecting a different user to anonymously compliment. All users will be able to read the compliments they have received, but the identity of the person who offered them remains secret.
SLAY has recently raised €2.5 million in a pre-seed round of funding led by Accel. SLAY says it will use the funds to publicly launch the platform in new countries, build its product and consumer teams, and further develop the app’s features and functionality.
Reversing the negative effects of social media has been the goal of a number of innovations Springwise has recently spotted. These include research tools that help people to better understand the viewpoints of social media posts, and a platform that rates news for reliability and bias.
ZeroAvia has flown what the aviation company claims is the largest aircraft yet to be run on a zero-emissions hydrogen-electric engine, testing a 19-seater plane over the skies of England.
The company flew a modified 19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft with one prototype hydrogen-electric engine retrofitted on its left wing and a regular gas turbine engine, a Honeywell TPE-331, on its right wing.
The test flight saw the plane take off, fly and land at ZeroAvia‘s R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire on 19 January.
ZeroAvia has test-flown a plane retrofitted with a hydrogen-electric engine
According to ZeroAvia, the flight shows the British-American company is on track to run its first hydrogen-powered commercial flight by 2025, with the aim of eventually scaling up the technology to larger planes.
“This is a major moment, not just for ZeroAvia but for the aviation industry as a whole, as it shows that true zero-emission commercial flight is only a few years away,” said ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov. “Our approach is the best solution to accelerate clean aviation at scale.”
ZeroAvia uses hydrogen fuel cells, one of two major hydrogen-based technologies being explored for flight along with the hydrogen combustion engine.
The plane took off and landed at ZeroAvia’s base in south-west England
In fuel cells, hydrogen is used to produce electricity and that electricity powers the propeller, instead of the hydrogen being burnt like in a combustion engine. The process generates no emissions besides water vapour.
ZeroAvia deployed its prototype engine in a testing configuration that featured two fuel cell stacks along with lithium-ion battery packs to provide extra support for takeoff and backup power.
The fuel cells and hydrogen tanks were housed inside the cabin of the plane, where the seats would usually be. But eventually, they will need to be stored externally.
The company conducted the flight test under what it describes as the “stringent” requirements for a Part 21 aircraft flight permit with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which the company says signals its readiness for commercial certification.
ZeroAvia says that under these conditions, the test flight places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalised and submitted for approval in 2023.
ZeroAvia is one of the current leaders in the race to develop hydrogen engines to decarbonise plane travel. The prototype tested was developed as part of the company’s HyFlyer II project, which is supported by the UK government’s Aerospace Technology Institute and targets the development of a 600-kilowatt powertrain.
Pilot Jon Killerby and ZeroAvia Europe head Sergey Kiselev led the test flight
Simultaneously, the company is also developing a two-to-five megawatt powertrain that scales the technology for aircraft with up to 90 seats.
Hydrogen engine technology is evolving rapidly, with many airlines and aerospace companies engaged in development and testing.
Recently, EasyJet and engineering company Rolls-Royce conducted a ground test of a modified commercial aircraft engine run on hydrogen combustion, while Airbus has previously revealed three concept designs for hydrogen-powered aircraft.
A challenge for the technology is the size of the hydrogen tanks required, which has made critics doubt that it can ever be used for jet planes or long journeys.
London-based architecture studio Hyperspace has created a garden studio in Hertfordshire, England, featuring a pivoting door and a charred-timber facade that doubles as an insect hotel.
Hyperspace converted a suburban garage to create the work-from-home studio called Dark Matter.
The building’s name refers to its facade, formed of 850 pieces of charred wood. The process, called Shou Sugi Ban, prolongs the life of the wood by making it more resistant to moisture.
The garden studio was created by converting a former garage
Gaps were left in between these wooden shingles to provide natural habitats for insects, with the aim of promoting biodiversity in the garden.
They act “as a giant bug hotel for insects to hibernate in”, according to Hyperspace founder Olli Andrew.
Andrew designed the studio to provide the client, design recruitment consultant Wayne Euston-Moore, with a spacious and tranquil workspace.
An extra-wide pivoting door forms the entrance
The ambition from the outset was to go beyond the simple, glass-fronted box that forms most garden studios.
The pivoting door follows this approach. Located on an angular cutaway at the building’s corner, this double-width element create a sense of drama from arrival.
Two perforated “light chimneys” help to animate the interior
The building also features two “light chimneys” dotted with perforations.
Extending down from skylights in the roof, they create dynamic light reflections intended to mimic dappled sunlight through a tree canopy.
“Outdoor garden studios don’t need to be generic boxes,” said Andrew.
“This project’s beauty is in the craft, space and light. And with its connection to nature, it’s an inspired place to work.”
Plywood panels line the interior walls
The design reuses almost all of the materials from the original garage structure, including the timber beams from the dismantled hip roof. Anything leftover was diverted to another Hyperspace project, to keep waste to a minimum.
A corrugated metal roof was supported on white oiled timber rafters, while the interior walls are now lined with poplar plywood panels.
Charred timber shingles clad the exterior walls
To improve the building’s energy performance, Andrew chose triple-glazed windows and skylights while he added insulation formed of wood fibre, wool and recyclable foil-based blankets.
“To reduce embodied carbon, the majority of materials were procured from within a 10-mile radius,” said Andrew.
“Steel and concrete use was kept to a minimum, with only one steel flitch plate and less than one square metre of concrete.”
Windows have deep sills, so can double as informal seats
The studio is minimally furnished, helping to enhance the sense of space. A simple table in the corner offers a view out through windows facing both north and east.
These windows both feature deep sills and minimal overhanging canopies, giving the studio’s occupant an alternative to place to sit and work.
The facade provides nesting space for insects
“It provides an amazing headspace which is inspiring yet calm,” Euston-Moore said. “It feels like you’re in a perfectly insulated space yet connected to the outside with ample natural light.”
Other recent garden studio designs include Michael Dillon’s low-cost architecture studio in Kent and a writer’s hut in Dublin designed by Clancy Moore Architects.
Including tight living areas, kitchens wedged into corridors and interiors in skinny Japanese houses, this lookbook features 10 homes that make clever use of narrow spaces.
Projects on constricted urban sites or working within historical buildings often must contend with long-and-narrow interior layouts.
Here are 10 examples of interiors where narrow spaces have been utilised to their full potential thanks to intelligent design.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.
Photo by Sobajima, Toshihiro
1.8m Width House, Japan, by YUUA Architects & Associates
As its name suggests, the rooms in this house in central Tokyo are just 1.8 metres wide, so Japanese studio YUUA Architects & Associates had to plan the interior with meticulous care.
They used split-level floors to create natural partitions between different spaces, with a kitchen and dining area lined up along a single wall, while a dark colour scheme is intended to provide “a sense of depth”.
Find out more about 1.8m Width House ›
Photo by by Mariela Apollonio
Horta Nord townhouse, Spain, by DG Arquitecto Valencia
DG Arquitecto Valencia sneaked a kitchen into a passageway in this Valencian townhouse as part of a renovation project for a young family.
White floor tiles and downlighting hanging from the high ceiling help the space maintain a sense of generous scale despite the narrow proportions.
Find out more about this Horta Nord townhouse ›
Photo by Colin Miller
196 Orchard apartment, USA, by Alex P White
American designer Alex P White created a model unit for a high-end condominium building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side characterised by exposed calming concrete ceilings, grey plaster walls and neutral-toned decor.
In the narrow living room, a mix of shapes and textures combine with built-in furniture to provide added visual depth, from a series of ivory wall hangings by Los Angeles artist Mary Little to a large walnut shelving unit designed by White and a cardboard chair by Frank Gehry.
Find out more about this 196 Orchard apartment ›
Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri
Notting Hill maisonette, UK, by Francesco Pierazzi Architects
A petite plywood study space was nestled into a hallway in this London maisonette overhauled by Francesco Pierazzi Architects.
To emphasise the home’s sense of height, the studio placed floor-to-ceiling doorways in all of its narrower rooms and left the brick shell exposed, offset by dark flooring.
Find out more about this Notting Hill maisonette ›
Photo by Texture on Texture
Seochon micro guesthouse, South Korea, by Z_Lab
Z_Lab’s serene interiors for this tiny guesthouse tucked down an alleyway in northern Seoul occupy a former traditional Korean home, otherwise known as a hanok.
In the main space, long and rectilinear, different functions are lined up from a cosy reading area on a timber bench to a lengthy walnut table for enjoying tea that sits directly beside a sunken water bath.
Find out more about this Seochan micro guesthouse ›
Photo by Eric Petschek
West Chelsea Apartment, USA, by BoND
This long and narrow apartment in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood was overhauled by architecture studio BoND, which replaced partition walls with glass doors to allow more light to reach the middle section while also “celebrating the apartment’s elongated proportions and maximising the illusion of depth”.
All utilities, including kitchen and bathroom fixtures, were moved to one wall to leave the other free for displaying art, while the direction of the floorboards and linear lighting fixtures help to emphasise the length of the interior.
Find out more about West Chelsea Apartment ›
Photo by Itay Benit
Bauhaus Tel Aviv apartment, Israel, by Amir Navon and Maayan Zusman
A “safe room” was turned into a snug spare bedroom as part of a refurbishment of this Tel Aviv apartment by architect Amir Navon and interior designer Maayan Zusman, who worked alongside graduates Dana Sagive and Naama Tison Vilotsky.
To compensate for a lack of width a light-toned oak herringbone floor was paired with pale colours, while two wooden plates with holes pierced in them to support brass hooks are a space-saving storage solution.
Find out more about this Bauhaus Tel Aviv apartment ›
Photo by by Koji Fujii Nacasa and Partners
Love2 House, Japan, by Takeshi Hosaka
This Tokyo micro home designed by architect Takeshi Hosaka for himself and his wife gathers household amenities into a linear floorplan spanning just 19 square metres.
Borrowing principles from the architecture of villas in ancient Roman villas, Hosaka divided up spaces for sleeping, bathing, eating and study using seven partitions that extend out from the concrete walls.
Find out more about Love2 House ›
Photo by Ståle Eriksen
Birch and Clay Refugio, UK, by Rise Design Studio
By cutting shelving into one wall, retaining a generous window sill and subtly overlapping the chunky sink and bathtub, Rise Design Studio was able to make the most of limited lateral space in this bathroom.
The room’s proportions were chosen to match an adjacent lightwell in the remodelled London flat, while the dark blue tadelakt walls and floor contrast with a birch plywood ceiling to convey an impression of solidity.
Find out more about Birch and Clay Refugio ›
La Odette, Spain, by CRÜ
Architecture studio CRÜ was tasked with transforming this Barcelona apartment from a cramped three-bedroom home into a spacious two-bed while optimising the use of space.
In the kitchen-living area, it removed the partition walls to create an open-plan space, with large terracotta floor tiles and white-painted brick walls.
Find out more about La Odette ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring mezzanine bedrooms, creative built-in furniture and homes that make a highlight of their corridors.
Spotted: Although statistics vary, it is estimated that one per cent of the global population have coeliac disease, and finding suitable and affordable gluten-free foods can be challenging. Working towards elimination of gluten sensitivity and food allergies is biotech startup Ukko, founded by Professor Yanay Ofran and Dr. Anat Binur.
Using AI-engineered proteins, the company plans to create new food products that no longer trigger an allergic response. By mapping exactly which portion of a protein causes the allergic reaction, the co-founders have been able to keep the useful portions while discarding the dangerous parts.
AI analysis helped the co-founders create a gluten protein that did not trigger a typical immune reaction yet still gave baked goods their textures and flavours. If grown commercially, the modified gluten could form a new strain of wheat that would be usable in many types of foods.
Ukko points out that gluten-free products are often less healthy than the original version because of added preservatives and extra sugar. Healthcare costs are rising as dietary sensitivities increase, so modified proteins could have positive long term health consequences as fewer people require care for allergies or gluten intolerance.
The next stage of development is to apply protein modification to allergy therapies, focusing first on peanuts. Manipulated proteins could be used to help individuals build up their tolerance to the food without any of the potentially fatal side effects.
As Springwise has spotted, biotechnology is shaping many industries, with molecular-level innovation making it possible to grow cultured meat from 3D-printed edible ink, and new types of microorganisms designed to target disease-causing proteins.
