Hasta La Ideas

Design graduate Kukbong Kim has developed a paint made from demolished concrete that is capable of absorbing 20 per cent of its weight in carbon.

Called Celour, the paint can sequester 27 grams of CO2 for every 135 grams of paint used.

“That is the same amount of carbon dioxide that a normal tree absorbs per day,” Kim said.

The indoor-outdoor paint is made of waste concrete powder, a cement-based residue from concrete recycling that is normally buried in landfills, where it can alkalise the soil and have a detrimental effect on local ecosystems.

Through a chemical process called mineral carbonation, which takes place when the paint reacts with the CO2 in the surrounding air, Kim says Celour can reabsorb a significant part of the emissions that were generated by producing the cement in the first place.

Eventually, she hopes to optimise the capturing capacity of the paint so that it completely negates the carbon footprint of the cement it is made from.

“I think it is too early to describe Celour as carbon neutral,” Kim said. “It needs further study but I want to make it a carbon-negative product. That is my goal.”

“It’s not enough if we just stop emissions, as we already have high levels of CO2 in the air,” she added. “We need to participate in CO2 removal in our daily lives.”

Concrete naturally reabsorbs some of the carbon it emits

Cement is the most carbon-intensive ingredient in concrete and is responsible for eight per cent of global emissions.

But when concrete is recycled, only the aggregate is reused while the cement binder is pulverised to create waste concrete powder and sent to landfill, where it can disturb the pH balance of the surrounding soil.

“Waste concrete powder is high in calcium oxide,” Kim explained. “And when it is buried and comes into contact with groundwater or water in the soil, it turns into calcium hydroxide, which is strongly alkaline.”

With her graduate project from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, the designer hopes to show the usefulness of this industrial waste material by maximising its natural ability to capture carbon.

Studies have shown that cement already reabsorbs around 43 per cent of the CO2 that is generated in its production through the mineral carbonation process.

This is set off when concrete is cured by adding water, which reacts with the calcium oxide in the cement and the CO2 in the air to form a stable mineral called calcium carbonate or limestone.

A traditional concrete block continues to cure throughout its life but because this process is reliant on exposure to air, only its outer layers will react with the CO2 while its core will remain uncarbonated.

Celour could store carbon for thousands of years

But Kim was able to improve the material’s carbon-capturing capabilities by turning the waste concrete pounder into a paint, mixed with a binder, water and pigments.

This is spread thinly on a surface so that more of the material is exposed to the air and can carbonate.

In addition, the coarse powder was further filtered and pulverised to increase the relative surface area of the particles while a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder creates small gaps for air to enter.

“I have done a lot of experiments with different ingredients to maximise carbon absorption by increasing the surface area that comes into contact with carbon dioxide in the air,” she explained.

“Graphene, which can capture lots of carbon thanks to its structure, was also considered as a binder but excluded because it is currently priced high and cannot be mass-produced.”

Cement has long been used to create traditional paint, which is also capable of sequestering CO2. But Kim hopes to harness these carbon-capturing benefits while keeping a polluting waste material out of landfills and avoiding the emissions associated with making new cement.

How long the paint is capable of storing carbon is dependent on what happens to it after it is no longer needed. But Kim says it could be locked away for thousands of years unless exposed to extreme heat, which would alter the chemical structure of the carbonate.

As part of our carbon revolution series, Dezeen has profiled a number of carbon capture and utilisation companies that are working on turning captured CO2 into useful products from bioplastic cladding to protein powder and concrete masonry units.

The post Carbon-capturing Celour paint allows anyone to “participate in CO2 removal in their daily lives” appeared first on Dezeen.

When you can’t go on a cruise, you bring the cruise home – literally! The Sail House is a spacious, self-sufficient, nautical-themed home with a unique form inspired by large white sails on ships. It is designed by Los Angeles-based architect David Hertz who is celebrated for sustainable architecture. Sail House was also selected as the 2021 Architizer A+Awards Jury Winner for Residential/Private House!

Sail House has a central structure called the main house with several guest houses bordering it and all nestled on the lush Bequia Island in the Caribbean – didn’t I say it literally brings a cruise home? Since the Caribbean is a notoriously difficult area to source building materials, the team made sure that the entire project – the main house and the guesthouses – were prefabricated offsite, flat-packed, and delivered in 15 shipping containers. This ensured minimal site impact to the sensitive ecosystem and was nearly zero waste which is important because otherwise, the construction waste would have had to be transported out of the island which would increase emissions.

The luxurious home was named after its eye-catching tensile roofs inspired by the history of sailing on the island. “The main inspiration for the Sail House was a wooden boat with its masts and sails, the expressed stainless steel rigging and hardware, which is referenced in the home,” said Hertz. The roof membranes also act as a rain collection system by funneling water into a concrete foundation for storage. This nifty system provides for 100% of water needs and the air pulled from the stored water is then used to cool the space when needed. Additionally, the cantilevered roofline provides more shade and ventilation to increase cooling naturally. The electricity needs are covered by solar panels.

Both the interior and exterior of Sail House include natural construction materials such as woven palm, coconut shell fragments and surfaces crafted by Javanese and Balinese artisans. “Sustainability was one of the main goals of the Sail House project. The non-corrosive and termite-resistant aluminum structural system is wrapped in reclaimed ironwood planks recycled from an abandoned pier in Borneo, as are the plank floors, decks, and the vertical louvers that control low sun and prevailing breezes,” Hertz explained. It is truly one of the most beautiful, resilient, and functional homes I’ve seen that flawlessly balances luxury with sustainability!

Designer: David Hertz Architects

The first true wireless earbuds to be certified by Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, Logitech’s Zone True Wireless Earbuds were made specifically for online meetings.

It seems like every company with even the smallest connection to audio gear has its own TWS earbuds. Whether they’re designed to be affordable, or high-definition, or to have active noise-canceling, or to work perfectly with your phone or the rest of your wearable gear, every company wants a slice of the TWS pie, and more often than not, they just get drowned out because of the sheer competition… and Logitech seems to have understood that. Rather than jumping onto the bandwagon, Logitech decided to build the scenario before building the product. Meet the Logitech Zone Truly Wireless – earbuds designed and calibrated for work and business.

The earbuds can be paired with your laptop as well as your smartphone so you can go about your day from either device, whether it’s watching training videos or listening to music while you work, answering calls, or even attending online meetings. They’re designed to work seamlessly with common calling applications across most platforms and operating systems, and are certified by Microsoft for Teams and Skype for Business, by Google for Meet, and by Zoom.

Each earphone is equipped with a 3-microphone array – one to pick up your voice, and two more beamforming microphones to actively cancel out any noise. If you’re in a windy part of your home (or even if you’re outdoors for a bit while attending a meeting), a wind-blocking fabric on the outside helps cut out the gushing sound of wind, for a better audio experience not just for you, but for everyone else on the call.

The earphones can be controlled via the Logi Tune app on your phone or desktop. The app allows you to calibrate sound thanks to a 5-band equalizer, and even mute-unmute your microphone directly without needing to look for the appropriate button on your video-calling app/program. They boast of a 6-hour battery life, enough to last through even the longest meetings, and an overall of 24-hours with the charging case. If you’re running low on battery and you really need to enter a call, a mere 5-hours of charging within the case will give you one full hour of use. Oh, and the case wirelessly charges too!

The earphones come in two contemporary colors, black and a light pink, and they’re designed to discreetly fit into your ears without hanging out and looking too obvious like your AirPods. Moreover, you can use them outside work too (they’re great for listening to music) and even at the gym, since they’re rated IP68 water and dust resistant. The Logitech Zone True Wireless Earbuds will go on sale this fall for $299.

Designer: Logitech

House-shaped openings and cheerful hues are found in a New York daycare centre designed by American firms BAAO and 4|MATIV.

The Mi Casita Preschool and Cultural Center is located within a new mixed-use development in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood. The 3,500-square-foot (325-square-metre) space was designed collaboratively by local firms BAAO and 4|MATIV.

The goal was to create a space that embodied the school’s mission of being a “home away from home” and celebrated the different cultures that coexist in Brooklyn.

The centre features several rooms that are loosely organised around an L-shaped trough, which functions as both a bathroom sink and a social gathering spot. Natural light flows in through large, street-facing windows.

The space features simple and clean finishes, including white walls and pale maple flooring. Pops of colour are incorporated throughout.

“Colour is used for dramatic effect throughout the space,” the team said. “Turquoise on the ceiling and light globes give the sense of being under a bright blue sky.”

The blue is paired with splashes of sherbet orange, which is found on walls in the main area and in a stairwell leading down to a co-working space for parents.

The school’s mission inspired the development of graphic elements that relate to home and the city. In the bathroom, for instance, the team installed tilework that resembles a collection of buildings.

“A graphic in shades of pale blue in the tile mosaic around the bathroom and trough sink references the city skyline and is echoed as a linear element in the window treatment,” the team said.

In other areas, the designers created wall cutouts that are shaped like gabled houses. The openings serve as passageways and child-sized reading nooks.

On the mezzanine, a house-shaped cutout holds seasonal displays that relate to the curriculum.

Movable furniture allows the nursery to be reconfigured for special events, including performances organised by an artist-in-residence.

This isn’t the first time that BAAO, formerly known as BFDO, and 4|MATIV have collaborated. The two firms previously worked together on the Maple Street School in Brooklyn, which features soft pastel tones and an abundance of wood.

The photography is by Lesley Unruh.

The post BAAO and 4|MATIV add bright colours to Mi Casita Preschool in Brooklyn appeared first on Dezeen.

By combining the lifesaver tube with a drone, the LIFE DRONE from Hyunjun Choi can easily rescue people by keeping them afloat as well as transporting them to safety.

Building on what a drone is capable of doing, the LIFE DRONE is an amphibious rescue-device that can travel in air as well as on water. It comes with a unique format that allows it to go from your regular airborne quad-copter drone to a waterborne motor-raft whenever needed. The drone comes with a dynamic body that opens up to orient the propellers in an X formation to take to the skies. The base of the drone comes with an automatic inflating life-raft that deploys near the person who needs help. The drone then closes, going from an X-formation to an I-formation, and the propellers begin working underwater, to push the raft towards safety… along with the person on it.

The LIFE DRONE works quite like a life-raft, except it doesn’t need a human to throw it to the drowning person. Just ping the drone with the location of the person drowning and it takes off on its own. When it approaches the location, the inflatable raft automatically deploys and the drone descends into the water. Once the person climbs onto the raft, the drone then works almost like a motorboat, using the propellers to guide the raft to the nearest location of safety. It does this without requiring a lifeguard to jeopardize their life.

Although conceptual, the LIFE DRONE is an interesting idea that can definitely be built. Amphibious drones definitely exist, and with the LIFE DRONE, it’s just a matter of building out a drone that has enough power to carry itself in the air, and propel forward with the weight of a human on water. My guess is that the propellers and motors would be significantly larger if you had to build this out, and you’d need space for pressurized CO2 containers for the raft to deploy. That dynamic X-to-I format is interesting too (it reminds me of this drone concept), and I’d honestly love to see a robotics/drone company at least experiment with a prototype!

Designer: Hyunjun Choi