SUNY New Paltz Engineering Innovation Hub achieves LEED Gold

In New York’s Hudson Valley region, the public liberal arts college SUNY New Paltz has earned a LEED Gold certification award for its newly completed Engineering Innovation Hub building. Designed by NYC-based firm Urbahn Architects, the $13.5 billion project champions energy-efficient and resource-saving design, from its diversion of nearly 90% of the project’s construction waste from landfills to the installation of double-glazed, low-E windows throughout. The two-story, 19,500-square-foot building houses a bachelor’s degree program in mechanical engineering, teaching and research lab spaces and the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center (HVAMC).

Centrally located within the SUNY New Paltz campus near the existing Resnick Engineering Hall, the Engineering Innovation Hub features a handsome, gray-toned facade. The building has an energy-efficient rainscreen system created for minimizing heat loss along with high-performance and highly durable concrete panels by Taktl. The Hub sits on a 31,200-square-foot landscaped site specially engineered for responsible stormwater management practices. In addition to maximizing green space with native, low-maintenance vegetation, the site includes landscaped bioswales that direct rainwater into a 45-foot long retention pond.

Related: “Story book of timber” designed for University of Arkansas

Water-saving strategies have also been implemented inside the building, where water-efficient plumbing fixtures have resulted in a 31% reduction in the consumption of potable water. Energy efficiency is further enhanced by the maximization of daylighting through double-glazed, low-E windows, high-efficiency LED fixtures automated for energy conservation and a high-performance HVAC system. All building materials have low-VOC emissions and were locally sourced or made with recycled content wherever possible. 

“The important lesson learned from this project is that an efficient, sustainable building can be designed within the confines of a limited budget,” said Nandini Sengupta, senior associate for Urbahn Architects. “Bring in seasoned design consultants early in the conceptual phase, and perform continuous energy modeling starting in the conceptual design phase. The final building envelope and mechanical systems designs have resulted in an energy cost savings of 28%.”

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Photography by Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications via Urbahn Architects

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PriestmanGoode designs sustainable, plastic-free takeout containers

London-based design studio PriestmanGoode, as part of the Wallpaper* Re-Made project, has imagined a new, sustainable option for restaurant takeaway containers that is reusable and plastic foam-free.

As the desire for convenience and takeout food options increases in the world, so does the single-use plastic and other waste. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants that didn’t originally offer takeout are turning to the option in order to keep their businesses afloat, making environmentally friendly to-go options more important than ever.

Related: Designers aim to reduce the waste and impact of airlines

Jo Rowan, Associate Director of Strategy at PriestmanGoode explained, “We wanted to re-think food delivery and takeaway in a bid to minimize the environmental impact of convenience culture.”

Called ZERO, the takeaway packaging checks many boxes when it comes to eco-friendliness. For one, it reintroduces the idea of reusable containers. Not that long ago, reusable was the norm, but at some point we became a disposable society, endangering the planet with material production and disposal. ZERO also provides an alternative to the standard plastic foam containers that typically can’t be recycled.

To achieve zero waste, the idea is to charge the customer an upfront fee for the containers that is then reimbursed when the containers are returned for the next order. In addition to its usefulness as a takeaway alternative, the packaging offers a universal design that is transferable between restaurants. Plus, the containers offer temperature control during transport and delivery. These containers are also versatile and great to use at home, take on a picnic or carry lunch to the office.

The bioplastic for the containers, made from a byproduct of the cacao industry, is created by designer Paula Nerlich. Another notable material used for the insulation, designed by Ty Syml, is mycelium. For the food container and bag handles, Lexcell by Yulex provides a 100% plant-based, neoprene-free specialty natural rubber material. In addition, the outer bag comes from Nuatan by Crafting Plastics and is made from 100% raw, renewable resources, is biodegradable and can withstand high temperatures. Finally, Piñatex is used for the bag lid; Piñatex is a natural leather alternative made from cellulose fibers extracted from pineapple leaves.

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Via Dezeen

Images via PriestmanGoode and Carolyn Brown

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Testbeds repurposes architectural mockups into community assets in NYC

New York-based New Affiliates has teamed up with architect and historian Samuel Stewart-Halevy to launch Testbeds, an innovative, adaptive reuse initiative to transform architectural mockups from large-scale development projects into community structures such as classrooms, sheds and shade structures. The Testbeds’ pilot project will be located at the Edgemere Coalition Community Garden in Queens where, in collaboration with NYC Parks GreenThumb division, the designers hope to construct a multipurpose adaptive reuse structure in fall 2020.

Architectural mockups from large-scale development projects are typically constructed from high-end, resilient materials and commissioned by developers and institutions to simulate various parts of a planned building. Yet after review, those architectural mockups are typically discarded as waste into landfills. New Affiliates, which has a special interest in turning construction waste streams into architectural resources, collaborated with Stewart-Halevy to try and redirect these mockups from New York’s luxury real estate market to historically disinvested communities in the outer boroughs. 

Related: PAU unveils carbon-neutral Sunnyside Yard masterplan in NYC

In their conceptual proposals, the designers have reimagined mockups into elements for new greenhouses, casitas, tool sheds, cold frames, classrooms and other garden structures. “The process of repurposing mockups requires coordination between a wide range of stakeholders including community garden boards, city agencies including Parks and Sanitation and real estate developers,” the designers explained. 

The pilot project, for instance, required coordination with GreenThumb, which provides programming and material support to over 550 gardens in New York City. A mockup from the Tribeca condominium 30 Warren has been donated for the pilot project and consists of four custom concrete panels and an 8-by-5-foot glass window. The existing window will be used to frame a new room for meetings and classrooms placed beneath a large shade structure and next to a greenhouse and tool shed in the Edgemere Coalition Community Garden. The Testbeds team is currently fundraising for its pilot project and looking for partners and collaborators for this and future projects.

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Images via New Affiliates

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This tiny house is insulated with cork and powered by solar

Eco-friendly company The Tiny Housing Co. has added The Natura tiny home to its portfolio of unique designs. The tiny house is powered by 1000W solar panels and built out of natural materials such as cork and wood, making it sustainable from the inside out.

Starting at just over $65,000, the design of The Natura is aimed at being as sustainable as possible. The company already includes solar paneling with all of its homes, but it also offers an additional “eco” package with 2000W solar panels and a wood-burning stove. The improved panels mean that occupants can generate enough power to run appliances solely from solar, and the wood-burning stove is connected to underfloor heating to reduce heating costs when coupled with the already-installed efficient insulation.

Related: Solar-powered cork house pursues healthy, sustainable living

Wood paneling makes up the exterior, while the facade features a thick corkboard layer to create a breathable, fire-retardant area near the loft-style, king-sized bedroom. The organic aesthetic of the exterior is complemented by the inside, which is complete with luxurious modern fixtures, soft tones and natural light. Clean water is filtered from an under-sink system, and energy-efficient appliances help keep utility costs down. As is essential in a minimalist home, there are plenty of space-saving features as well, such as hidden storage under the stairs, between the walls and under the bed.

Tight insulation is achieved in the walls, floor and roof using rockwool, lightweight XPS boards and cork. Rockwool is a rock-based mineral fiber usually composed of volcanic basalt rock and recycled steel or copper byproduct, and XPS boards (or polystyrene) does not result in harmful waste with its manufacture. According to the company, these materials can also help reduce harmful VOCs and other chemicals that can come with more common home insulation.

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Images via The Tiny Housing Co.

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Vollebak's Garbage Watch is a timeless solution for e-waste

Vollebak, a company at the core of sustainable clothing innovation, targets time itself with a new prototype, the Garbage Watch.

While the Garbage Watch’s name may sound questionable, it fits given that the watch uses materials that would otherwise end up in the dump. Specifically, the Garbage Watch upcycles electronic waste such as motherboards and scrap computer parts and turns them into a functional watch. 

Related: This sustainable luxury smartwatch monitors climate change

“Today, most of the 50 million tonnes of electronic waste that’s generated every year is treated like garbage even though it isn’t. Instead it contains many of the world’s precious metals, like silver, platinum, copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminium and zinc. You’ll find 7% of the world’s gold in e-waste. In other words, millions of tonnes of the stuff people normally pay to dig up out of the ground is heading straight back into it,” the company says on its website.

Vollebak worked on the project in collaboration with the Wallpaper* Re-Made project. Although currently in prototype form, the watch will launch in 2021. A waiting list has already formed for those with an early interest.

Steve Tidball, Vollebak co-founder, explains how the project came together, saying, “To avoid trashing our own planet, we need to start figuring out how to re-use the stuff we already have. So our Garbage Watch started with a very simple idea. What if electronic waste isn’t garbage? What if it’s simply pre-assembled raw materials that we can use to make new things. That’s why everything you can see on the Garbage Watch used to be something else – a motherboard from your computer, a microchip in your smartphone, or wiring from your TV.”

Of course, the Garbage Watch design tackles more than just recycling e-waste; it’s about function as well as fashion. With that in mind, the team gave the watch a unique, conversation-starting design. 

As Nick Tidball, Vollebak co-founder, said, “We’ve taken an ‘inside-out’ design approach with the Garbage Watch, making the functional inner workings highly visible…Our aim was to reframe an often invisible and hazardous end of the supply chain, and make people think deeply about the impact of treating their wearables in a disposable manner.”

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Images via Vollebak/Sun Lee

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Ugakei Circles sustainable nature park set to open in 2021

It’s no secret that tourism is often an incredibly important component to a destination’s economy. In the past, overconsumption and polluting modes of transport have given tourism a bad name. Now more than ever, the future of tourism is focusing on sustainability, and Inabe, a city located between two of Japan’s busiest cities (Kyoto and Nagoya), is no exception.

This is the setting for Ugakei Circles, a sustainable tourism project set to open in spring 2021, consisting of overnight glamping cabins, estuary camping sites and a centralized communal area. The project is a collaboration between Danish and Japanese design teams focused on sustainable tourism development and low-impact, regenerative tourism.

Related: Bee + Hive to help explorers book green hotels and sustainable tourism experiences

Responsible for the project are Danish architects Tredje Natur, Japanese engineers Structured Environment and sustainability experts Henrik Innovation. The plan is to build the new park on an existing campground using only renewable materials and repurposed building waste. Design plans for the center building and the central courtyard feature optimal micro-climate conditions with wind protection and an optimized roof profile that catches the sun rays in the winter and provides shade in the summer.

The park will include an overnight section that accommodates permanent Nordic cotton tents and cabins suited to glamping as well as a public river plateau where guests can pitch their own tents. All guests can take advantage of the property’s hiking routes, ocean views, mountain creeks and several natural waterfalls. There is an education center for children and adults to learn more about the nature that surrounds them through activities, a community hub, reception area and spaces for shops and workshops. The nature park proposal highlights the importance of outdoor activity and circular gatherings, as early civilizations in Denmark and Japan often centered their communities around the universal shape.

“We believe the future is about circularity,” said Flemming Rafn Thomsen, lead architect and co-founder of Tredje Natur. “Our proposal is composed by a family of circles that define a series of sustainable communities. The master plan and buildings embody a unique environment and a regenerative ‘hygge’ experience in nature. It is our hope that our project will become the base camp for a new type of regional nature-based development that promote sustainable awareness and brings the gift of nature to many urban dwellers.”

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Images via Tredje Natur, Structured Environment and Henrik Innovation

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This fashion boutique in India is crafted from recycled materials

Located in Gujarat, India, this boutique shop designed by Manoj Patel Design Studio is completely made out of recycled materials. The 350-square-foot space, completed in 2020, sells fine women’s wear and combines two rooms together to create a contemporary consumer experience using reused traditional and scrap materials.

Not only do the sustainability features make this project cost-effective and environmentally responsive, it has introduced a series of unique wall patterns and buying conditions for the owner’s clients. When customers enter the store, their attention is immediately grabbed by the dark, contrasting colors in the ceiling mural and the bright, green accent walls. A custom arrangement of earth-toned waste clay tiles adds texture and a dramatic effect to the walls by resembling old-fashioned floor and ceiling interiors.

Related: This green wall uses upcycled clay tiles for natural cooling

Materials include reused clay roof tiles, recycled beer bottles, recycled window shutters, unused sample tiles, wasted metal rings and old mirror cladding. The client, a fashion designer, provided their own reclaimed fabrics to reupholster the seating as well. The designer chose these specific upcycled materials for both their longevity and their aesthetics. The layout, which combines two older rooms to form the studio, incorporates graphics and material frames in various sections to give guests a different perspective when viewed from particular angles.

One such accent area is meant to resemble the traditional designs of Indian saris, while another uses reclaimed glass bottles to reflect the pattern of a necklace. Recycled table legs are used as door handles, and the clothes-hanging area was constructed by turning old metal rings into floral hooks. Broken tiles are arranged into mosaics, depicting flowers and leaves on the studio’s floor.

Architect Manoj Patel is passionate about climate-responsive architecture, and his firm has continued to reflect recycled construction techniques, nature preservation and sustainable building materials since it opened in 2015.

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Photography by Tejas Shah Photography via Manoj Patel Design Studio

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