EcoLogicStudio turns algae into air-purifying biopolymer "tree"
Design practice EcoLogicStudio has turned algae into a biodegradable biopolymer, from which it has "grown" a 3D-printed, 10-metre-tall tree that carries out photosynthesis. More
-
Bentley Home collection features table made from paper marble
Bentley has collaborated with designer Frederico Peri and Italian company Paper Factor to produce a marble-like table that is actually made from paper and was unveiled during Milan design week. More
The Mills Fabrica to host design talks at London Craft Week
Dezeen has teamed up with innovation platform The Mills Fabrica to livestream a number of talks that explore design solutions to planet-related issues on 11 May 2023 as part of London Craft Week. More
Grimshaw and UEL develop Sugarcrete blocks that "could replace the traditional brick industry"
Architecture studio Grimshaw and the University of East London have collaborated to create Sugarcrete, a biomaterial construction block with an interlocking shape made from the sugarcane by-product bagasse. More
Natural Material Studio creates "flexible and organic" Brick Textiles
Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio and designer Zuzanna Skurka have created an installation at Milan design week from soft bio textiles made from surplus bricks. More
Ten different and everyday uses for bioplastics
A sequinned Stella McCartney bodysuit and styrofoam cups made from mealworms feature in this roundup highlighting innovative design projects that make use of bioplastics. More
Nike unveils period-conscious England women's kit with blue shorts
Sportswear brand Nike has unveiled home and away kits for the England women's football team, which both include blue shorts after players voiced concerns about wearing white while on their period. More
Modern Synthesis uses bacteria to create biomaterial fabric
Biotechnology company Modern Synthesis has developed a biomaterial from bacterial fermentation that can be used to create a low-carbon alternative to traditional clothing fabrics. More
Researchers develop solution that could make carbon capture three times more efficient
In an "urgently needed" discovery that could revolutionise direct air capture, researchers from Lehigh University have found a way to potentially make the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere cheaper and more efficient. More
Henn and TU Dresden complete world's first carbon concrete building
German architecture firm Henn and the Technical University of Dresden have completed the world's first building made of carbon concrete – a form of concrete reinforced with carbon fibre instead of steel. More
"Chameleon-like" facade material could help to heat and cool buildings
Researchers from the University of Chicago have invented a cladding material that changes colour to help with heating or cooling and could be retrofitted to improve buildings' energy efficiency. More
Invisible solar panels "finally allow cultural heritage to access solar energy"
Italian company Dyaqua, which has developed a way to produce solar panels so that they resemble the barrel clay tiles common on the roofs of buildings in Italy, has said the technology is important for the sustainable redevelopment of historical sites. More
Now or Never exhibition visualises the carbon emissions of common materials
Swedish furniture designer Emma Olbers has created the Now or Never – 1kg CO2e exhibition at Stockholm Furniture Fair to showcase the climate impact of materials commonly used in architecture and furniture design. More
Seven alternative bricks made of reclaimed waste and biomaterials
Expanded cork, construction waste and human urine feature in this roundup of brick alternatives, designed to reduce the masonry unit's embodied carbon footprint. More
Plantd Materials creates OSB board alternative from processed grass
North Carolina firm Plantd Materials has developed a material consisting of processed perennial grasses that it says will be lighter and stronger than traditional timber boards while capturing more carbon.
More
Municipal waste used to form low-carbon brick for Design Museum Gent extension
Architecture studios Carmody Groarke and TRANS Architectuur Stedenbouw have collaborated with material researchers to develop a brick made from local construction waste, which will be used to build the new wing of the Design Museum Gent. More
England bans single-use plastic plates and cutlery to limit "devastating" pollution
The sale of single-use plastic tableware and certain takeaway containers will be prohibited in England starting this autumn, the UK government has announced. More
MIT and Harvard researchers find secret to "self-healing" Roman concrete
Researchers from MIT and Harvard claim to have solved the mystery behind the durability of ancient Rome's concrete structures, and are now aiming to bring a modern version of the recipe to the market. More
PlasticFree is a database of over 100 plastic alternatives for designers and architects
Environmental organisation A Plastic Planet has launched an online platform to help architects and designers source plastic-free materials for their projects and avoid the "minefield of misinformation" around more sustainable alternatives. More
Eight innovative materials and products made from salvaged seashells
From concrete-like building materials to restaurant crockery made from the eateries' own food scraps, this roundup explores eight projects created using discarded shells. More