Compressed Earth Blocks for Residential Walls
Does the idea of a home made out of earth make you think of poverty and misfortune? The image of one room mud huts and dirt structures hastily thrown together is a far cry...
Construction Ecology News Blog
How sustainability can build value in construction
Reconciling best-value procurement and sustainability should not be a problem as the two represent a win-win Procurement is all about value, so too is sustainability as long as that value is measured in more than...
To Build Out of Wastes: Scientists Create Eco-friendly New-generation Materials
Chelyabinsk region is the leading metallurgical center of the country. Multiple enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy are located at the region’s territory. Unfortunately, a lot of industrial wastes get produced at factories of...
Cement as a climate killer: Using industrial residues to produce carbon neutral alternatives
Producing cement takes a big toll on our climate: Around eight per cent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to this process. However, the demand for cement continues to rise. A...
ISC3 Innovation Challenge opens for entrepreneurs to advance Sustainable Building and Living
The International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) launches the first ISC3 Innovation Challenge, calling for innovations in the field of Sustainable Building and Living. The prize consists of a cash award of 25,000 EUR...
We Recycle Bottles. Why Don’t We Recycle Buildings?
To confront climate change, we need to make the most of the buildings we already have. By all appearances, American cities are becoming greener than ever before. Sustainable design has gone mainstream, LEED-certified buildings are...
CSIR researches and declares plastic waste is good for construction
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) says its research has shown that some waste plastic materials can be recycled to replace coarse aggregate in concrete and block moulding for the construction industry....
NAIT research partnership aims for a construction future that’s waste-free
Edmonton polytechnic teams up with industry to make Canada a leader in eliminating construction waste. Imagine a construction project that doesn’t contribute to Canadian landfills. It may sound far-fetched, but to the individual advancing...
Why data visualization is critical to driving sustainable change
It is difficult to put into words just how wasteful our current economic system is. Harnessing the power of graphic design can help us stop, understand, and make better decisions. One of the tough...
Beyond Energy Efficiency: Why Embodied Carbon In Materials Matters
THE CONTEXT OF CARBON Approximately 30% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are linked to the building industry. Because of our work as building professionals, the atmosphere is filling up with CO2 and other greenhouse...
What does the future of architectural materials look like?
With the changing environment, architects and designers must consider the evolution of architectural materials and its uses. Digital building techniques have already made an impact on the built environment, however building materials are being...
Four steps for more sustainable construction management
Sustainable construction management means far more than building environmentally-friendly structures. What is sustainable construction, then? It is the combination of sustainable construction practices and sustainable building materials in order to reduce waste and environmental...
Building a More Sustainable Construction Sector
The construction industry has a huge environmental footprint. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has found that the construction industry accounts for 39% of all CO2 emissions in the United States alone — more...
Getting to the bottom of the green buildings conundrum
Companies setting science based targets in the building sector face formidable challenges due to the long value chain. Mike Scott reports on a WBCSD initiative to come up with a systems-level approach to cutting...
Wood in Construction – 25 cases of Nordic Good Practice
Wood has the ability to act as a carbon sink and therefore holds a great potential in the transition towards a low-carbon construction industry. How? Well, here are 25 examples across the value chain...
Circular economy actor and resource map
Technological advancements of the modern world have given individuals immense access to knowledge. However, with this access and the ability to share it comes the noise of billions of voices. This digital fog of...
Circular economy guidance for construction clients: How to practically apply circular economy principles at the project brief stage
Together with its members, UKGBC has produced a circular economy guidance for construction clients, which provides comprehensive practical guidance to support construction clients who want to ask for circular principles in their project briefs...
*New Report* Emission Omissions: Carbon accounting gaps in the built environment
Carbon accounting practices need improvements, may misdirect efforts to reduce emissions Construction practices, policies, building and energy codes and other regulations need to change if Canada is to meaningfully reduce GHGs from the building...
The magnificent 7 reasons why steel is sustainable
Sustainability megatrends are shaping our world. In particular climate change, scarcity of resources, and demographic shifts. This is feeding into societal expectations which in turn drives policy frameworks and legislation. What does this mean...
Green Building: Putting Sustainable Development Into Practice
Guy Eames is chairman of the Russian Green Building Council (RUGBC), director of Planet 2030, and a master of climate change and sustainable development. For the past ten of his 30 years of working...