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Harvesting the Skies: 6 Modern Architectural Designs that Revitalize Rainwater Management
CategoriesSustainable News

Harvesting the Skies: 6 Modern Architectural Designs that Revitalize Rainwater Management

By Zarkon Group,

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, prepare for the upcoming Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Learn more and register >

The history of rainwater harvesting stretches back millennia, with evidence of its practice in ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome. A testament to human ingenuity, these early societies recognized the importance of capturing and storing rainwater to ensure a stable water supply, especially in arid regions. As cities grew and centralized water systems developed, rainwater harvesting took a back seat, only to be revived in the face of modern challenges.

Today, as the world grapples with the impacts of climate change and increasing water scarcity, architects and engineers are revisiting the potential of rainwater harvesting in contemporary design. This sustainable water management solution serves to conserve resources and alleviate the burden on overtaxed municipal systems, reduce energy consumption and mitigate flood risks.

Advancements in technology and materials have paved the way for innovative rainwater harvesting systems, ranging from simple rooftop catchment setups to complex, large-scale integrated systems. Green rooftops, permeable pavements and landscape design elements such as bioswales and rain gardens are increasingly employed in urban environments to maximize rainwater capture and infiltration. While the rise of green building certifications like LEED and BREEAM, architects are incentivized to incorporate rainwater harvesting into their designs, further propelling its adoption.

The Independent

By Rhode Partners, Austin, TX, United States

The Independent by Rhode Partners, Austin, TX, United States Photograph by Nick Simonite

The Independent by Rhode Partners, Austin, TX, United States. Photograph by Patrick Wong

The Independent is an architectural marvel by Rhode Partners. The eco-conscious building reigns supreme in Austin’s Seaholm District as the city’s tallest LEED Gold Certified tower. This 688-foot skyscraper playfully teases gravity with its cantilevered blocks and a levitating infinity pool, while its floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer stunning city panoramas. A vertical neighborhood of 363 units, The Independent boasts 12 competitive, luxury condo amenity spaces across two floors spanning 20,000 square feet that cater to the high expectations of the tower’s residents.

At the same time, the architects endeavored to meet high levels of sustainability. Tucked within its stainless-steel mesh crown, a colossal liquid damper tank ensures stability against high-altitude winds while the pièce de résistance, a cutting-edge rainwater harvesting system and a 75-kilowatt solar power system, make this eco-friendly titan an iconic fixture in Austin’s skyline.

Fort 137

By Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd., Las Vegas, NV, United States

Popular Choice Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Residential > Residential Interiors (>3000 sq ft)

Fort 137 by Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd., Las Vegas, NV, United States. Photographs by Stetson Ybarra

Nestled in the pristine Las Vegas Valley, this eco-conscious residence serves as a base camp for a family of nature-loving scientists. Drawing inspiration from historic fort structures, the house boasts a compact, clustered design, with each volume meticulously placed to optimize views and combat desert climate challenges.

Embracing the landscape, panoramic glass doors extend living spaces, enabling cross-ventilation and daylighting. Louvered roof overhangs provide summer shade and allow winter light penetration. A curated palette of native materials, such as weathered steel, hot rolled steel, reconstituted oak and limestone, ensures the residence ages gracefully alongside its environment.

Crucially, a state-of-the-art rainwater harvesting system elevates the home’s sustainability, conserving precious resources in the parched region. This architectural gem reduces its carbon footprint and exemplifies harmonious coexistence with nature by employing sustainable strategies like passive cooling, daylighting, thermal mass, and photovoltaic panels.

Rain Harvest Home

By Robert Hutchison Architecture, JSa Arquitectura, Temascaltepec de González, Mexico

Rain Harvest Home by Robert Hutchison Architecture, JSa Arquitectura, Temascaltepec de González, Mexico. Photo Credit Robert Hutchison

Rain Harvest Home by Robert Hutchison Architecture, JSa Arquitectura, Temascaltepec de González, Mexico. Photograph by Jaime Navarro

Rain Harvest Home, a collaborative creation by Robert Hutchison Architecture and JSa Arquitectura, is an experiential abode in the mountains west of Mexico City. Comprising three porous wooden structures, the residence embraces the landscape and embodies a regenerative design that addresses water scarcity in the region. Each building collects rainwater, supplying the home with 100% of its water needs year-round through an on-site reservoir and treatment system.

As part of the visionary 450-acre La Reserva el Peñón development, Rain Harvest Home exceeds the requirement to harvest rainwater for 60% of its water needs. Walking trails between the buildings double as bioswales, while the site also boasts a bio-agriculture garden, emphasizing the family’s commitment to living in harmony with nature.

House in the Countryside

By Herreros Arquitectos, Artà, Spain

House in the Countryside by Herreros Arquitectos, Artà, Spain. Photographs by José Hevia

House in the Countryside, a project by Herreros Arquitectos in Artà, Spain, brilliantly transforms a former shepherd’s refuge into a charming occasional-use residence. The design replicates the original structure symmetrically, preserving its intelligent orientation, ventilation and water collection facilities. The dry-constructed outer wall fosters a dialogue with the local climate through independent systems of openings and shutters.

The interior retains the original compartments, each housing a single primary object defining its function. The inverted roof facilitates natural cross-ventilation that is adjustable to create an ideal climate. Notably, the rainwater harvesting system is preserved and optimized, with the dual-slope roof directing water to the original gutter and cistern, upholding the spirit of the initial construction.

U House, Ericeira

By Jorge Graca Costa, Ericeira, Portugal

U House, Ericeira by Jorge Graca Costa, Ericeira, Portugal. Photographs by Fernando Guerra, FG + SG

U-House, perched atop a hill in Ericeira, Portugal, is a sustainable residence designed by architect Jorge Graca Costa for a professional surfer and his family. Inspired by traditional Mediterranean courtyard houses, the structure protects against the region’s windy climate while offering captivating views of San Lorenzo Bay.

A dense mesh of trees surrounds the 300-square-meter home, and its layout frames the bay view and moderates the courtyard’s climate. A grassy area, decked patio, and non-chlorinated pool heated by solar and biomass energy create a harmonious outdoor space.

Sustainability is integrated seamlessly into the design, combining eco-friendly features without sacrificing aesthetics or functionality. The house is constructed with cork insulation and benefits from passive design for natural heating and cooling. Solar panels are used for floor and water heating, with additional support from biomass heating. The microclimate environment created by the patio and chemical-free pool further contributes to the eco-friendly design.

Rainwater harvesting plays a crucial role in the home’s sustainability; a pre-existing well is used for collecting rainwater for irrigation purposes. With numerous green features, the U-House boasts an A+ energy rating from the National Energy Agency, showcasing the success of blending architecture with prescriptive performance design in a comfortable, livable space.

Tucson Mountain Retreat

By D U S T, Tucson, AZ, United States

Tucson Mountain Retreat by DUST, Tucson AZ, United States. Photographs by Jeff Goldberg

The Tucson Mountain Retreat in the Sonoran Desert is a thoughtfully designed home that minimizes environmental impact while maximizing connections to the mystical landscape. The house is constructed primarily of Rammed Earth, an eco-friendly material with excellent thermal mass properties. The design comprises three distinct zones for living, sleeping, and music recording/home entertainment, which can only be accessed by stepping outside and traversing the desert landscape. This separation ensures acoustic isolation and continuous interaction with the natural surroundings.

A 30,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system supplies water for all household uses, while solar heat gain is reduced by orienting the house along an east-west axis and minimizing openings on the east and west facades. South-facing patios and deep overhangs provide unobstructed views, passive heating, and cross-ventilation. When the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors are opened, the house and desert merge into one seamless, boundless space.

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, prepare for the upcoming Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Learn more and register >

Reference

Luxury tables made from sea plants 
CategoriesSustainable News

Luxury tables made from sea plants 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Seeing the beauty in biowaste is an exciting movement in the art world as artists and innovators transform potential pollution into useful new items. Working with local Greek artisans, designer Alexia Mintsouli uses an ancient sea plant to create luxurious marble tables. And Mintsouli’s studio, Alex Mint, recently introduced the Oceanides collection of tables. 

The tops of the tables are made from Posidonia Oceanica, one of the oldest living organisms on Earth and a plant that is usually disposed of because it is seen as having no value. The legs and base of the tables in the collection are made from Peloponnesian Tortora Marble. The name of the collection alludes to mythical sea nymphs from Greek lore.  

By basing production in Greece, near where the material is collected, the studio greatly reduces transport costs and carbon emissions. Additionally, the collection of the biowaste saves money for local municipalities who would otherwise have to dispose of it. The tables also sequester the carbon ingested by the plants.  

The collection currently consists of three tables, the square coffee table Oceanus, and two round tables, the Tethys and Calypso. The entire collection is available online.  

Other ways that Springwise has spotted biowaste being used to create new, more sustainable products includes helmets made from waste scallop shells and automobile interiors made from lentils, coffee, and eggshells.  

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

A climate-tech finance platform for the agricultural industry
CategoriesSustainable News

A climate-tech finance platform for the agricultural industry

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the World Bank, agriculture currently generates 19–29 per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a figure that is set to rise further as other sectors reduce their emissions. This makes agriculture a major part of the climate problem. Regenerative soil management practices could help reduce emissions, and help farms become more resilient, but many farmers cannot qualify for the loans needed to switch. But now, European fintech HeavyFinance aims to help them.

The startup connects farmers with investors, providing financing and loan schemes for farms and projects in the sustainable agriculture space. The company’s platform scores farmers’ borrowing capabilities, facilitates transactions, and administers each loan throughout its life. Around half of their portfolio is currently used to finance sustainable agriculture, with a focus on conservation tillage practices such as no-till farming.

No-till farming, which uses a direct drill to plant crops instead of heavy machinery, is a particularly important part of increasing the sustainability and resilience of agriculture. It lowers emissions by reducing the use of diesel-powered machinery, and leaves soils undisturbed, reducing erosion. As less nutrients leach out of the soils, they require less fertiliser and retain more carbon.

The company recently raised €3 million in a seed funding round led by VC firm Practica Capital. When announcing the funding, Laimonas Noreika, Founder of HeavyFinance, explained that, “Tackling climate change must be a united effort … Food growth plays a vital part in the climate battle as a prominent global issue, and connecting investors with farmers and agricultural specialists through our finance platform can help accelerate the adoption of regenerative soil management practices to reduce carbon emissions output throughout Europe.”

Recent sustainable financing innovations spotted by Sprinwise include neobanks that promote growth in new areas, and the provision of carbon insurance to encourage investment in carbon capture technology.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Embedding climate action in company culture 
CategoriesSustainable News

Embedding climate action in company culture 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s synthesis report contains a final warning to the world of the dangers of not keeping climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius or below. With temperatures already 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, there is a very slim window of time to push carbon emissions to a peak before they must rapidly decline. And Canadian startup Carbon Neutral Club has spotted a gap between corporate intentions and results that is slowing down progress.

More than 70 per cent of companies are setting sustainability goals, yet very few are achieving them, something that researchers say comes down to a lack of agreement on what to do and how to take action. Carbon Neutral Club helps reduce that uncertainty by turning employees into the driver of a company’s climate change work. The Club’s Sustainable Behaviours Platform supports workforce Climate Culture through personal carbon footprint measurements, Scope 3 measurements, team action goals, carbon offsets, and sustainable rewards.

Scope 3 measurements help employees choose the most sustainable travel and food options while providing detailed company-wide emissions reports. Carbon offsets support science-backed, third-party verified carbon emission reduction projects, and the Club provides a database of sustainable brands that give participants discounts on products. Carbon Neutral Club is available to individuals as well as companies of all sizes, and although currently available only in North America, the company plans to expand globally as quickly as possible. A recent $1.4 million CAD funding round will be used to support that expansion.

Timely, quality data is crucial in the fight to stop irreparable climate damage. Springwise has spotted innovations like an energy-tracking platform and supply chain decarbonisation support that are helping companies make sense of the volume of information and then translate that data into effective change. 

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

An online marketplace for scrap metal
CategoriesSustainable News

An online marketplace for scrap metal

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Metals such as steel, copper and nickel are vital components of global infrastructure and consumer goods. While the production of primary metals is very carbon and energy-intensive, metals can be recycled essentially forever without any loss in quality. Although around 70 per cent of US and 55 per cent of European steel production is based on recycled steel, other metals are not recycled as assiduously. Startup Metcycle is working to improve this by digitally facilitating international scrap metal trading.

Metcycle directly connects verified buyers and sellers of scrap metal, allowing both to benefit from direct negotiation, with better prices, better margins, and time savings. The startup verifies each company involved using external providers. They also work with an external financial service provider that facilitates each payment and holds the funds secure in an individual escrow account until the goods have been delivered, adding additional security.

By providing a one-stop-shop for scrap metal buying and selling, Metcycle’s platform eliminates the time and cost involved in steps such as obtaining letters of credit. In addition, both parties in the transaction have full transparency on the status of each transaction and can directly communicate with each other. Metcycle makes its money by charging a 4 per cent commission on the transaction value (reduced to 2 per cent during the launch phase. The cost of the commission is split 50/50 between buyer and seller.

Co-founder Sebastian Brenner recently explained the benefit of using a broker like Metcycle, “For suppliers, Metycle takes the pain of negotiating, monitoring payment and logistics flows. For buyers, we give access to prime quality material, payment options in local currency, and at payment terms.”

Production of primary metals is incredibly energy intensive. This means that decarbonising the metal manufacturing industry is vital to achieving net zero. Luckily, there are an increasing number of innovations that are helping with this. These include the use of AI to improve efficiency and a new process that can reduce the carbon emissions from steel furnaces by 90 percent.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

An automated system for carbon-negative concrete
CategoriesSustainable News

An automated system for carbon-negative concrete

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Most of us are aware of the environmental harm cause by the use of concrete – around 8 per cent of all global carbon emissions are due to the use of this common material. Given the ubiquity of its use, it’s clear that achieving net zero is going to involve somehow reducing the impact of concrete and its main component – cement. Finnish company Carbonaide is working to achieve this with a carbon-negative concrete.

Concrete is a mixture of aggregate (small stones), and a paste made from cement and water. Through a chemical reaction, the cement and water hardens and gains strength to form concrete. The problem is that creating cement requires heating limestone and other ingredients to a very high heat – which takes a lot of energy. Carbonaide’s solution involves the development of an efficient method to bind carbon dioxide into precast concrete using an automated system.

This method operates at atmospheric pressure and reduces the amount of cement required to produce concrete. The company claims its technology can halve the CO2 emissions of traditional Portland cement-based concrete. In addition, the precast concrete component can include industrial side streams, such as industry slags and bio-ash, further reducing the carbon footprint.

The company’s process can permanently store and remove CO2 from the carbon cycle – making it carbon negative. Tapio Vehmas, CEO of Carbonaide, explains that the company has, “demonstrated in the pilot unit that our technology is capable of reducing the CO2 emissions of conventional concrete by 45 per cent. Last autumn, we demonstrated lowering our products’ carbon footprint to -60 kg/m3 by replacing Portland cement with slag.”

At Springwise, we have seen a wide range of innovations that focus on reducing the environmental impact of concrete. These have included a concrete designed to be covered in moss, to provide cleaner air, and a carbon-negative cement that uses rocks instead of limestone.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Underwater kites harness energy from predictable tidal currents
CategoriesSustainable News

Underwater kites harness energy from predictable tidal currents

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Tidal energy is a source of renewable power in which energy is harnessed from either the natural rise and fall of ocean tides or the movement of tidal or ocean currents. Although not yet widely used, tidal energy has a huge potential for future electricity generation. Unlike wind and solar energy, tidal streams and ocean currents are predictable and continuous. First-generation tidal technologies tend to require strong tidal flows in order to be commercially viable. However, a new approach could greatly expand the energy potential of tidal flows.

Startup Minesto has developed a ‘kite’ with a turbine that ‘flies’ underwater to generate electricity from predictable tidal streams and ocean currents. The device is attached to a tether and uses the hydrodynamic lift force created by the underwater current to move. An onboard control system autonomously steers the kite in a figure-of-eight trajectory. This motion pulls the turbine through the water at a water flow several times higher than the actual stream speed – and this faster speed generates more power.

The tether contains cables for communication and power and is connected to the seabed foundation by a connector that can be easily latched and unlatched for installation and recovery. Electricity generated is sent to the grid using a power cable within the tether.

Minesto claims that its use of a wing design and its underwater ‘flight’ makes this technology more efficient than other tidal energy technologies. On its website, the company explains that, “This means that when the kite multiplies the relative speed which the turbine is pushed through the water, the electricity produced by the generator is several times greater compared to if the turbine would be stationary. By adding this step of energy conversion, Minesto expands the global tidal and ocean currents’ extractable potential.”

Other recent renewable energy innovations that harness the flow of water include a floating platform that harvests energy from rivers and a new design that could allow wave energy to be harvested from the open ocean.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Combining machine learning and ancestral wisdom to uncover plant-based food ingredients 
CategoriesSustainable News

Combining machine learning and ancestral wisdom to uncover plant-based food ingredients 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the UN, the Earth’s population will likely reach 8.5 billion by 2030. At the same time, climate change is going to make it more difficult to grow food, requiring a rapid and collaborative approach to the global food industry. For startup, The Live Green Company, the answer can be found in plants. The company has developed a way to use biotechnology and machine learning to replace animal, synthetic, and ultra-processed foods with precise plant-based alternatives.  

Live Green’s platform, dubbed Charaka, uses machine learning to analyse data about thousands of plants and find appropriate plant substitutes for animal-based and artificial ingredients. Charaka’s algorithms analyse complex data about the phytochemical compounds, bioactive molecules, and nutritional profiles of various plants. The company claims that the platform can “uncover hidden and non-linear relationships and predict innovative functionalities and uses” of different ingredients to find a perfect plant-based substitute.  

Developing these substitutes involves creating blends of natural plant ingredients like sunflower protein, banana, and flax meal without changing the taste, texture, or mouthfeel of the finished product. In addition, Live Green’s platform also identifies more sustainable local alternatives to vegetarian ingredients like avocado. From the idea stage to putting a new all-plant product on the shelf can take as little as 90 days. 

Live Green has thus far piloted several product lines – including burger mixes, baking mixes, frozen burgers, ice-creams, and protein bars – that are plant-based and free of additives, allergens, gluten, cholesterol, and trans fats.  

Other recent food and drink innovations spotted by Springwise include fungal fermentation for natural food colourings, protein and umami extracted from cabbages, and microbial protein for people with modified diets.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Heat pumps that leverage the energy of sound 
CategoriesSustainable News

Heat pumps that leverage the energy of sound 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The International Energy Agency (IEA) calls heat pumps “the central technology in the global transition to secure and sustainable heating.” Although they tend to come with higher upfront costs than other heating options, their low rate of emissions and general high rates of efficiency are driving sales to record highs. Solar, wind, and hydropower are well-known renewables used to power many devices, and now French technology company Equium is introducing a new source. Thermoacoustic power transforms the energy of sound waves into heat or cold. 

The company’s Acoustic Heat Pump compresses or expands high power sound waves in order to produce the desired temperature. The action requires very little power, and as the sound waves expand and contract, the movement produced is similar to that of a piston in a traditional engine, yet without the mechanical moving parts. It is possible to use the thermoacoustic pumps in most temperatures and climates, without the need for greenhouse gases. 

The devices themselves are made from 100 per cent recyclable materials and are designed for extremely low maintenance, with expected product life spans of up to 30 years. They are also easy for owners to install without requiring advanced technical skills. The elimination of greenhouse gas refrigerants combined with minimal maintenance needs contribute to the new pumps’ efficiency, which further reduces long-term investment costs. 

Making sources of renewable heat and electricity more affordable is a foundational element of many of the energy innovations Springwise is spotting, such as geothermal systems for individual homes, and tailored electrification plans.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

The Ölzbündt building in Austria by HK Architekten
CategoriesSustainable News

Ten mass-timber buildings that changed the way we think about wood

By Zarkon Group,

As our Timber Revolution series comes to an end, we round up the 10 significant buildings that have pushed the use of mass-timber.

Starting with a small housing scheme built in rural Austria in the late 1990s and ending with an 87-metre tower completed in the USA last year, the buildings profiled in the series chart the rise of engineered wood over the past 25 years.

Here are 10 mass-timber buildings that helped to change the way we think about wood:

The Ölzbündt building in Austria by HK Architekten
Photo by Ignacio Martinez

Ölzbündt, Austria, by HK Architekten (1997)

Our first case study profiled this early example of mass-timber multi-storey housing outside Dornbirn by Herman Kauffman’s studio, HK Architekten.

The three-floor block, which holds 13 homes and references traditional local houses in its design, was a prototype for a construction system that would enable multi-storey residential buildings to be made out of wood.

Find out more about Ölzbündt ›

BTZ building at TU Graz
Photo by Paul Ott (also top)

BTZ at TU Graz, Austria, by Nussmüller Architekten (2001)

Much of the early research into mass timber took place in Austria, and the Bau Technik Zentrum (BTZ) at Graz University of Technology was the very epicentre of that work.

Designed by Nussmüller Architekten, the BTZ was an important mass-timber testing centre but also a significant piece of wooden architecture in itself, as one of the first examples of panel-system mass-timber construction and the first timber building with a curved roof.

Find out more about BTZ at TU Graz ›

Exterior of Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton
Photo by Will Pryce

Murray Grove, UK, by Waugh Thistleton Architects (2009)

Murray Grove, also known as Stadthaus, attracted international attention upon its completion for demonstrating that timber could be used for tall buildings.

The nine-storey residential tower in east London, designed by local studio Waugh Thistleton, has a superstructure made almost entirely from pre-fabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Find out more about Murray Grove ›

Photo of Forté
Photo courtesy of Lendlease

Forté, Australia, by Lendlease (2012)

More than 750 CLT panels were shipped all the way from Austria to Australia to construct the first mass-timber high rise down under, designed and built by developer Lendlease.

Even despite the extensive freightage, university researchers said that the 10-storey building’s environmental impact was still smaller than if it had been constructed using concrete.

Find out more about Forté ›

Tamedia Office Building by Shigeru Ban
Photo by Didier Boy de la Tour

Tamedia Office Building, Switzerland, by Shigeru Ban (2013)

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban worked with Swiss engineer Hermann Blumer to devise a novel structural system for this extension to an office building in Zurich.

The pre-fabricated glued-laminated timber skeleton is held together entirely without screws or nails, instead consisting of large columns and cross-beams intersected by ovular spacer beams that lock the whole structure together.

Find out more about the Tamedia Office Building ›

T3 by Michael Green Architecture
Photo by Ema Peter Photography

T3, USA, by Michael Green Architecture (2016)

T3 in Minneapolis, designed by Canadian office Michael Green Architecture, became the first tall wooden structure in the USA upon its completion.

Constructed using wood from trees killed by mountain pine beetles, it was intended to demonstrate to the US real-estate industry that large mass-timber projects were viable – and it worked, with 1,677 mass-timber buildings now either finished or in progress across the country.

Find out more about T3 ›

Dalston Works building by Waugh Thistleton Architects
Photo courtesy of Waugh Thistleton Architects

Dalston Works, UK, by Waugh Thistleton Architects (2017)

Using 3,852 cubic metres of CLT, the Dalston Works apartment complex in east London used more mass timber by volume than any other building.

Also designed by Waugh Thistleton, its external, party and core walls, as well as flooring and stairs, were made entirely from pieces of CLT – but at the request of the developer it was clad in traditional bricks to reference nearby Edwardian and Victorian buildings.

Find out more about Dalston Works ›

The exterior of Mjøstårnet
Photo by Ricardo Foto

Mjøstårnet, Norway, by Voll Arkitekter (2019)

Mjøstårnet is an 85.4-metre-high tower on the edge of Norway’s biggest lake constructed using wood from local spruce and pine forests.

Architecture studio Voll Arkitekter designed the project, which was the world’s tallest timber building when completed, to show that building large, complex structures out of wood is possible.

Find out more about Mjøstårnet ›

Exterior of Sara Kulturhus Centre
Photo by Patrick Degerman

Sara Kulturhus Centre, Sweden, by White Arkitekter (2021)

White Arkitekter’s Sara Kulturhus Centre is a 20-storey mass-timber building just below the Arctic Circle in the Swedish city of Skellefteå.

The vast quantities of wood used in its structure are estimated to store 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – double the amount thought to have been emitted during construction, meaning the studio claims the building will be carbon negative over its lifetime.

Find out more about the Sara Kulturhus Centre ›

World's tallest timber tower Ascent
Photo courtesy of Korb + Associates Architects

Ascent, USA, by Korb + Associates Architects (2022)

The final case study featured in the Timber Revolution series is Ascent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently the world’s tallest mass-timber building at 86.6 metres – though likely not for much longer.

Rather than its height, Korb + Associates Architects believes the residential project’s true significance is the collaborative model devised for working with city officials to achieve regulatory sign-off.

Find out more about Ascent ›

Timber Revolution logo
Illustration by Yo Hosoyamada

Timber Revolution

This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

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