High Performing Buildings – March’s Roundup
ThisWeekinFM’s high performing buildings roundup features projects in the Czech Republic, including an environmentally conscious building for a forest management...
Read Full ArticleThis month we are rounding up the most innovative residential properties.
Our homes have taken on a new role in our lives. Several lockdowns and the working from home revolution means that we have been inside our own four walls more than ever over the past two years.
Let's take a look at some of the most exciting new developments in residential buildings:
Over in the Czech Republic, a house has become the first in the country to be built using hempcrete: House LO.
Hempcrete is a relatively new material that mixes hemp shiv with a lime binder. Using it in buildings helps to fight damp, as it provides “a natural, vapour-permeable, airtight insulation material which also has great thermal mass.” It’s also recyclable and fire-resistant.
According to UK Hempcrete, the material is ideal for upgrading the thermal performance of older historic buildings. It is particularly suitable for repairing timber frame infill panels, or adding insulation to solid masonry walls, and works in harmony with the original building fabric in traditional buildings to prevent moisture from becoming trapped in the wall.
House LO is also covered with a green carpet, so that the house merges with nature and is well insulated.
Picture: a photograph of the exterior of House LO. Image Credit: LINKA.
Closer to home in London, Agar Grove in Camden is the UK’s largest Passivhaus project, providing 493 affordable homes for new and existing tenants.
HawkinsBrown, Mae and Grant Associates’ masterplan is based upon the traditional concept of “streets and squares” with an emphasis on buildings which have front doors at street level, creating livable spaces between them, and allowing people to move across, through and within the site.
The overarching desire is to create a place where people want to live, and contributes positively to the surrounding area.
Using a ‘fabric-first’ approach to energy performance and human comfort, the estate will use passive heat sources to cover much of the heat demand. The remaining heat is provided by the supplied air, and is sufficient as a heat source because the house has such reduced heat losses.
This will reduce the need for space heating and can reduce heating bills by 90 per cent compared with conventional homes.
Picture: a photograph of the entire Agar Grove estate. Image Credit: Hawkins/Brown
In New York, family-centric living has been prioritised at 200 Amsterdam on Manhattan’s Upper West Side
Architecture and interior space experts CetraRuddy have included a Little Composers’ Room in the complex. This is a space to promote creative musical play for children and is adjacent to soundproof rehearsal rooms.
CetraRuddy describes the complex as “capturing the splendour of pre-war living”, with distinctive entryways, stately kitchens and marble-clad bathrooms.
Nancy Ruddy, Co-Founding Principal and Executive Director of interior design at CetraRuddy, told World Architecture News about how designers are accommodating the needs of facilities in residential spaces:
“Cities like New York are starting to see the next iteration of ‘family buildings,’ condominiums that offer a special urban experience while still providing important features for both parents and children and offering a strong sense of home. Designing a building that appeals to this group of buyers requires a clear focus on meeting their criteria for comfort, access, and quality of life and wellbeing.”
Picture: a photograph of the Little Composer’s Room Image Credit: 200 Amsterdam.
Main Picture: a photograph of House LO’s kitchen. Image Credit: LINKA.
Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 25 November 2021
ThisWeekinFM’s high performing buildings roundup features projects in the Czech Republic, including an environmentally conscious building for a forest management...
Read Full ArticleAs building owners race to offer tenants unique and compelling spaces, a New York real estate development company is blurring the lines between work and recreation with...
Read Full ArticleWith real estate being one of the highest costs for law firms after salaries, how can workplace managers create a valuable space where legal professionals actually want...
Read Full ArticleThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup features more regional winners from the British Council for Offices awards. Winners from the Midlands and...
Read Full ArticleStony Brook University in New York is set to open a new, net-zero campus to address the climate crisis. On Governors’ Island, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and...
Read Full ArticleLondon’s most outstanding workplaces have been announced, with British Council for Offices Awards going to seven sites. Held at the London Hilton on Park Lane,...
Read Full ArticleThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup includes a cube-shaped skyscraper, a building based on a classic fairytale and one of the first UK new builds to...
Read Full ArticleThe possibilities of large-scale 3D printing have been demonstrated in the construction of El Cosmico, a campground hotel in Marfa, Texas. Hotel designer Liz...
Read Full ArticleThis month’s high performing buildings roundup looks at shortlisted projects in the RIBA Regional Awards, which celebrate great architecture across the...
Read Full ArticleGensler has created a top-ten list of meta trends and design strategies that will affect the built environment over the next decade and beyond. Watch the...
Read Full Article