Photovoltaic glass clads a sustainably minded residential tower in Melbourne

Melbourne-based architecture firm C. Kairouz Architects recently completed The General, an eight-story building that’s said to be Australia’s first-ever large-scale residential structure to use photovoltaic glass on its facade. Located in the inner-suburb of Northcote in Melbourne, the building comprises 87 apartments as well as mixed-use commercial space on the first two floors. Thanks to photovoltaic glazing as well as a slew of other energy-efficient systems and resource-saving measures, The General has achieved a 7-star energy rating.

Set on a prominent corner lot on Northcote’s bustling High Street, The General takes it name from the nickname of Kairouz’s father, who had formerly owned a butcher business on the project site. The General also references Kairouz’s father in the patterned glass that makes up the curved secondary facade, which features a subtle image of a Victorian general on a horse. This facade is juxtaposed with the continuous bands of Onyx Solar photovoltaic glass that run along the northern facade as well as the horizontal balustrades and glazing on the east facade. All windows are double-glazed and let an abundance of natural light into the apartments.

“Technically speaking, it displays a solar factor of 10%, making it an ideal candidate to achieve control over the interior temperature,” says C. Kairouz Architects in its project statement. “The product has been proven to yield low-emissivity properties, provide a UV and IR filter, promote natural light, and generate power. Statistically translated, this allows The General to generate 2,075 kWh per year and prevents the release of 1.95 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This energy may be used for light, power and mechanical equipment in common areas.”

Related: Steven Holl unveils office clad in colorful photovoltaic glass for Doctors Without Borders

In addition to the building’s solar solutions, the architects also emphasized green-centric transit options. The General is located a short walk from a major tram station and from the Northcote shopping complex; 137 bicycle parking spaces were installed in the building’s basement parking garage. The basement also includes a 25,000-liter rainwater tank that collects rainwater runoff, which is then recycled to flush 50 toilets within the building.

+ C. Kairouz Architects

Images by Peter Clarke

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The Boomer makes a big bang in the tiny home market

With everyone obsessing over tiny homes these days, many people are looking to find the perfect tiny house to fit their needs. Build Tiny’s newest design, The Boomer, aims to fill the short-term rental niche made popular by Airbnb and offer those who are curious about tiny home living a chance to customize their very own home. With options ranging from completely DIY to turnkey, The Boomer helps clients build the tiny homes of their dreams.

From the outside, The Boomer closely resembles Build Tiny’s Millennial and Buster models. It measures nearly 180 square feet and is protected by aluminum- and zinc-coated steel and plywood. Its light weight makes it ideal for exploring off-road destinations.

Related: This family tiny home is built from recycled materials and reclaimed wood

The Boomer comes ready to roll – or not. If you’d rather have fun with a major DIY project, you can opt for just the shell of the home. Otherwise, all the amenities of a modern home are available in this tiny home, including a full-sized oven, a four-burner propane-powered stove top, a refrigerator and freezer, a shower, a washer/dryer and a composting toilet. Available extras include solar roof tiles and an additional bedroom loft.

The ample kitchen cabinets and drawers have push-button locks and whisper-close hinges. A pullout spice rack next to the oven lets you easily add flavor to all your meals without taking up too much space. A hidden trash bin pulls out adjacent to the kitchen sink. A pull-out overhang on the kitchen bench-top becomes a breakfast bar. Louvered French doors encourage natural air flow, and they open into a living room that is large enough to comfortably hold a standard-size sofa or sofa-bed. A short stairwell leads to a bedroom loft that can even accommodate a super king-sized bed.

Related: 5 features every tiny home needs

This tiny home has standard features that set it apart from others. For easy maintenance, the bathroom, kitchen and great room have vinyl flooring. Carpet in the bedroom loft adds a touch of plush elegance. The great room has enough space for you to exercise personal furnishing options without skimping on style.

+ Build Tiny

Via New Atlas

Images via Build Tiny

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A beer crisis is brewing in Germany as bottle recycling slows amid heatwaves

With summer still in full swing and heatwaves gripping countries around the world, breweries across Germany have been scrambling to keep up with the beer demand from hot and thirsty customers. The brew masters have enough of the bubbly beverage to go around, but companies are running out of containers to distribute their goods as people continue drinking beer without returning the bottles for reuse fast enough.

While there are approximately 4 billion beer bottles in circulation within Germany, the demand for beer is higher than the return rate of the glass bottles. Germany is very proactive in recycling, having one of the highest recycling rates in the EU at around 50 percent, according to a Eurostat data report. Customers pay a small deposit on bottles when they buy beer from the store, which they get back when they return the empty cases. This small incentive, and a high regard for the environment, encourages customers to reuse and refill the glass bottles up to 30 times.

Related: France plans to make recycled plastic bottles less expensive

Greif Brewery recently told its customers to return their empty bottles, or they would have to go without beer. “We’ve had a beer bottle shortage since the middle of May,” said Christian Schuster, employee of Greif Brewery. “We can’t get hold of used ones fast enough, and ordering new ones takes time. I’m having to send my delivery guys out to look for old, empty bottles.”

According to master brewer Thomas Tyrell, who heads up the Berlin plant for California’s Stone Brewing, German attitudes toward aluminum cans are contributing to the problem as much as the heat is. Most Germans believe that cans are not environmentally friendly, so they prefer glass bottles. This is not the case, he pointed out, and the cans hold the same small deposit fees as their glass counterparts. Many Germans also see drinking beer out of a can as being crass and ill-bred, but soon they may not care as many breweries struggle to put fresh beer on the shelves.

Related: The world’s largest beer brewer invents low-carbon beer bubbles

Meanwhile, Stone Brewing may have found the only solution to the problem. Stone opened its first brewery in Berlin two years ago — with canned beer. Manners aside, Tyrell added, “We think it’s best for the beer… there is no light ingress and, over time, there are some oxygen permeations through the lid of a bottle, which the can doesn’t have.” Any beer is good beer when there is none to be had, but with crisp and refreshing beer, Stone seems to hold a sustainable recipe for success.

Via NPR

Image via Kaktuslampan/Flickr

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France plans to make recycled plastic bottles less expensive

Take that, plastic! France has announced that it plans to make bottles made with recycled plastic less expensive than those made from new plastic, part of a larger plan to intensify regulations on plastic use. Other aspects of the plan include increasing taxes on landfill and lowering the value-added tax on recycling activities.

Related: Coca-Cola rewards recycling in the UK with half-priced theme park tickets

According to Junior Environment Minister Brune Poirson, the French government will introduce further specific measures to address the problem of plastic pollution. “We need to transform the French economy,” she said. “We are launching a movement that will be scrutinized and followed by our European partners.”

Part of this movement is a plan to reduce the price of products packaged in recycled containers by up to 10 percent. The discount-premium system encourages its consumers to recycle by making sustainability the more affordable option. “Tomorrow, when there is a choice between two bottles, one made with recycled plastic, the other not, the first one will be cheaper,” Poiron stated.

Related: Dominica makes historic pledge to combat plastic pollution

Currently, France has the second-worst recycling rate in Europe, with just 25.5 percent of its plastic packaging waste recycled. By comparison, Germany and the Netherlands recycle about 50 percent of their plastic waste. Nevertheless, the French government plans to change its plastic recycling rate to 100% by the year 2025, with the recent announcement marking the first steps toward this goal.

Veolia and Suez, recycling powerhouses in the French market, have long been calling for the regulation changes, which would provide a boost for business. Retailers have also joined the cause; for example, French company E.Leclerc has pledged to eliminate the sale of throwaway plastics and replace them with more eco-friendly alternatives, such as bamboo, and is testing a loyalty point system for customers who deposit plastic and glass bottles in some store outlets.

+ Eurostat

+ Le Journal de Dimanche

Via Reuters

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Abandoned house gets a gorgeous, energy-efficient refresh

Few homes undergo the trials and tribulations of Boston Villa – and fewer still receive a gorgeous renovation that also wins an architectural prize. But in the Fitzroy neighborhood of Melbourne, Australia, that’s exactly what happened. For years, Boston Villa stood abandoned, serving as a shelter for indigent wanderers. Even after Nest Architects‘ clients Dean and Lisa saw promise in the property, someone set it on fire halfway into the preliminary stages of the rebuilding process. The couple remained undaunted, however, and Nest Architects forged ahead with the overhaul, creating a beautiful, light-filled home with numerous energy-saving and sustainable features.

For the project’s first phase, the architects tore down walls to let natural light and air flow freely through the space. This demolition also opened up views of courtyards and created light sources throughout the structure. Skylights illuminate the laundry room and bathroom, louvered windows let filtered light brighten the children’s bedrooms, and an enormous glazed glass wall brings the glow of sunlight into the study, guest room, dining room, kitchen and living spaces. Rustic timber columns and beams accentuate this wall and help it harmonize with the rest of the home’s aesthetic. Two large windows flanked by striking Victorian brickwork highlight the front of the structure.

Related: Abandoned house transformed into a gorgeous sanctuary on a remote Chinese mountain

Because the clients wanted a sustainable home as well, Nest Architects included a number of features that reduce the house’s overall footprint. The concrete slab foundation effectively controls heat loss, and internal thermal blinds coupled with low-E glass fend off heat from the sun. The architects used recycled fittings and fixtures in every room; additionally, all the plywood and timber came from recycled sources. Low-voltage lighting and appliances with five-star energy ratings further reduce the amount of electricity consumed.

Boston Villa won the Victorian Institute of Architects Award in the Alterations and Additions Category in 2011.

+ Nest Architects

Images via Jesse Marlow

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Locally salvaged zinc panels clad a seaside getaway in Chile

Designed by Chilean architecture firm Ortuzar Gebauer Arquitectos, the Coo Lodge is a seaside getaway that is tied into the surrounding landscape history with its weathered zinc cladding. The reclaimed metal plates, sourced from old construction sites, have been oxidized to a reddish color similar to the color of the ground. Located on the beach with spectacular views of the sea and distant volcanoes, the building was constructed to feel like an extension of the landscape.

The zinc-clad Coo Lodge is located in Queilen, a tiny town in the southern Chilean archipelago of Chiloé known for its beaches and beautiful views. The architects looked to the landscape for much of the inspiration for the house design and even delved into the early history of the original inhabitants, nomadic navigators known as ‘Chonos or Payos’ who made their living from the sea. “To discover their vestiges was to discover their vernacular condition, it was to discover a culture,” the architects wrote. “The above opened our senses to work on the pre-existing.”

The architects also divided the site into three main parts: a green field near the main road, a grass-covered rocky “intermediate level” and the white sand beach that was formerly covered by a large growth of weeds before the designers cleared out the space. Because the 1,722-square-foot Coo Lodge was placed on the “intermediate level,” the architects created a series of block-y volumes — six of which house bedrooms and one larger structure for the communal living areas — to complement the large sculptural rocks. The buildings are elevated and fan out across the landscape, and they are connected by outdoor walkways. Large windows punctuate the sea-facing facades.

Related: Chile’s rustic Casa Pollo is made from recycled zinc plates and reclaimed wood

“The enclosures being separated are intimate, typical of the visitors who keep them in their status as a nomad in the place,” the architects continued. “A great volume is the space of encounter, public space, exposed, that around the fire and the kitchen, invites to live according to the logic of the rural ensemble in Chilo.”

+ Ortuzar Gebauer Arquitectos

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A California beacon of sustainability gets a LEED Platinum refresh

An inspiring beacon for recycling in El Cerrito, California has recently received a sustainable revamp that includes newly minted LEED Platinum certification. Redesigned by Berkeley-based architecture practice Noll & Tam Architects, the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center (RERC/Center) was overhauled following extensive community involvement and now features a more user-friendly environment with educational opportunities and a greater holistic approach to sustainability. The facility aims for net-zero energy use and is equipped with renewable energy systems as well as passive design strategies, including solar panels and 100% daylighting autonomy.

Originally founded by a group of local volunteers in the early 1970s, the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center has become a source of community pride that has attracted visitors from neighboring communities, including the wider San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Inspired by the facility’s industrial uses, the architects incorporated corrugated steel, reclaimed timber and other durable materials into the building, while local quarry borders and existing concrete retaining blocks used on site allude to the old quarry in which the Center sits.

“The design of the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center was inspired by the community’s devotion to environmental stewardship, the Center’s functional requirements, and its unique natural setting,” reads the project statement. “It was important to create a strong sense of place for the community, a great place for the gathering and interaction of the Center’s diverse users and visitors, and a demonstration project for zero net waste, net zero energy use, restoration and regeneration, and maximizing community value.”

Related: NYC’s New State-of-the-Art Recycling Facility to Eliminate 150,000 Annual Truck Trips

Taking advantage of the local temperate climate and cross ventilation, the Center operates in passive mode for most of the year. A 12 kW photovoltaic array provides more than enough electricity to power the building to achieve net-zero energy usage. The Center is also equipped with an additional 8.8 kW solar array to offset electricity needs from electric car charging stations and the recycling industrial equipment. A rainwater cistern, native gardens and rain gardens handle stormwater runoff on-site.

+ Noll & Tam Architects

Images by David Wakely

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