Urban Scribble

lifeinarchitecture: Waterfront cottage off the coast of...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:57:40 -0400

Waterfront cottage off the coast of Newfoundland. One of six studios designed by Mr. Saunder’s.

Architect: Todd Saunder’s

Location: Fogo Island, Newfoundland

designed-for-life: abluegirl: Living Wall These vegetated...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:55:15 -0400

designed-for-life:

abluegirl:

Living Wall

These vegetated surfaces don’t just look pretty. They have other benefits as well, including cooling city blocks, reducing loud noises, and improving a building’s energy efficiency.What’s more, a recent modeling study shows that green walls can potentially reduce large amounts of air pollution in what’s called a “street canyon,” or the corridor between tall buildings.

For the study, Thomas Pugh, a biogeochemist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, and his colleagues created a computer model of a green wall with generic vegetation in a Western European city. Then they recorded chemical reactions based on a variety of factors, such as wind speed and building placement.

The simulation revealed a clear pattern: A green wall in a street canyon trapped or absorbed large amounts of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—both pollutants harmful to people, said Pugh. Compared with reducing emissions from cars, little attention has been focused on how to trap or take up more of the pollutants, added Pugh, whose study was published last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

That’s why the green-wall study is “putting forward an alternative solution that might allow [governments] to improve air quality in these problem hot spots,” he said.Compared with reducing emissions from cars, little attention has been focused on how to trap or take up more of the pollutants, added Pugh, whose study was published last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

That’s why the green-wall study is “putting forward an alternative solution that might allow [governments] to improve air quality in these problem hot spots,” he said.

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Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:54:35 -0400

remash: house in joanopolis | tower ~ a arquitetos

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:52:24 -0400

remash:

house in joanopolis | tower ~ a arquitetos

exile-and-kingdom: Casa Debiasio Lugano Carabbia Mario Conte...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:11:51 -0400

exile-and-kingdom:

Casa Debiasio Lugano Carabbia

Mario Conte Architettura

ctrlftempsperdu: Parce qu’à Seville, le studio Jürgen Mayer a...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:09:14 -0400

ctrlftempsperdu:

Parce qu’à Seville, le studio Jürgen Mayer a conçu un ensemble de parasols géants, abritant un musée et des commerces.

dezeen: Pleats.M by Hironaka Ogawa Photography by Daici Ano

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:26:12 -0400

dezeen:

Pleats.M by Hironaka Ogawa

Photography by Daici Ano

kateoplis: The Floating Archipelago Cinema

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:19:10 -0400

kateoplis:

The Floating Archipelago Cinema

nevver: Utopias

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:16:15 -0400

nevver:

Utopias

subtilitas: Iñigo Beguiristain - Nursery school, Berriozar...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:14:15 -0400

subtilitas:

Iñigo Beguiristain - Nursery school, Berriozar 2012.Via, photos (C) Iñaki Bergera.

subtilitas: MGM Arquitectos - Cultural center and...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:07:27 -0400

subtilitas:

MGM Arquitectos - Cultural center and rehabilitation of the Carrión Roman theater, León 2013. Another amazing project out of this office. Via, photos (C) Jesús Granada.