Branch Technology, a design and 3D printing startup based in Chattanooga, Tenn., has completed a 16-foot-tall sculpture dubbed The Climbs in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Designed to reference the area's rock formations, the vivid blue installation comprises six separate parts totaling 90 cubic feet, all stabilized with a 300-pound base.
Branch Technology created the towering sculpture using its "cellular fabrication" 3D printing process, which free-form printed the lattice components using a carbon fiber–reinforced polymer extruded from industrial-sized robotic arms, according to the company. The unique process also required 20 times less material than traditional layered printing methods while "still enabling remarkable strength-to-weight ratios," states a press release from the Chattanooga Chamber's communications team.
Branch Technology printed the individual elements of The Climbs over the summer, installing the vertical sculpture within one day, Oct. 5. The next day, the firm installed a wood-topped bench curving around the piece, allowing The Climbs to provide travelers an opportunity for respite. [Chattanooga Chamber]
The Indigenized Energy Initiative at Standing Rock has relaunched, aiming to use solar power to mitigate climate change and "diminish energy poverty" among Native American communities, according to a press release from the IEI. Formerly known as the Covenant Tribal Solar Initiative, the holistic project, which received a $775,000 MacArthur Foundation grant in July, incorporates "policy, economic development, workforce development, solar technology, and system operations" into its strategy.
“Through the work of Indigenized Energy Initiative, we are indigenizing—decolonizing—the deployment of renewable energy to address the social, economic, spiritual, and environmental concerns of Native people,” said IEI founder Cody Two Bears in the same release. “Our new name better reflects our mission—Native people are taking back the power.” [Indigenized Energy Initiative]
At the COP26 summit, which opened Oct. 31 in Glasgow, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization released a report finding that the past seven years are on track to be the warmest on record and that global sea level rise has reached a new high in 2021. “Extreme events are the new norm,” said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas in the report. “There is mounting scientific evidence that some of these bear the footprint of human-induced climate change.”
[New Scientist]
Architects need to go beyond listening and connect with their communities to progress towards environmental justice, writes Phyllis Kim in an op-ed for ARCHITECT. "Even if it seems awkward at first, architects wanting to strengthen their relationships with communities will have to continue putting themselves out there," writes Kim, a Pittsburgh-based architect at GBBN. [ARCHITECT]
Over a six-year period, the Moscow-based photographer Frank Herfort documented Soviet-era metro stations in 19 cities, in countries including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The collection, which encompasses more than 770 different stations, underscores the utilitarian beauty of each station. [The New York Times]
Since its founding in 2008, the Boston- and Kigali, Rwanda–based MASS Design Group has garnered acclaim and awards, including AIA's 2021 Collaborative Achievement Award. But how did the non-profit firm founders and team hone their specific approach to architecture and building? CBS's 60 Minutes takes a look at the firm's origin story. [CBS News]
Materials researchers from the University of Manchester in the U.K. are working with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to research the design of potential space habitats. With SOM contributing design and engineering advice, the researchers have constructed a scaled habitat prototype that incorporates lightweight graphene to achieve "advanced structural capabilities, such as radiation shielding," states a press release from the university. The researchers are also developing "a new generation of robotic machines to make these graphene-enhanced structures." [University of Manchester]
Given the popularity of glassy towers in urban areas, window washing can be terrifying work. Could robots lend a hand? Gizmodo takes a look at Skyline Robotics, a company that places squeegees in the grips of machines. [Gizmodo]
As the world faces the impacts of climate change, some investors are putting their money into sustainable real estate prompted by "the perception of risk associated with climate change," reports The New York Times. Although investors must navigate greenwashing and decode different sustainable building standards, such as LEED, the movement is reinforced by new laws and regulations that associate risk with unsustainable development. [The New York Times]
Billionaire Charles Munger wants to build windowless dorms at the University of California, Santa Barbara, shocking people in all realms this past week. But, he's actually done something similar before, funding a gigantic, largely windowless graduate student apartment building at the University of Michigan. CNN Business reports on what it's like to live there. [CNN Business]
With a name that translates to “cooked" or "baked earth” in Italian, terra cotta is a building material with enduring popularity. This month, the Building Technology Heritage Library takes a look at early examples of architectural terra cotta and decorative elements in its collection of 19th- and 20th-century catalogs. [ARCHITECT]
The 2022 ARCHITECT Light & Architecture Design Awards are open for entries! Register your project on or before Dec. 3 to receive a discount on the entry fee. The final deadline is Dec. 10. [ARCHITECT]
