University of Maine develops first 100 percent bio-based, 3D-printed home

The first bio-based, 3D-printed, 55.7-m2 (600-sf) prototype house has been developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy by University of Maine (UMaine). It features 3D-printed floors, and walls, and a roof of wood fibers and bio-resins; and it is fully recyclable.

Seattle’s Ocean Pavilion brings marine conservation, sustainability to the forefront

The ongoing construction of the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion is minimizing the use of toxic and ecologically harmful materials such as plastics, vinyls, biocides, and other red-list materials throughout to create a public monument geared to environmental sustainability and marine conservation.

Carbon-absorbing building design may soon be a buildable reality

The visionary concept of a carbon-absorbing building may soon be a buildable reality, based on a reductive approach to construction—rather than the typical additive one, which builds a structure first and adds to it—plus materials that sap carbon from the surroundings, and low embodied carbon materials.

OSHA reveals top 10 construction safety violations for 2022

United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced its Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2022. Lack of adequate fall protection comes out as top safety violation for the 12th year in a row.

Considerations for using aluminum-framed interior wall systems

For commercial offices, retail, and hospitality spaces, government centers, school classrooms, and other interior buildouts, architects and interior designers can pair aluminum framing systems with glass or other insert panels to balance connectivity and transparency with productivity and privacy.

Concrete carbon emissions: Real challenges, real opportunities

Concrete is a tremendously useful and flexible material: building foundations, roads, walkways, bridges, and other infrastructure utilize concrete for its strength, durability, and plasticity in formation. Concrete also has relatively low-embodied carbon per unit volume when compared to other building materials, but, because of its utility, modern construction uses a lot of it.