Renewed interest in phase change materials as AEC industry targets sustainable initiatives
Bubbling under the surface of the world’s most sustainable building practices is a growing interest in phase change material (pcm) energy solutions. A variety of sources are on offer from the low-tech yak butter derivatives to a more industrial liquid/gas carbon dioxide product, with many manufacturers cashing in on the renewed interest in this green alternative. Interest in phase change materials began more than 30 years ago but it is only recently that the product is being recognised as an attractive and attainable solution to the high energy usage experienced by many new builds.
The basic premise of pcm is a material with a high heat of fusion which absorbs and releases energy as it changes state. Recently the AEC industry has seen a blossoming in the number of.......more
Origami Building welcomed to the fold Manuelle Gautrand Architects completes origami-inspired office building in Paris: A stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe and Place de l'Etoile sits the latest work of Parisian architect and former WAN AWARDS winner Manuelle Gautrand. The marble......more
Atkins takes off in Georgia Heliport crowns Atkins' planned Ad Astra Tower in coastal Georgian city of Batumi: Atkins has just released these remarkable designs for a new mixed-use facility in the seaside city of the Batumi on the edge of the Black Sea. Conceptualised for......more
Between a rock and a hard place... Rui Grazina's latest residence yealds to difficult site topography in Barcelos: Mozambique-born architect Rui Grazina has completed a bold private residence in the historical Portuguese town of Barcelos. Construction began on the property in November......more
First Welsh Maggie's Centre opens Garbers & James completes Dr Kisho Kurokawa's Swansea Maggie's Centre: The first Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Wales has been opened in Swansea on a landscaped plot adjacent to the Singleton Hospital. Dr Kisho Kurokawa, a Japanese......more
Organic architecture to spring up in Jakarta Highly sustainable mixed use complex in Indonesia presented by Atkins Global: The concept design of this mixed-use project by Atkins took inspiration from natural Indonesia and elements of architecture are reduced to minimal shapes and geometry......more
Cuomo alters plans for major new build A new year and a new convention center for New York: In his State of the State address last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo grabbed headlines with the news that he wants to abandon plans to expand the Jacob Javits Convention Center on.....more
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