On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the first installment of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), starkly laying out that climate change is "widespread, rapid, and intensifying." The report, which tops 3,000 pages, states that measured increases in greenhouse gases are "unequivocally caused by human activities," and that climate change is already affecting every inhabited region of the world and contributing to "weather and climate extremes." Having established the current and unprecedented rate of warming, the report then illustrates five different "climate futures" based on possible societal responses to the changing climate. The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, among other media outlets, offer analyses and takeaways from the sobering report, but you can read the full report here. [IPCC]
Where are the robotic bricklayers on modern construction sites? Atlanta-based structural engineer Brian Potter dives into this question in his Construction Physics Substack. Innovators have explored the potential of mechanized masonry for more than a century, but "limited success suggests there’s some aspect to it that prevents a machine from easily doing it," he writes. [Construction Physics]
Researchers from North Carolina State University have drawn inspiration from kirigami techniques—a variation of origami that includes cutting paper—to develop a modular and adaptable 3D metamaterial. The team created kirigami units of eight interconnected paper cubes that can be folded or shifted into different shapes. Once the lightweight units are connected, they can form more than 300,000 different designs, and, based on the block orientation, assume different structural characteristics. “The fact that you can disassemble and reconfigure these 3D metamaterials allows users to alter the mechanical properties of a structure as needed to perform different tasks,” said NCSU professor Jie Yin in NCSU's press release. “Fold it one way to make it easy to compress, fold it another way to allow for lateral movement, fold it a third way to make it rigid or enhance its physical strength—and so on." [NCSU]
Despite the pandemic, researchers endeavor. See the six winners of ARCHITECT's 15th Annual R+D Awards! This year's esteemed jurors—June Grant, Mónica Ponce de León, AIA, and Bradford Prestbo, FAIA—selected six innovative projects that exemplify "how you can use what is accessible to solve a local problem," Grant says. [ARCHITECT]
Large cities and urban areas may be associated with fast-paced lifestyles and fleeting social connections, but they actually correlate with lower rates of depression, according to University of Chicago researchers. In their study, the researchers examined infrastructure networks in built urban environments, finding a link between "urbanization and mental health." [University of Chicago]
NASA, Austin-based robotics startup Icon Technology, and global design firm Bjarke Ingels Group have revealed their plans for Mars Dune Alpha, a 3D-printed rectilinear habitat to research the potential of human habitation on the red planet. Want to see it in person? NASA is recruiting a test crew. [ARCHITECT]
MIT researchers have founded Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a startup aiming to pave the way for commercial fusion energy using a high-power magnet. "Commonwealth’s new magnet, which will be one of the world’s most powerful, will be a crucial component in a compact nuclear fusion reactor known as a Tokamak, a design that uses magnetic forces to compress plasma until it is hotter than the sun," reports The New York Times. [The New York Times]
Air conditioners contribute to the climate crisis, so is an AC unit that doesn't heat the Earth possible? ARCHITECT columnist Blaine Brownell, FAIA, investigates the latest in cooling technology. [ARCHITECT]
