built environment

01 Jun 23

Prototype home with flexible walls allows for easy layout changes

Geotechnical & Environmental

The invention aims to reduce waste and carbon, whilst also improving living conditions for those who cannot afford expensive refurbishments. Some 11 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions are from construction materials and processes, (known as embodied carbon), according to the World Green Building Council. Dubbed ‘Ephemeral’, the house…

26 May 23

Termite mounds could serve as inspiration for greener buildings

Geotechnical & Environmental

Two researchers at Lund University and Nottingham Trent University have studied mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni termites from Namibia, to find out what architects can learn from them in order to design more energy-efficient buildings. This species of termite forms colonies of more than a million individuals, building large mounds to house…

27 Apr 23

Poor indoor air quality is risk factor for another pandemic, Hong Kong study warns

Geotechnical & Environmental

The University of Hong Kong team studied indoor air quality as it was one of the factors aiding the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic. While effective, vaccination has not completely controlled the spread of the virus, with the vast majority of transmission now thought to occur indoors in poorly…

14 Apr 23

Scotland’s move toward a Passivhaus standard

Geotechnical & Environmental

Passivhaus is, in short, the gold standard for energy-efficient homes. According to physicist Wolfgang Feist, co-founder of the concept: “The heat losses of the building are reduced so much that it hardly needs any heating at all.” Certified houses are built with high-quality insulation, triple glazing, insulated frames, mechanical ventilation,…

27 Mar 23

UK making ‘negligible advances’ on infrastructure initiatives, advisers say

Geotechnical & Environmental

The UK is "moving too slowly" on projects set to push forward economic and climate targets, according to the National Infrastructure Commission's (NIC) latest Infrastructure Progress Review. The country's official independent infrastructure adviser has warned the government is at risk of failing to deliver the aims of its National Infrastructure Strategy…

22 Mar 23

Daylight-saving time found to cut energy usage in office buildings

Geotechnical & Environmental

While DST opponents often argue that the time change impacts our health, for instance through sleep disturbances, proponents make the case that electricity can be saved because of longer days, which means that less artificial light is needed. “That was the original intention behind the introduction of daylight saving. From…

21 Mar 23

Decarbonise public buildings ‘five times faster’ to meet net-zero targets, report says

Geotechnical & Environmental

The 'Public Building Energy Efficiency' report, conducted by network service providers Neos Networks, examined the actual energy usage and efficiency of over 450,000 public buildings in England and Wales. It analysed their display energy certificates (DECs) and ‘operational ratings’ (annual CO2 emission kg per m2), and highlighted the areas requiring…

17 Mar 23

The Gallery: Rome’s World Expo bid aims for solar utopia

Geotechnical & Environmental

Expo 2030 Roma would take place in Tor Vergata, a vast area in the Italian capital that, although being home to one of the country’s leading academic hubs as well as residential buildings, has experienced neglect in recent decades. The plan aims to reverse that decline through sustainable, long-term development…

16 Mar 23

‘Cosmic concrete’ developed, twice as strong as regular concrete

Geotechnical & Environmental

The scientists behind the invention used simulated Martian soil mixed with potato starch and a pinch of salt to create the material, which is twice as strong as ordinary concrete and is perfectly suited for construction work in extra-terrestrial environments. Building infrastructure in space is currently prohibitively expensive and difficult…

06 Mar 23

Government urged to insulate Britain’s historic buildings

Geotechnical & Environmental

Retrofitting the UK’s historic buildings would support 290,000 jobs and boost the UK economy by £35bn as well as slashing Britain’s carbon emissions, a new report has found. The 'Heritage and Carbon' report was published by the National Trust, Historic England, the Crown Estate and property companies Peabody and Grosvenor, which…

Prototype home with flexible walls allows for easy layout changes

Termite mounds could serve as inspiration for greener buildings

Poor indoor air quality is risk factor for another pandemic, Hong Kong study warns

Scotland’s move toward a Passivhaus standard

UK making ‘negligible advances’ on infrastructure initiatives, advisers say

Daylight-saving time found to cut energy usage in office buildings

Decarbonise public buildings ‘five times faster’ to meet net-zero targets, report says

The Gallery: Rome’s World Expo bid aims for solar utopia

‘Cosmic concrete’ developed, twice as strong as regular concrete

Government urged to insulate Britain’s historic buildings

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