Saudi University Tower Cools Down As It Lights Up

The KAUST Breakwater Beacon sits at the end of a curved spit on the Red Sea coast. Image via Urban Art Projects.

Besides being aesthetically striking, the honeycombed walls and hollow spire of this concrete tower in Saudi Arabia create a natural air-conditioning system. Read more →

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Chicago’s ‘Greenest Street’ Uses Smog-Eating Cement

A solar- and wind-powered energy station and a bioswale are seen on West Cermak Street in Chicago. Image via Phys.org.

Maybe it's not literally the "greenest street," but the smog-eating cement, renewable energy systems and bioswales could make an impact if scaled up citywide. Read more →

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Self Healing Concrete May Offer Good Promise

Mihara

Self-repairing and bendable technologies may make concrete more efficient and longer-lasting. Read more →

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Spinning Straw Into Carbon Savings

lignin

Biofuel by-products can strengthen concrete while shrinking its carbon footprint. Read more →

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Former Texas ‘Ghost Buildings’ Reborn As Mixed-Use Gem

This mixed-used housing project in San Antonio was saved from the wrecking ball after sitting idle for years. Image by Chris Cooper via Lake|Flato Architects.

After sitting abandoned since 2004, a failed San Antonio real estate project was revived through adaptive reuse to become a thriving, efficient mixed-use complex. Read more →

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World’s First LED Concrete Wall Illuminated In Germany

LUCEM, LED, concrete

Only recently opened to the public, the display pushes the boundary of technology, design, and architecture in one fell swoop. Read more →

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3D Printed Housing: Bed, Bath And Way Beyond

Artist's concept of a Moon base partially constructed out of 3D-printed lunar soil. Image via the European Space Agency.

Enrico Dini's D-Shape Printer is being used to "print" an entire Möbius-strip house in Ireland and may someday be used to build cost-effective, locally sourced bases on the Moon. Read more →

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Meier’s Italcementi Design Earns LEED Platinum

The new Italcementi.lab in Bergamo, Italy. Image by Scott Frances via Richard Meier & Partners.

Richard Meier's self-cleaning Italcementi.Lab is one of the first projects in Italy to earn a LEED Platinum rating, incorporating materials and systems to reduce energy use. Read more →

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The Green In Spain Grows Mainly On The Walls

Simulated view of what biophilic concrete panels would look like on the existing Aeronautics Cultural Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Image via Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Barcelona researchers are developing concrete panels that encourage the growth of lichens, moss and fungi to absorb CO2, provide insulation and reduce the carbon footprint of urban structures. Read more →

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Seashell-Like Concrete Fills In Its Own Cracks

concrete, roads, infrastructure, biomimicry, University of Michigan, self-healing materials

A new type of flexible, self-repairing concrete could revolutionize our infrastructure and save local governments millions. Read more →

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