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Tag: sustainable design

Sustainability & digital skills: Education can change world

Posted on by dishanth
Sustainability & digital skills: Education can change world

Today’s world is facing a twin challenge: recovering from the pandemic, and struggling to become more sustainable. As we shift from the pandemic, a big realisation across companies and governments alike is the role that education plays in ensuring an analytical and scientific response to the challenges we face.

In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of terms such as digital natives associated with the younger generation. However, the ability to use digital devices and consume digital content does not necessarily translate well to enhancing employment prospects for all. Today’s digital world, with its massive amounts of information and misinformation, requires an unprecedented level of fluidity from students. They must be able to distinguish fact from opinion, objectivity from bias, and honesty from insincerity in an online setting.

They must understand the risks of technology and the internet, and how to mitigate those risks. At the same time, the digital world requires them to have the soft skills of an adapter, a creator, a problem solver, and a critical thinker. Are students ready?

Why we need to understand digital skills

The worrying answer is that not all students may be ready for a digital future. In a new comprehensive report from the Capgemini Research Institute titled Future-Ready Education, we found that across all students aged 16–18, only 55% say they have the digital skills necessary to be successful in today’s workforce.

More worryingly, there also appears to be a perception gap between teachers and parents when it comes to the abilities of students, and their perception of students. The usage of digital media is often conflated with digital skills, leading teachers and parents to overestimate their students’ abilities and knowledge of digital technologies.

Digital skills as a competency include four categories: digital literacy (understanding how computers, the internet and mobile devices work), digital citizenship (engaging in appropriate and responsible behaviours online), data literacy (understanding how to work with data and how to analyse and interpret it) and media literacy (understanding how to determine which online sources are credible, with the ability to evaluate content online).

The growing importance of soft and green skills

The digital world requires students to have the soft skills of an adapter, creator, problem solver and critical thinker. Creative thinking and analytical thinking are the most important skills for workers in 2023 and are the top two fastest-growing skills per the latest Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum. Our research found that a large share of students lack key soft skills for employment.

At the same time, green skills have gained prominence in recent years. Green skills enable students to live sustainably and manage their carbon footprint in a more effective manner. These skills can empower students to become changemakers in their own communities. One of the significant benefits of green skills is that they unlock new opportunities in emerging fields related to sustainability, providing a competitive edge in the job market. While nearly 80% of students globally say in our survey they are knowledgeable about recycling and waste reduction, only about half say they are knowledgeable about environmental policy (54%) and climate change (58%).

The rise of Generative AI

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a key skill for future jobs and has the potential to disrupt education. Nearly 60% of secondary school teachers globally believe interacting with AI systems will be a skill required for jobs in the future. A majority of teachers have experimented with ChatGPT already and while they are worried about its impact on learning, many can also see its potential.

Globally, 52% of secondary school teachers in our survey believe AI tools like ChatGPT will change the teaching profession for the better. However, this would require adapting curriculums and assessments to account for student use of AI-generated content, which over half (56%) of secondary school teachers globally agree with.

Education as a driver of progress

In today’s interconnected world the future success of students depends on their digital literacy. Teaching digital skills to young children and teenagers in secondary education is crucial, particularly in a world that is rapidly shaped and transformed by AI. It allows them to engage with technology safely and responsibly, and equips them with the tools they need to succeed in a changing world.

Despite growing up surrounded by technology, not all of today’s students have the digital skills required to use technology effectively and confidently for their education, or for their future role in the workforce. The digital divide is not just about access to the internet and devices, but about the proficiency gap between students who have the digital skills to succeed and those who do not.

Addressing these gaps can help support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal #4 (providing equitable access to quality education) and Goal #8 (enabling decent work and economic growth). Digital skills enable digitisation, internet penetration, and accessible technology and are therefore the key to improving the existing structural flaws. While strengthening education systems will help mobilise new streams of progress and boost productivity and quality of work, innovation in education is the key to making sure our future workforce is positively transformed by AI and technology.

 

 

 

 

Source  Sustainability

Building with Cannabis: a Hempcrete Construction Hotel

Posted on by dishanth
Building with Cannabis: a Hempcrete Construction Hotel

Imagine a world where buildings are not only sustainable but also contribute to the fight against climate change; hempcrete construction might be the key. A world where construction materials come from renewable sources and have minimal environmental impact. In this post, we will explore the fascinating world of hempcrete construction and take a closer look at one groundbreaking project: the 12-story Hemp Hotel in South Africa, set to open its doors in 2024.

Why Hempcrete Construction?
Why choose hempcrete construction? Hempcrete is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional building materials. It is made from a mixture of the inner woody core of the hemp plant, known as the hurd, and a lime-based binder. This combination creates a lightweight material with excellent thermal insulation properties.

Hempcrete also has exceptional breathability, allowing moisture to pass through without causing damage or mold growth. This natural ventilation helps regulate indoor humidity levels and promotes healthier living environments.

Another advantage of hempcrete is its fire resistance. Due to the high content of mineralized cellulose fibers in the hemp stalks, it can withstand extreme temperatures more effectively than conventional building materials.

Best of all, hemp plants grow rapidly and require minimal water and pesticides compared to other crops used in construction materials. They absorb carbon dioxide during their growth cycle, and sequester it in the building, making hempcrete a carbon-negative choice for builders.

Choosing hempcrete construction means opting for an environmentally friendly solution that offers superior insulation properties, increased durability against fire hazards, improved indoor air quality due to breathability advantages, and supports sustainable agricultural practices.

The Hemp Hotel, South Africa 2024

We have seen many homes built with Hempcrete Construction, but not as many commercial buildings. For all the same reasons that hempcrete construction makes sense in residential applications, it may be even more beneficial in commercial applications. For example, a stunning 12-story hotel made entirely from hempcrete is becoming a reality in South Africa. Set to open its doors in 2024, the Hemp Hotel is set to revolutionize the hospitality industry with its sustainable and eco-friendly construction.

Located in Cape Town, this groundbreaking project, built by Hempcrete Construction experts Afrimat Hemp, aims to showcase the incredible versatility and durability of hempcrete as a building material. Hempcrete is made by mixing hemp fibers with lime and water, creating a lightweight yet incredibly strong substance that is both fire-resistant and highly insulating.

But what makes the Hemp Hotel truly unique is not just its construction materials – it’s also about promoting sustainability throughout every aspect of its design. From energy-efficient lighting systems to rainwater harvesting, this hotel will be an example of environmental consciousness.

Not only will guests have the opportunity to experience luxury accommodation while reducing their carbon footprint, but they’ll also gain insight into how we can build more sustainably for future generations.

Other Hempcrete Applications

Aside from residential and commercial buildings, hempcrete has a wide range of applications. Its versatility and eco-friendly nature make it a promising material for various projects.

  1. Infrastructure: Hempcrete can be used in the construction of bridges, roads, and other infrastructure projects. Its lightweight yet strong properties make it an ideal choice for these applications.
  2. Agricultural Structures: Greenhouses, barns, and storage facilities can also be built using hempcrete. The breathable nature of the material creates an optimal environment for plants while providing insulation against extreme temperatures.
  3. Public Spaces: Hempcrete’s sustainability can benefit parks, pavilions, and public restrooms. Not only does it offer durability and low maintenance requirements, but it also contributes to creating healthier environments for visitors.
  4. Artistic Installations: As a creative medium, hempcrete offers endless possibilities for artists and designers to explore their imagination. Sculptures, installations, or even furniture pieces made with this unique material add an element of sustainability to art exhibitions or public spaces.
  5. Retrofitting Existing Buildings: Instead of demolishing old structures that do not meet modern energy efficiency standards, retrofitting them with hempcrete can significantly improve their thermal performance while maintaining their historical value.

The potential uses of hempcrete are vast and exciting! As more people become aware of its benefits as a sustainable building material, we can expect to see further innovation in its application across different industries.

The rise of sustainable construction practices has paved the way for innovative solutions like hempcrete. The Hemp Hotel in South Africa showcases not only the beauty and functionality of this remarkable material but also serves as inspiration for future projects around the world. With more emphasis on environmentally conscious building methods, we can create spaces that benefit people and the planet alike.

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

Biomimicry in Sustainable Designs

Posted on by dishanth
Biomimicry in Sustainable Designs

Biomimicry in Sustainable Design

The construction industry is very energy intensive. Steel and concrete, both popular materials in construction, are very carbon-intensive in their production. Many of the emissions from concrete production are attributed to burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, which heat up the limestone and clay that becomes Portland cement. There is an opportunity for the construction industry to shape a nature-positive economy from the city to the building design and material and component levels.

The Mobius Project, a greenhouse designed by Iguana Architects, uses biomimicry in sustainable design by drawing inspiration from how ecosystems in nature work. They are committed to revolutionizing food production by turning waste into locally grown, low-carbon nutritious food. The biological waste can also be turned into methane to generate electricity for the greenhouse. In their closed cycle with zero waste, one organism’s waste becomes the next’s input. The idea for the Mobius Project came from observing the oak tree, which has the potential to reuse its output resources, including materials, energy and water.

The Eden Project, designed by exploration architecture, uses biomimicry in sustainable design with a giant greenhouse inspired by the biblical Garden of Eden. It was designed to resemble soap bubbles, carbon molecules, and radiolaria. The idea was that the soap bubbles would be optimally positioned in the sun to allow for complete self-healing. They also took inspiration from dragonfly wings for the best way to assemble steel pieces, allowing for a lightweight structure that required fewer carbon emissions to transport from place to place.

Designers have also looked at lotus leaves to decrease the need for protective finishings, which are usually toxic. The lotus leaf has tiny hairs covered with a waxy coating that allows it to stay dry. Water that hits the leaf will roll off the waxy nonpolar coating. This has inspired a protective coating for external areas that will repel water and dirt, which reduces the need for maintenance. Moreover, reducing the water accumulation in buildings will reduce deterioration mechanisms in infrastructures, such as steel corrosion, sulphate attacks, freezing and thawing.

Limestone-producing bacteria can be used to extend a building’s lifespan. Certain bacteria can produce limestone, filling the gaps and cracks that affect concrete structures over time. This can reduce the need to use new concrete for repairs.

Learning from nature and imputing the way nature works into our designs and in the construction industry can make our built environments more sustainable. There’s so much we can learn from nature; the more we discover, the more we can work toward reducing our impact on the planet.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

This robotically fabricated structure aims to promote low carbon construction

Posted on by dishanth
This robotically fabricated structure aims to promote low carbon construction

A team of students and researchers from the University of Michigan have created a robotically-fabricated structure made entirely from timber.
They aimed to promote low-carbon construction, creating a complex architectural structure from local materials.
The designers hope it can serve as an example of how robotic construction can enable more sustainable forms of construction and minimize waste.

A team of students and researchers has shown how, with the help of robots, it’s possible to build an intricate pavilion using only small pieces of timber.

The Robotically Fabricated Structure is the result of a project by the Adel Design Research (ADR) Laboratory at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

 

The robotically fabricated structure was built using only small pieces of timber. Image: ADR Laboratory

 

The ambition was to promote low-carbon construction, by showing it’s possible to create complex architectural structures using wood that is sourced from the local region rather than imported.

Custom algorithms were used to calculate the optimal arrangement for the timber 2x4s, removing the need for any larger beams within the structure.

 

Robots assembled the components into a series of prefabricated frames, which were then delivered to site and slotted together by hand.

“The coupling of custom algorithms and robotic fabrication enables the feasible realisation of bespoke building components that are otherwise difficult or costly to achieve through conventional means and methods, with minimal construction waste,” explained ADR, which is led by professor Arash Adel.

“Short elements enable the use of indigenous trees that cannot easily produce full-length building elements, construction and manufacturing off-cuts, and lumber elements reclaimed from the deconstruction of buildings, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable practice,” said the team.

 

The tunnel is made up of 20 robotically fabricated frames. Image: ADR Laboratory

 

Robotically Fabricated Structure has been installed in the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, where it can be used as a place of rest and shelter, or host exhibitions and performances.

Raised on an oval-shaped timber platform, it takes the form of a curved tunnel with an integrated bench seat wrapping on of its edges.

The tunnel is made up of 20 robotically fabricated frames, which themselves are made up of various components. Each one is slightly different, which gives the structure its undulating shape.

As each piece of wood has the same thickness, it was possible to design these frames so that they slot together. This helped to reduce the need for screw fixings.

The design is longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022 in the small building category.

The designers hope it can serve as an example of how robotic construction can enable more sustainable forms of construction and minimise waste.

 

Robots assembled the components into a series of prefabricated frames. Image: ADR Laboratory

 

 

Source World Economic Forum

The key to eco architecture is green space and floods of sunlight

Posted on by dishanth
The key to eco architecture is green space and floods of sunlight

Architects in Australia have built an ‘eco-house’ with estimated bills of just €300 a year. BENT Architecture specialises in sustainable buildings, embracing passive solar design techniques to minimise both energy bills and the environmental impact of the spaces.

The Olinda House is a bespoke eco-friendly design for the owners, in Victoria, Australia, who wanted a space which would sit harmoniously within the landscape and work with nature, rather than against it.

“Like all our projects, the Olinda House embraces the sun and uses passive solar design techniques to ensure the home is comfortable and efficient, year-round,” explains BENT Architecture director Paul Porjazoski.

 

“We can no longer afford to see the built environment as being separate to the natural world.”
Paul Porjazoski , Director, BENT Architecture

 

“The home is long and narrow, stretching from east to west to maximise the opportunity to capture northern light – which is perfect for the southern hemisphere! And windows on opposite sides of the home capture cooling breezes. This keeps the interior naturally warmer in winter and cooler in summer.”

 

By intelligently incorporating sunlight into the designs, the house is both economical and stunningly lit TATJANA PLITT

 

The design uses solar panels on the roof to meet any energy needs, meaning the property is not just aesthetically pleasing, but low-energy too with an estimated annual power bill of just €300.

“Olinda House celebrates and enhances the spectacular natural landscape of its site,” Porjazoski says, which is something at the heart of BENT Architecture’s ethos. Things like sunlight and wind are seen as fundamental parts of the design, as Porjazoski and his team seek to strike a balance between structures and nature, “we can no longer afford to see the built environment as being separate to the natural world.”

We must “embrace in a celebration of the site, where the position of the sun and prevailing breezes are treated as building materials equivalent to the bricks and mortar of the building,” he says.

 

Is sustainability affordable?

The team at BENT Architecture has seen that the overwhelming majority of their residential clients are keen to implement sustainable design principles, as they look to minimise their environmental footprint. But what about the people who can’t afford a bespoke housing design?

 

“Buildings should work for us, not against us, to create a meaningful link between us and the outside world.” TATJANA PLITT

 

Porjazoski argues that the fundamentals of sustainability shouldn’t require additional expense. By incorporating sunlight and prevailing wind into a project, an architect can minimise energy consumption without having to spend anything extra. “These gifts from nature are free, and we should use them,” he explains, our buildings should “work for us, not against us, to create a meaningful link between us and the outside world.”

 

The fundamentals of sustainability shouldn’t require additional expense.

 

Unfortunately, these aren’t necessarily principles which are being considered by every developer or architect, especially when it comes to mass-production of houses in Europe to meet rising demands.

However, one major developer in the UK for first-time buyers, Countryside Properties, does incorporate some green initiatives into their designs. While they aren’t harnessing nature in the same way as BENT Architecture, because the majority of their properties are large-scale developments, it is still something they are considering.

Countryside Properties was the first construction company to open its own timber frame facility, which helps make a house far cheaper to heat, thus minimising the carbon footprint. Associate Director Andrew Fox says that the frame facility is an asset in many regards, “but the biggest benefit is how much it reduces our environmental impact.”

The houses have other efficiency measures in place too, such as water-saving fixtures and low energy lighting, which are estimated to save buyers up to £1,723 (€1,970) a year on energy costs, when compared to a second-hand property from the 1930s.

While the work being done with Countryside’s properties is certainly a step in the right direction, we still seem to be a long way off eco-homes like the Olinda House being the go-to for first-time buyers.

 

Green non-residential spaces are on the rise

Although mass-produced residential spaces are yet to incorporate the techniques of BENT Architecture, it is becoming de rigueur in community spaces. This means the benefits of sustainable building design are being increasingly opened up to the wider public, not just those who can afford to commission a bespoke design.

 

Lister House Health Centre in Harlow, UK, uses an environmentally-friendly design to create a welcoming space CAMM Architects

 

The Lister House Health Centre in Harlow, UK, is an award-winning design by Paul Young at CAMM Architects. Because the purpose of the space is to be one of healing and wellness, Young harnessed the natural environment to create a more positive experience for patients.

 

Architects should always be aware of the need to use the environment: it’s in our DNA.”
Paul Young Architect, CAMM Architects

 

“We brought light and air into the centre of the building,” says Young, “as we aimed to make it a cheerful and uplifting experience. Using light colours and rooflights to connect the internal rooms with the sky: we wanted to make people feel well just by entering the building, which is something possible by using sunlight in a space.”

For Young, sustainability should be at the heart of every architect’s practice, no matter if it’s a mass housing development, or for a commissioned, luxury property. “I believe architects should always be aware of the need to use the environment: it’s in our DNA,” he says.

 

 

Source Euro News