Lab-grown bricks offer potential low-carbon building material

A team of students at the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed a process to grow bricks using bacteria.

The process, which works at room temperature, offers a new low-carbon way to fabricate bricks. The brick-growing process starts by introducing bacteria to a nutrient broth.

Recycled sand or demolition waste can be mixed in to create the Bio-Brick. The result is a product that is as strong and affordable as bricks traditionally used in construction sites today and can easily be grown onsite for any project, the product’s developers say.

The technology, still in the prototype phase, was named a runner-up for the James Dyson Award.

Consumers are making lifestyle choices with wellness in mind, which ignites in them a feeling of purpose and a sense of motivation. That’s the conclusion that the architecture and design firm MG2 draws from a survey of 1,182 U.S. adult consumers the firm conducted last December about retail design and what consumers want in healthier shopping experiences.

Sustainability | Apr 4, 2024

Skanska Elevates Commitment to Sustainability

Skanska, a global leader in sustainable building, has restructured its Sustainability Team to better serve client and company goals. Co-led by Steve Clem and Myrrh Caplan, who together bring decades of experience, the team will allow Skanska to continue to set the bar for the industry.

Codes and Standards | Apr 4, 2024

How Washington, D.C.'s Zero Waste DC Plan impacts building owners and design professionals

On February 8, 2024, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented the Zero Waste DC Plan to the Council, outlining policies, programs, and initiatives to meet the District’s aim of reducing per capita waste generation by 15% and transitioning from a disposable culture to a circular economy. Of the 43 actions in the plan, a handful are essential for building owners and design professionals to know about now.

Healthcare Facilities | Apr 3, 2024

Foster + Partners, CannonDesign unveil design for Mayo Clinic campus expansion

A redesign of the Mayo Clinic’s downtown campus in Rochester, Minn., centers around two new clinical high-rise buildings. The two nine-story structures will reach a height of 221 feet, with the potential to expand to 420 feet.

Westview High School in Omaha, Neb., includes a YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community Photo: James Steinkamp Photography, courtesy Perkins&Will

K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2024

High school includes YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community

In Omaha, Neb., a public high school and a YMCA come together in one facility, connecting the school with the broader community. The 285,000-sf Westview High School, programmed and designed by the team of Perkins&Will and architect of record BCDM Architects, has its own athletic facilities but shares a pool, weight room, and more with the 30,000-sf YMCA.

Market Data | Apr 1, 2024

Nonresidential construction spending dips 1.0% in February, reaches $1.179 trillion

National nonresidential construction spending declined 1.0% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.179 trillion.

Affordable Housing | Apr 1, 2024

Biden Administration considers ways to influence local housing regulations

The Biden Administration is considering how to spur more affordable housing construction with strategies to influence reform of local housing regulations.