Melbourne-based architecture firm C. Kairouz Architects recently completed The General, an eight-story building that’s said to be Australia’s first-ever large-scale residential structure to use photovoltaic glass on its facade. Located in the inner-suburb of Northcote in Melbourne, the building comprises 87 apartments as well as mixed-use commercial space on the first two floors. Thanks to photovoltaic glazing as well as […]
Photovoltaic Glass Clads Melbourne Residential Tower
Network Of Animal Sensors
The final pieces are now in place for an international effort to take wildlife tracking to a new level. The International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS) seeks to attach tiny transmitters to creatures in unprecedented numbers, with astronauts this week installing the antenna on the International Space Station (ISS) that will collate all the data and relay it […]
Worst Business Decisions of All Time
Worst Business Decisions of All Time? These are the top eight: The company that could have bought Google for under $1m Back in 1999, search engine Excite, one of the most well-known brands on the internet, turned down the opportunity to purchase Google for only $750k. Google went on to dominate the world and are now valued at around $367bn, while Excite were […]
Residents Paid To Go Car Free
In many cities across the U.S., owning a car to get around is inevitable due to issues surrounding city planning, urban sprawl, and limited public transportation. Especially in Miami, Florida, a place known for being a driving city, it’s not common for residents to be without a vehicle. Would you give up your car if it meant you could save […]
Eco Friendly Playgrounds For Kids
Astoria Heights Playground doesn’t look any different from your standard jungle gym. It has swings and slides, plus plenty of benches where tired parents can catch their breath. Kids cover the ground in chalk doodles, just like they do everywhere else, and occasionally scrape their knees on the ramps. But there’s something unique about this Queens playground and no, it’s […]
Recycling Glass Waste Into Bricks
At 32, Aimable Mutabazi already has his own construction and brick manufacturing company — but his bricks aren’t quite like the ones that hold up so many homes. The engineer started thinking about a better brick when he was still a sophomore at the University of Rwanda, wondering if there was a way to use waste as a raw material. […]
Making Objects Smart
“Smart” internet-connected devices could indeed make life easier for us, but the things do typically have to be equipped with battery-powered electronics. That may not necessarily be the case for much longer, however, if the Wi-Fi-based LiveTag system reaches fruition. Developed by a team at the University of California San Diego, the system incorporates simple low-cost tags that can be […]
Tokyo Houses In Narrow Streets
The narrow dead-end streets that stop and start through the city blocks of Tokyo are a distinctive, if not entirely useful, part of the city landscape. Rather than closing itself off to these pint-sized cul-de-sacs, Pluszero’s recently completed House in Ouji opens itself right up. Half of the home resembles an extension of the road while serving as an owner’s […]
Get To Know Your Neighbourhood More With This App
The multi-billion-dollar real estate data giant Trulia is going hyperlocal across America this month with the launch of an enhanced digital experience for its free app. The new project is called Trulia Neighborhoods and it’s the result of a research project into what life is like in cities around the U.S. The Trulia Neighborhoods experience aims to amalgamate local knowledge […]
Regular Wifi Can Help Detect Bombs In Bags
For the last couple of decades, security measures in places like airports, schools, stadiums, and other public venues have continuously ramped up. X-ray machines, surveillance cameras, and bag searches have all become commonplace, but still concealed weapons, bombs, and explosive can slip through the cracks — sometimes with tragically devastating effect. Looking for a new way to help solve this […]