Norwegian firm Snøhetta has partnered with Norwegian startup Saferock to pilot and market a more sustainable concrete using the latter's patented geopolymer concrete technology. Production of cement, the binder of conventional concrete, is responsible for 8% of the world's carbon emissions; meanwhile, the carbon footprint of producing geopolymers is 70% less than that of traditional cement. Snøhetta and Saferock aim to produce a fully carbon-neutral concrete, piloting and scaling up production of the sustainable material over the next four years.
"The next step will be to ensure that the technology and materials are a part of a circular ecosystem," according to Snøhetta's press release announcing the project. "This will truly impact the industry's environmental footprint." [Snøhetta]
May 31 marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, during which a white mob attacked the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Okla., decimating a thriving Black community and murdering hundreds of Black residents. The New York Times recreates Greenwood's lost residents, homes, and prosperity through an interactive 3D model, introducing readers to experience the community before its violent destruction. Although many details of the event were "willingly buried in history," NYT reporters used census data, city directories, newspaper articles, and survivor testimonies to build a detailed account of Greenwood before its destruction, highlighting the "people who made up the neighborhood and contributed to its vibrancy." [The New York Times]
Berlin-based Dom Publishers has released an architectural guide to sub-Saharan Africa. Written and edited by Philipp Meuser and Adil Dalbai, the seven-volume series aims to detail the region's building culture through 850 buildings and 200-plus articles that reveal a "multifaceted picture of Africa’s architecture in the twenty-first century, a discipline shaped by traditional and colonial roots as well as today’s global interconnections and challenges," according to a Dom press release. [Fast Company]
Researchers from New York University's Tandon School of Engineering have developed a process that could streamline the production of perovskite solar cells, potentially paving a path that would make them competitive with more traditional silicon-based photovoltaic cells. The research uses carbon dioxide instead of oxygen to more efficiently and reliably dope (or change the holes and electrons in the semiconductors) the solar cells. [New York University]
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has partnered with Baldwin Park, Calif.–based building materials manufacturer and supplier Eso Surfaces for a collection of textile blocks and 3D cement tiles inspired by architect himself. The textured blocks draw direct inspiration from Wright's most iconic projects, including the Ennis House and the Storer House, both in Los Angeles. [Eso Surfaces]
In more Frank Lloyd Wright news, June 8 will mark the architect's 154th birthday. Explore his architectural legacy in trade publications thanks to the Building Technology Heritage Library. [ARCHITECT]
After a tumultuous six-year run, construction technology startup Katerra will close, ceasing U.S. operations and firing over 2,400 employees without severance pay. [ARCHITECT]
Columnist Blaine Brownell, FAIA, dives into a trove of promising research on jammed structures and other types of aleatory architectures. [ARCHITECT]
Project management software company Monograph has announced an additional $7.4 million in funding to expand its engineering and design teams, bringing its total funding to $9.3 million. [ARCHITECT]
