Climeworks Orca facility
courtesy Climeworks Climeworks Orca facility

Just one month following the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's dismal report, the Swiss carbon capture company Climeworks has officially opened Orca, "the world’s largest direct air capture and storage plant that permanently removes CO₂ from the air," according to the company. Located in western Iceland, the carbon dioxide–removal facility runs on renewable energy and can capture up to 4,000 tons of carbon each year using modular collectors. The units suck in air through large fans, channeling it through a "highly selective filter material" that removes the carbon while containing it in the unit. The carbon is heated and released from the filter in a pure form that Climeworks collects and pumps deep underground. There, the carbon dioxide mineralizes naturally, turning to stone within years, according to the company. [Climeworks]

In more carbon capture news, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a process that makes carbon capture cheaper and transforms captured carbon dioxide into methane, which will ultimately lower the price of natural gas. The development relies on EEMPA, a chemical that binds to carbon dioxide and makes it easier to convert into methane. “Right now a large fraction of the natural gas used in the U.S. has to be pumped out of the ground, and demand is expected to increase over time, even under climate change mitigation pathways," said lead researcher Jotheeswari Kothandaraman in a PNNL press release. "The methane produced by this process—made using waste CO₂ and renewably sourced hydrogen—could offer an alternative for utilities and consumers looking for natural gas with a renewable component and a lower carbon footprint.” [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory]

An AECOM-designed replacement for Washington D.C.'s 71-year-old Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge opened today to vehicular traffic. Named for the famed abolitionist, writer, and reformer, the $480 million bridge spans 1,445 feet, making it D.C.'s largest infrastructure project. The project aims to revitalize the Anacostia River shoreline and strengthen the connection among the city's neighborhoods separated by the river with improved pedestrian and bicyclist access. [The Washington Post]

The design of the new Sixth Street Viaduct by Michael Maltzan Architecture and HNTB nods to the original viaduct's iconic double arches.
City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. / HNTB Corporation The design of the new Sixth Street Viaduct by Michael Maltzan Architecture and HNTB nods to the original viaduct's iconic double arches.

In more bridge news, ARCHITECT contributor Ian Volner speaks with Michael Maltzan, FAIA, on Los Angeles's new Sixth Street Viaduct, expected in fall 2022. The original structure was one of the most filmed works of infrastructure, appearing in everything from Grease to Hill Street Blues. [ARCHITECT]

In the two decades since Sept. 11, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, in New York, has received donations of 22,000 personal artifacts from survivors and the families and loved ones of the nearly 3,000 victims. The Associated Press provides a look at the collection and individual items, which are displayed in museums across the U.S., "provide a mosaic of lost lives and stories of survival: wallets, passports, baseball gloves, shoes, clothes, and rings." [The Associated Press]

The U.S. Department of Energy has published a study that outlines a potential rapid expansion of solar energy, "detailing the significant role solar will play in decarbonizing the nation’s power grid," according to a DOE press release. The "Solar Futures Study" shows that by 2035 solar energy could provide up to 40% of the nation's electricity and employ as many as 1.5 million people, all without raising the price of electricity. [Department of Energy]

Renzo Piano Building Workshop/A.M.P.A.S.

Involving individuals with disabilities in disaster preparation leads to better outcomes, according to humanitarian aid organizations working in Timor-Leste. [The Conversation]

Before the Renzo Piano Building Workshop– and Gensler-designed Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles iopens Sept. 30, its 11-story glass dome is getting a final cleaning. The Los Angeles Times takes a close look at the complicated job and the highly trained crew behind the window-cleaning process. [The Los Angeles Times]

Steel is a ubiquitous building material, but it's responsible for up to 11% of global carbon emissions. In his latest for ARCHITECT, columnist Blaine Brownell, FAIA, looks at the latest innovations aimed at reducing—or eliminating—steel's carbon footprint. [ARCHITECT]