NEWS

The Tower at PNC Plaza is a 32- story office building. The design of this building set a new standard for sustainable skyscrapers, devising an innovative, low-energy strategy to heat and cool the building. From its one-of-a-kind, breathable double skin to its innovative workplace strategy, the LEED® Platinum-certified tower drives building performance to new levels.

For […]

Many choose the place they live based on the proximity to where they work, balancing affordability with lifestyle choices. If, following the COVID-19 crisis, people are going to work much more from home, what does this mean for cities?
1. Workplace environment – demands to continue working from home will lead to re-thinking office space.
Post the […]

Working from home, with our office in Amsterdam closed, UNStudio’s Futures team is taking this time to reflect on the impacts this extended crisis will have on urban life-as-a-we-know-it. We realise that, when it comes to spatial planning and design, now is the time to take stock. What essential services, systems, and infrastructures must we […]

To help determine the effect of this economic slow down on the construction industry, 35 industry experts talked about their take on how their business is impacted, and what their thoughts are for the future.

Some highlights from the report include:

Many projects are proceeding, but some are experiencing interruptions

Delivery of materials and supplies is […]

Life has been a whirlwind since we first heard the term COVID-19. Over a few short weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has posed profound health concerns and an array of challenges and disruptions, from canceled events and school closures to supply shortages and financial uncertainty.

The impact of the pandemic on the economy has also been in […]

According to a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report, the last time carbon dioxide levels were this high was 3 million years ago “when temperature was 2°–3°C (3.6°–5.4°F) higher than during the pre-industrial era, and sea level was 15–25 meters (50–80 feet) higher than today.”

That period, the Pilocene Era, is unrecognizable from today. […]

155 cities have committed to 100% community-wide renewable energy;
15 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have official targets to get over 50%of their electricity from clean resources;
Businesses are going beyond merely purchasing renewable energy to investing in battery storage, pairing electric vehicle charging with renewables and matching energy consumption to renewable resources […]

This year’s risks landscape is green. The backdrop of geopolitical and geo-economic tensions in 2019 sparked unease as the world grappled with “challenges” such as environmental degradation and technological disruption. Fast forward to 2020, and there is a climate emergency.

The top five global risks in terms of likelihood and severity of impact are:

Extreme […]

Most of the times urban progress is related to a wrecking ball, going hand in hand with dynamite and dust clouds as the politicians’ favourite way of showing that things are being done. But what if we stopping knocking things down? What if every existing building had to be preserved, adapted and reused, and new […]

In the challenging quest to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, experts are turning to a solution that’s as old as the trees: actual trees. Nature-based solutions are finding their place in food production, disease prevention, air filtration, water purification, waste minimization and other processes.

“Nature-based solutions are interventions which use nature and the […]