In this week’s comments update, readers are baffled by Adidas and Parley for the Oceans’ decision to float a recycled-plastic tennis court within the Great Barrier Reef and discussing other top stories.

Adidas and environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans have collaborated to create a floating tennis court in a bid to promote Adidas’ latest range of apparel, which incorporates recycled plastic.

Launched to coincide with the Australian Open tennis tournament that is currently taking place in Melbourne, the colourful range of clothing is the latest collaboration between the brand and Parley for the Oceans.

“Ridiculous publicity stunt”

Readers aren’t sold. “Ridiculous publicity stunt,” said Apsco Radiales.

“This will help with the devastating lack of tennis balls in the ocean,” joked Jam.

Goods agreed: “Nothing says environmental stewardship like installing a piece of floating plastic in an already fragile ecosystem.”

“Recycle plastic but litter the ocean with tennis balls,” concluded Reefs.

Are commenters missing the point? Join the discussion ›

Commenter claims “there is no housing shortage for millionaires and billionaires”

Rutgers professor Jason Barr’s proposal to add 1,760-acres of reclaimed land to the tip of Manhattan in a bid to create more housing and combat climate change has caused controversy amongst readers.

“It’s a radical idea but I like it,” said Steven H. “Flood protection and space for more housing is a win-win.”

John Doe disagreed: “You’re worried about rising sea levels and increased flooding but putting 250,000 homes on at sea level landfill is a good idea? This is peak stupid.”

“There is no housing shortage for millionaires and billionaires,” added Zea Newland. “We need more housing for lower-income folks who keep the city running, but given how this plan would produce prime waterfront real estate and given how big of an investment is needed to create the land in the first place, I don’t see any potential for meaningful change in regards of housing.”

Is extending Manhattan a good idea? Join the discussion ›

Reader calls extra-wide oak staircase “a ludicrous design”

Paolo Cossu Architects has sparked debate by adding an extra-wide oak staircase, which doubles as a piece of furniture, to a Victorian terrace in east London.

“No stair nosing, no handrail, and the riser to tread ratio looks dangerous, ” said Walter Astor. “It’s easy to make a stair look novel and interesting when you refuse to comply with safety requirements mandated by the local building regulations.”

“It is in fact dangerous,” replied Chris Hargreaves. “What a ludicrous design.”

Sim disagreed: “Or an architect has thought cleverly, in full knowledge of the facts (along with their informed client) on how to satisfy building control. Perhaps, for instance, there is a balustrade detail that can be removed – at the client’s choice – when desired.”

What do you think of the Farleigh Road project? Join the discussion ›

Commenter says the metaverse is “a real estate frontier”

Readers are discussing a virtual residence by digital artist Andrés Reisinger and architect Alba de la Fuente. The two-storey house is designed as a hideaway in a snowy forest and was inspired by the clean geometry of Dieter Rams’ industrial designs.

“This is not bad for a metaverse build,” said Archibro, “which, by the way, is a new real estate frontier. Investors are already snapping up virtual properties.”

Furious B disagreed: “Already sick of the metaverse. It’s literally just Second Life 2.0., and projects like this carry no more merit or need for publication than any other theoretical project. I’d rather see student projects that push boundaries than a pretty standard modernist house in a field.”

“Freed from the real-world constraints of gravity and capitalism, designers of the so-called ‘metaverse’ insist on conforming to the real-world constraints of gravity and capitalism by mindlessly reproducing modernist designs,” concluded James G. “An ideology that arose over 100 years ago.”

What do you think of the metaverse? Join the discussion ›

Comments update

Dezeen is the world’s most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.

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These chairs are made with felted wool, aluminum and wood. Eye-catching as they are, at first blush this seems incredibly wasteful:

However, the kicker is that the materials used were all cut-offs, i.e. waste to begin with. A Toronto-based design firm called Stacklab “identified surplus off-cuts and end-of-bolt felted wool that, when stored, occupy significant factory space for these manufacturers,” they write. “[We] designed a computer aided system that makes productive (re)use of the off-cuts and end-of-bolt felt in the form of household furnishings.”

Stacklab then worked with New York gallery space and furniture retailer Maison Gerard, who connected six of their designers with Stacklab’s system, which they call Stackabl [sic]. “Stackabl is an innovative system for designing custom furniture without the waste. Developed closely with regional manufacturers, aided by algorithms and robotics, the system identifies their remnant inventory, puts it back through their own machines, and into the hands of their own experts. By leveraging existing regional resources, it empowers local economies while curbing the carbon footprint.”

“[The collection below was] created in Stackabl, a new, innovative system that turns waste into wonders. Each of the pieces is constructed by regional specialists according to available resources. In response to the colors, dimensions, and finishes selected, layers of high quality felt offcuts are identified by algorithms and cut with the aid of robotics. With no brief to draw from, other than to work within the parameters set by the configurator, the designers were free to realize their own visions, resulting in a striking array of characterful works that belong to both past and future.”

Raki

Corner Chair

By Alexandra Champalimaud | Champalimaud Design

“With a big character and a huge heart, this joyful corner chair is inspired by a dear family pet who brings an abundance of fun and whimsy wherever he goes. Raki is a humorous play on perspectives, offering new forms and conveying movement from every angle; the result of the designer’s fondness for ‘twirling it around’ as a 3D render within the configurator. Embodying the spirit of the process is the contrasting back leg, whose curvy and sturdy form peeks out from underneath layers of graphite and rust, while the seat itself welcomes you with open arms. The resulting design is an intuitive, happy experiment in color, form, and materiality, effortlessly filling a generous interior with life and soul.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Black anodized

Wood: Maple, Mahogany

Dulces

Dining Chair

By Laura Kirar | Laura Kirar Design

“Since moving to Mexico four years ago, Laura Kirar has radically changed her perspective on color. Her new appreciation for brighter shades comes through in Dulces, which means ‘candies’. Her chosen color configuration is a little something sweet to bring joy and flavor to the dining table. Embracing the geometric forms generated by the configurator, she layered in the material and color according to her typical process. Through ochre finishes and a hot pink accent, she evokes the colors of the local climate and culture, such as the work of the influential architect Luis Barragán, to arrive at a piece that is at once simple and striking enough to sweeten a variety of interiors, and bring its sunny disposition to any dinner party.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Champagne Anodized

Wood: Maple

Madame

Chaise Lounge

By Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson | Drake/Anderson

“Named after Madame Récamier, the 19th-century French socialite noted for her extreme beauty and intellectual prowess as well as her salon, which drew literary and political luminaries of the time, this Modernist take on the chaise lounge invites conversation and stimulates thought. Its crimson hue and sloping shoulders recall the sensuality of neoclassical portraiture, while the slice of shocking pink lending a piquant contrast at the base is an ode to another famous Madame, Elsa Schiaparelli, the provocative fashion designer who popularized the bright shade in her 1940s couture creations. This bold, beautiful homage to two of history’s most alluring women would sit comfortably in any bedroom, or as a pair either side of a fireplace in opposing directions, to spark a tantalizing tête-à-tête.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Champagne Anodized

Wood: Maple

Fast Lane

Lounge Chair

By Elena Frampton | Frampton Co

“Inspired by racing stripes and informed by a childhood immersed in L.A.’s car culture, Fast Lane expertly combines elegance and energy in equal measure. Designed in response to seasonal shifts, this sophisticated reimagining of the classic lounge chair showcases the celebrated designer’s eye for the unexpected. While its blue stripes and generous proportions recall beach house glamour, it’s the hot pink streak running through the middle of the seat that reveals its fun side. There’s more, too: look closer and you’ll notice one of the legs curves differently to the others. Consider pairing this captivating chair with Matthew Porter’s flying muscle car photography series for a true celebration of the nostalgia and romance of the car in American culture.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Black Anodized

Wood: Maple

Querelle

Club Chair | Tons of Fun

By William Georgis and Ilya Mirgorodsky | Georgis & Mirgorodsky

“After an initial attempt to defy the configurator and get around its set limitations, Georgis allowed himself to completely submit to its demands and play along. He discovered that embracing its constraints sparked his imagination in new and unexpected ways, allowing him to overlay unintended meaning onto the object and imbue it with a piece of himself. The nautical stripe effect immediately led his mind to Querelle, the handsome Belgian sailor and queer cinema icon at the center of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s 1982 arthouse film. Based on the book by Jean Genet, the story is set in a French port town where sex, drugs and violence collide with our unlikely hero’s quest for identity. This commanding club chair brings undeniable sex appeal and presence to its environment.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Black Anodized

Wood: Maple

Maxine

Bench

By Benoist F. Drut | Maison Gerard

“Drut’s eye for eclecticism and exuberance is palpable in his design for the Maxine bench. The artistry and symmetry of eighteenth-century French royal furnishings, the energy and expertise of Parisian gallerist/decorator Madeleine Castaing, the Orientalist architecture of Frederic Church’s historical Hudson Valley home, and the impeccable style of 1950s English model, actress and designer Maxime de la Falaise (née Maxine Bailly) combine to provide the historical references that make this bench the perfect conversation piece. Effortlessly blending neoclassical lines with whimsical flourishes, Maxine sees Drut bringing his own, distinct flair to a beloved heritage.”

Textile: Remnant Felt

Metal: Post Consumer Scrap Alum., Black Anodized

Wood: Maple

Want to try building your own? You can. Their online configurator is here.

In this exclusive video produced by Dezeen for architecture firm TP Bennett, the studio’s principal director explains how its latest residential project was designed to meet Passivhaus energy standards.

Designed by the studio’s principal director Doug Smith and project architect Sam Clarke, the house in Kent, UK, belongs to Smith and his family.

Called Haus on the Ridge, the building’s design is influenced by the Brownie camera designed by Eastman Kodak in the early 20th century.

Mimicking the construction of the Brownie camera, the understated house features two solid wings that flank a lens-like central glazed element which offers views of a nearby valley.

“We wanted to create this transparent centrepiece that you look straight through, almost like a lens,” Smith said in the video.

The 10-metre-wide living space includes a large central living room and kitchen, while the four bedrooms, bathrooms, a utility room, a plant room and a hallway are all located in the wings.

The project has been built to meet Passivhaus standards – a set of high-performance building standards that originated in Germany in the late 1980s.

Buildings that meet Passivhaus standards are highly insulated and use little or no heating or cooling technology, and are therefore highly energy-efficient and sustainable.

TP Bennett describe the building as “airtight”, with rockwool quilt insulation and triple glazing used throughout its construction.

“It’s like wrapping a tea cosy around the building,” Smith explained.

According to Smith, building to meet Passivhaus standards prevents energy waste.

“We consume a lot of energy and the Passivhaus concept allows us to reduce that consumption and also not to waste it,” he said. “I think going forward, that’s got to be a major consideration for new houses.”

Sliding shutters made from slatted Siberian larch timber provide shading during the day and protection from the elements at night.

When drawn, the shutters reveal the building’s exposed concrete walls that continue throughout the interior.

“I’ve always had a love of concrete,” Smith said.

“It’s not particularly environmentally friendly in terms of the production of the concrete. But once it’s there, it’s very sustainable because it’s got great longevity and once the building is heated up, the concrete holds that heat.”

A spiral staircase attached to the building’s exterior leads up to a roof terrace and garden, as well as a prefabricated pod that acts as a studio.

A sewing studio and a spare bedroom are contained in two further pods that stand on stilts, accessible through an elevated walkway from the main building.

TP Bennett is a British architecture firm with offices in London and Manchester. It previously designed EightyFen, an office building set in London’s Square Mile.

The firm is also behind the design of Windmill Green, a 1970s office building in Manchester that it retrofitted to create an “ultra-sustainable” mixed-use office.

Photography and video footage is by Edmund Sumner, Tom Dalton, Dael Poulter and Oscar Oldershaw.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for TP Bennett as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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Third Drawer Down teamed up with Indigenous-owned and -governed Aboriginal art center Iwantja Arts to produce a vibrant homeware line designed by Kaylene Whiskey, an artist from the remote community of Indulkana in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia. Whiskey draws inspiration from comic books and the pop culture of the ’80s. From the collection comes this 100% linen dish towel, measuring 19.7 by 26.4 inches and featuring Whiskey’s acrylic painting of Tina Turner and Dolly Parton. Price is in Australian dollars.

A prototype carbon capture and storage facility by Shell, which was designed to eliminate emissions from hydrogen production, actually has the same yearly carbon footprint as 1.2 million cars, according to a report by Global Witness.

Shell says its Quest plant captured close to five million tonnes of CO2 over the course of five years after it was installed at the oil giant’s Scotford refinery in Canada in 2015.

But the report by human rights organisation Global Witness found that over the same half-decade, it emitted just over 7.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases that weren’t captured – the equivalent to emissions from 1.2 million cars every year.

The greenhouse gases emitted include highly potent methane, which in the short term has a more than 80-times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.

Above: the plant failed to capture 7.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Top image: a Shell hydrogen fuelling station 

Global Witness argues that this casts doubts on the messaging pushed by the oil and gas industry that, with the help of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, hydrogen derived from natural gas can be used as a “low emissions” fuel to help the world reach its net-zero goals.

“Fossil fuel companies see fossil hydrogen as a way of continuing to make profits from extracting and burning fossil gas, whilst greenwashing it at the same time,” the report reads.

Making hydrogen from fossil fuels emits 830 million tonnes of CO2 a year

Hydrogen emits no greenhouse gases when it is burned to power boilers or car engines. As a result, it is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of countries’ net-zero roadmaps, with more than 39 nations including Australia and South Korea formulating dedicated hydrogen strategies.

But most hydrogen today is actually refined from fossil fuel sources, natural gas in particular, and in the process emits around 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – as much as the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined.

The kind of “blue hydrogen” production that is being trialled at the Quest facility and pushed by oil and gas companies promises to capture these emissions at the source and store them underground.

Another milestone for Quest
The #CCS project in Canada has captured and stored 5 million tonnes of CO2 – about equal to the annual emissions from 1.25 million cars.
More: https://t.co/qSA7RpPQce pic.twitter.com/8LVA2eHCsa

— Shell (@Shell) July 10, 2020



Shell’s prototype plant, which was partly government-funded, is currently the only one in the world that is trialing this technology at a commercial scale.

But according to Global Witness’s investigation, the facility is only capable of capturing so-called process emissions. These are emissions that are generated when natural gas is steam-heated to produce hydrogen while releasing carbon monoxide and a relatively small amount of carbon dioxide.

It fails to capture the flue gas emissions from powering the equipment for this process, which account for 40 per cent of the plant’s carbon footprint, as well as the emissions from running the CCS system itself.

The on-site carbon-capture system also does not prevent the methane emissions, which are generated at every stage of the refining process before the fossil gas even gets to the facility.

CCS facility captures 39 per cent of emissions

Taking all this into account, the Quest plant is only capable of capturing 39 per cent of the greenhouse gases that are generated along its supply chain, according to Global Witness, in comparison to the 90 per cent capture rate promised by the industry.

This chimes with another recent study, which found that blue hydrogen actually has a 20 per cent greater greenhouse gas footprint than simply burning natural gas for heat.

“Fossil hydrogen is part of the fossil gas industry’s strategy to prolong its life, despite the urgent need for a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels in order to meet the Paris Agreement goals,” the Global Witness report concluded.

“The lesson from Quest should be loud and clear for governments all over the world. Do not invest in a technology that is not only failing to deliver any effective action in tackling the climate crisis – but is in fact contributing to it.”

More modern blue hydrogen plants could achieve capture rates of over 90 per cent on-site, but still do not take into account emissions generated along the fossil fuel supply chain, according to Global Witness.

Rather than funding carbon capture and blue hydrogen projects, Global Witness argues that governments should focus their efforts on renewable energy infrastructure and electrification as well as green hydrogen, which is not made from fossil fuels.

To create green hydrogen, renewable energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a process called electrolysis that has the potential to be zero-emission.

Oil companies hijacking carbon-capture agenda

This isn’t the first time the oil and gas sector has been accused of using the hype around carbon-capture technologies to justify its continued use of non-renewable emissions-intensive fossil fuels.

The industry has also been promoting carbon-capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS) projects, which use captured industrial emissions and pump them into depleted reserves to flush out the remaining oil deposits in a process known as enhanced oil recovery.

“Oil companies, not just US companies, are all thinking about this as a way of continuing to be viable companies,” environmental social scientist Holly Jean Buck told Dezeen.

The top image was taken by Eric Shambroom for Shell International Limited.

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