Sweden – In conjunction with our visit to Stockholm’s Royal Seaport development, we had an opportunity to learn more about how the district manages its waste collection. As the Royal Seaport aspires to be a global model for sustainable building, its methods of waste management play an important role. The area is serviced by an […]
Read moreUnderground Economy:
St. Kjeld’s Neighbourhood
Denmark – ‘Climate change is a huge opportunity to build greener cities. We should stop pushing nature away and stop pretending that we can push the weather away.’ —Flemming Rafn Thomsen, Architect, Tredje Natur A neighbourhood in the port city of Copenhagen, St. Kjeld’s, was partially revitalized in 2014 as the world’s first climate-change-adapted neighborhood, in […]
Read more3XN/GXN
Denmark – While most architects are known for designing buildings, some of the world’s most innovative architecture firms have research divisions that study how we can live better lives within our built environment. Take 3XN, one of Denmark’s leading architecture practices, as an example: a decade ago the firm launched GXN to investigate new green […]
Read moreEnergy Flex House
Denmark – If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in a house without any energy bills, you may want to consider becoming a test subject for the Energy Flex House—Denmark’s first energy neutral residence. Developed by Henning Larsen Architects in conjunction with the Danish Technological Institute and Buro Happold Engineers, the Energy Flex […]
Read moreWoodcube | Germany
Germany—Aptly named for its recognizable form, Hamburg’s Woodcube offers a strategy for constructing multi-storey housing with a renewable natural resource material commonly found in northern climates—wood! Since wood is especially abundant in Canada, we’re eager to see the unique construction methods developed by Architekturagentur, the firm behind this innovative project, in the context of a […]
Read moreThe Mountain | Denmark
Denmark – A residential development called “The Mountain,” known for its distinct form amidst the suburban district of Ørestad, is one of the highlights on our upcoming trip to Copenhagen. Instead of creating two separate buildings for parking and living, architects BIG chose to combine these two programs in a form that allows all 80 […]
Read moreZEB Pilot House | Norway
Norway – We will be visiting the ZEB Pilot house in Ringdalskogen, Larvik, Norway designed by Snøhetta and completed in 2014. Built as a pilot project with The Research Center on Zero Emission Buildings, it is a demonstration project created to facilitate learning on building methodology for ‘energy-plus’ houses with integrated sustainable solutions.
Read moreBIQ House | Germany
Germany – Part of our upcoming travel includes the International Building Exhibition in Hamburg, where we will visit the world’s first algae powered building, the BIQ House, featuring a glass façade that is the first of its kind to generate renewable energy through the use of photobioreactors.
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