Tag: Environment

Breathing Concretely

Concrete that breaths is getting a lot media coverage recently, and that’s great to see. Business Week recently ran an article about smog-eating concrete that is on display in Venice (ironically, a city with no cars). The idea of buildings using this concrete is really nice, it will make city air breathable, of course if less people drove this research wouldn’t be needed.

Previously, we looked at an artistic display of this concrete.

“Visitors to the Italian Pavilion of the architecture exhibition in the Venice Biennale, which will remain open until Nov. 19, will get a breath of fresh air. That’s because parts of the concrete walls and grounds have been built with cement containing an active agent that, in presence of light, breaks air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene, and others through a natural chemical process called photocatalysis.”

The UK, so advanced

In another move that proves its not all about the GDP, the UK is moving forward to regulating energy effeciency. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been working on replacing “ineffecient” goods. This would set minimium standards for 14 energy using products, including commercial lighting. With a competative advantage such as this, the UK stands to make real progress in the environmental, financial and social fields.

House of the Future

Students at the University of Nottingham are moving into a new, futuristic house.  This three-storey home is being built as an example to the world on how people can cut carbon dioxide emissions.  Over a period of 20 years, students will live in the house and monitor heat, light, and water consumption.  The goal of the experiment is to cut CO2 emissions by 60 percent.univhouse.jpg

The house features an earth-air heat exchanger for heat; a grey water management system to reuse shower water for the toilet; a rainwater-harvesting system to collect water for the washing machine, shower and gardens; solar heating; and a ventilation / heat recovery system.

Mike Hinman of Stoneguard, the company building the house, states, “This building is, quite simply, 44 years ahead of its time.”