Researchers from Rice University, in Houston, have developed a novel way to generate energy through the use of colorful, glowing "windows" that redirect light to edge-band solar cells. More appropriately described as "luminescent solar concentrates," the candy-colored panes are composed of a conjugated polymer sandwiched between two acrylic panels. The polymer—a light-emitting compound dubbed polynaphthalene-alt-vinylene—absorbs light from the sun and other sources before channeling it toward the solar panel–lined edges of each pane.
Although the windows generate less energy than contemporary solar panels, they can work nonstop, absorbing light from all sources, day and night. “Even indoors, if you hold up a panel, you can see very strong photoluminescence on the edge,” said postdoc researcher and lead author Yilin Li in a university press release. [Rice University]
Founded in 2018 by materials engineer Nzambi Matee, the Nairobi, Kenya–based startup Gjenge Makers is transforming waste plastic into building materials. Initially founded to collect and sort plastics to sell to recycling companies, the startup found itself with more plastic than the recycling companies could purchase. So it decided to make its own solution. By mixing plastic waste with a binding sand at high temperatures, the startup creates a thick paste that it then compresses into durable bricks. The resulting pavers can "hold twice the weight threshold of concrete blocks," according to the company's website. The product comes in an array of colors and thicknesses, from 60 millimeters (ideal for roads) to 30 millimeters (suitable for pedestrian walkways). To date, the company has recycled upwards of 20 tons of plastic, and created 112 jobs for the local community. [Gjenge Makers]
The Architectural League of New York has announced its 2021 Emerging Voices, spotlighting eight North American individuals and firms "with distinct design voices that have the potential to influence the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design," according to the organization. Read more about the winners, who will participate in the Emerging Voices virtual lecture series beginning March 11. [ARCHITECT]
Researchers from the University of Maryland, the University of Colorado, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Products Laboratory have created a transparent wood with the hope of replacing clear glass lites in windows. Due to the embodied energy of glass (producing it generates approximately 25,000 metric tons of emissions each year) and its low insulating values, conventional glazing leaves something to be desired. The research team created transparent wood by bleaching low-density balsa wood and perforating the wood with polyvinyl alcohol, a synthetic polymer that essentially renders the wood transparent. Thanks to the cellulose structure of wood, the panes are less energy intensive, but more lightweight, durable, and thermally efficient than glass. [USDA]
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed nearly every aspect of daily life and work, including how and what architects design. But, now that vaccines are slowly making their way into arms around the world, ARCHITECT wonders: What will post-pandemic architecture actually look like? In ARCHITECT's January/February cover story, contributor Gideon Fink Shapiro asks leading firms how they're reimagining six different design typologies for this new era. [ARCHITECT]
The New York–based webcam technology provider EarthCam has released its footage of the Feb. 17 implosion of the Trump Casino and Hotel in Newark, N.J. [EarthCam]
"Regenerative grazing" is the umbrella term for agricultural practices aimed at suffusing soil with organic matter, revitalizing the soil and creating healthier plots of land. Some of this organic matter takes the form of carbon, reaffirming soil's potential as a carbon sink, which could be a boon for ranchers given President Biden's proposal to pay farmers for storing carbon. But how efficient is this practice? The New York Times dives into the question. [The New York Times]
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a self-healing sealant with a number of potential applications. The Autonomous Self-healing and Highly Adhesive Elastomer has a high adhesion strength, unlike many extant self-healing adhesives. "This advanced building material could extend product life, minimizing the need for costly and inefficient maintenance projects," states a DOE press release. "By maintaining its adhesion and strength after self-healing, the ASHA-Elastomer could minimize inefficiencies caused by performance loss." [Department of Energy]
Designed by the Seattle-based firm LMN Architects, the Grand Avenue Park Bridge in Everett, Wash., is both robust and ethereal. The concrete-and-steel project connects a small park to the city's historic docks, making the bridge a "celebration of movement and urban life," according to ARCHITECT contributing editor Ian Volner. Read more about the project, featured as ARCHITECT's January/February typology project, and listen to Volner's conversation with LMN in Episode 59 of the ARCHITECT Podcast Network. [ARCHITECT]
Just how good are the latest sustainability design platforms? ARCHITECT columnist Blaine Brownell, FAIA, test-drives Pharos, Declare, and Mindful Materials through the perspective of a designer, evaluating each tool's accessibility and utility. [ARCHITECT]
Structural engineering pioneer Leslie Robertson has died at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy that includes the World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center. The American Institute of Steel Construction mourned the loss, calling Robertson a "giant whose work will continue to speak volumes for generations to come." [ARCHITECT]
