Sustainability

When we think of energy from renewable sources, the first that probably come to mind are solar and wind. And decentralizing power generation is something that has inspired engineers and inventors from all over the world.

So what about turning the mechanical energy generated when people walk into electrical energy? It can be done thanks to technology developed by Laurence Kemball-Cook,founder of Pavegen. Using platforms inserted within sidewalks Pavegen converts steps into electric power (while also generating data and even rewards). But before you go out there feeling like Michael Jackson in Billie Jean, you should understand how this system works.

U House is located in the new development area in the suburb of Binh Duong, a growing industrial city in the South of Vietnam. The owner is particularly interested in the garden house in rural Central Vietnam and wanted to recreate the lifestyle that is in harmony with nature, often seen in this traditional residential typology. The challenge for us is to adapt the traditional design to this new setting.

Rwanda’s largest publicly funded project, Bugesera International Airport is on track to be the first certified green building in the region. A few pieces of this net zero emission complex include: a 30,000 square metre passenger terminal, 22 check-in counters, ten gates, and six passenger boarding bridges. Funded by Public Private Partnership, the project is cost estimated at $414 million USD. The international hub was only one of several initiatives discussed by the Africa Green Growth Forum (AGGF) in Kigali at the end of last year.

The V House design employs a simple ‘courtyard home’ concept, with the house embracing the irregular-shaped site boundaries to leverage the north-east orientation to the courtyard and connect to the water’s edge on the south (the ‘V’ stemming from the resultant plan form).

Green roofs are composed of a series of layers that allow vegetation to grow correctly, avoiding leaks that may cause damage to the structure of the building. Although there is a wide variety of options to build them, we’re presenting a system composed of a mortar base, a layer of asphalt emulsion, two waterproof asphalt membranes, a drainage layer, and the substrate that will allow the growth of plant species.