Our monthly tour around the world of architecture and design takes us to Belgium, where circular construction is on the rise and the role of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in construction is growing. We also look forward to the Spanish ediFica seminar on passive housing, zoom in on an Italian study on living in a post-climate change world and we take a look at a new winery design, inspired by the biological fermentation process.
Circular construction is on the Belgian agenda
Circular construction is one of the main challenges of the construction sector in the near future. In Belgium, the success of the Green Deal Circular Construction project is showing that circularity has huge potential. The Green Deal, which is an initiative by Flanders Circular, OVAM and the Flemish Construction Organisation, is pushing companies to experiment with circularity. The goal is to give innovation a boost and create a greener, more circular construction sector. More than 350 Flemish companies and organizations have committed to the project. This has led to an impressive number of more than 160 unique projects that create new applications and principles on many levels. Read more about the project
here.(in Dutch). Making circular construction the standard building method is one of Deceuninck main focuses of today. With the Phoenix project - a 100% recycled window and door profile series currently launching in Benelux - and the Deceuninck recycling factory in Diksmuide, the company is sharing its strong intentions and green ambitions.
AI in construction is becoming a (virtual) reality
The Belgian federal department of Economy recently launched a campaign to make SMEs and the self-employed more familiar with artificial intelligence (AI). As part of the campaign, which runs all the way to November 2021, the federal department is looking for best practices to invigorate the message. SMEs and self-employed construction workers who use AI or have made use of the technology, are invited to share their experiences. Find out more
here (in Dutch). Deceuninck is determined to lead by example and is currently investing greatly in the development of a virtual training module for its extrusion department. With this educational VR tool the company is providing employees with basic technical training, allowing them to get to know the processes. Read more about this VR training program
here.
Spanish manufacturers share passive housing ideas at ediFica 2021
‘ediFica’ is the name of a seminar and exhibition on passive housing and low emission building products, held in the Spanish city of Pamplona from 1 to 3 September 2021. The event was born within the Passivhaus Consortium as a way to promote sustainable and healthy passivhaus construction in Spain. Professionals and visitors will meet at the Jardines de la Ciudadela exhibition area in Pamplona to share ideas and contribute to the future of low emission construction. Many manufacturers including Deceuninck will be present to make their commitment known and share some of their relevant passive housing projects. Read more about the event
here (in Spanish).
Adapting our homes to a post-climate change era
Climate change is already affecting the way we live, and its impact will only continue to grow. This made the international architecture agency W-LAB wonder: how will we live in the post-climate change era? What will our houses look like, in a scenario characterized by natural disasters and calamities? To offer us an answer, W-LAB designed self-sufficient homes which will make it possible to live in extreme situations. If high temperatures and natural disasters will one day reign on our planet, we humans must find a way to adapt to these new conditions. We will be forced to rethink not only where we can live, but also how we can survive with minimal resources available. The architects of W-LAB developed a proposal for the perfect habitat in this fascinating post-climate change future. Find out more
here (in Italian).
Czech winery takes inspiration from wine’s fermentation process
The famous Czech architecture studio CHYBIK + KRISTOF Architects & Urban Designers has revealed interesting conceptual plans for a new winery that is inspired by the biological process of fermentation of wine, leading to an amazing sinuous geometry. The project is still in a design stage, but the winery has the ambition to have a big influence on contemporary architecture. “We wanted to capture the essence of wine production," says architect Ondřej Chybík."We fermented the pressed grapes and watched the escaping carbon dioxide form various shapes in the mixture. We photographed this concoction and converted it into digital form.” The winery is planned to be built in South Moravian, the fourth largest region of the Czech Republic. Read more
here.