Innovation

CSIC aims to tackle ‘sick building syndrome’ through innovation Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) is urging Scottish construction businesses to innovate in order to improve the quality of air inside our buildings and tackle ‘sick building syndrome’. Scots spend around 80-90% of their time indoors, whether that be at home, school or work. Studies have shown that poor indoor air quality has a negative impact on health, wellbeing and productivity. ‘Sick building syndrome’, a condition which is typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, is attributed to factors in the indoor environment such as inadequate ventilation or poorly maintained air conditioning. To...

An abandoned factory in southern spain is brought to life by system arquitectura A 1960s industrial textiles factory in southern spain is being renovated and repurposed by spanish studio system arquitectura. the project is sited in malaga, a coastal city of the autonomous region in the south of spain. the midcentury economic hardships seen by this region led to the establishment of the ‘intelhorce’ textiles industry, whose construction was completed in 1963. although the industry played a significant role in transforming the region’s economy, by the end of the twentieth century the complex had been abandoned. the intelhorce building is...

Digitizing The Construction Industry Requires A View From The Field Construction is booming, and with growing population and increasing urbanization requiring new homes and offices to be built, industry momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Despite increasingly sophisticated structures, construction remains one of the least digitized industries. If you drive by any construction site, it’s astounding to see the flurry of activity -- with hundreds of workers in a structure that changes daily -- still operating in much the same way it did 40 or 50 years ago. But what worked then is no longer feasible today. Imagine how difficult...

Nano-Engineered Window Is Self-Cleaning and Sustainable University College London (UCL) researchers have announced that a combination of thermochromatic coating and nano-scale engineering have created an innovative new window design could reduce cleaning costs and even heating bills by up to 40%. The surface of the prototype contains cone-shaped nanostructures that trap air and only allow a miniscule amount of water to contact the glass. In essence, rain will turn into balls upon striking the glass and roll off, removing dirt at the same time. With normal window glass, raindrops linger and roll down, leaving residue. According to the lead UCL researcher, this self-cleaning...

Joint Venture for Sustainable New Building Materials The joint venture dedicated to producing and distributing Durabric, a low-carbon and affordable alternative to traditional bricks made from burnt clay. The size of the initial joint investment is $10 million from both partners with the intention of additional finance for the company’s ongoing growth. The LafargeHolcim research and development (R&D) centre will be used to help 14Trees address the rising need for affordable homes for the billions of people across the globe who occupy earth-based dwellings. Several countries in Africa are dealing with climate change as a result of mass deforestation created by a demand for...