Convent Garden

Stanford engineers develop new material to cool buildings without air-conditioning

Energy saving material

Engineers from Stanford University, US, invented a new ultra-thin, multi-layered coating material that can direct warmth from inside a building into space, in order to lower the temperature.

The new coating material, just 1.8 microns thick, controls building temperatures even on sunny days by using visible and invisible light.

Discovery of the energy-saving material was reported in Nature journal by a team led by electrical engineering Professor Shanhui Fan and research associate Aaswath Raman.

According to the researchers, the material uses infrared light and also acts as a mirror to prevent 97% of sunlight from striking the building and heating it up.

Skanska and Loughborough University to test 3D printing for construction

Skanska.jpg” alt=”3D tech in construction” width=”200″ height=”160″ />

Sweden-based construction company Skanska and Loughborough University signed a collaboration agreement to explore opportunities for 3D printing technology in the construction industry.

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As part of the initial 18-month programme, a commercial concrete printing robot will be developed by laying down successive layers of concrete until the entire object is produced.

Skanska will collaborate with Foster and Partners, Buchan Concrete, ABB and for the project, with the aim of finding uses for the new technology and helping to develop a 3D printing supply chain.

Paris city council rejects Triangle skyscraper project

Paris city council reportedly turned down plans to construct the city’s first skyscraper in the shape of a giant glass pyramid, dubbed Triangle Tower, which was planned to be built in the city’s south-west Porte de Versailles area.

The rejection follows heated debate over the 590ft Triangle Tower, concerning whether Paris should maintain its low-slung 19th century skyline or follow cities such as London that build skyscrapers in historic regions.

Votes were recorded as 83 councillors against and 78 in favour of the £400m Triangle Tower project by Unibail-Rodamco, which was scheduled for completion by 2018.

Samsung C&T to construct new skyscraper in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Skyscraper

Samsung C&T received a contract from Alpine Return, a joint venture between United Malayan Land and Symphony Life, for the construction of a Star Development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The $310m project comprises construction of three high-rise towers, including a 57-floor, 251m-high tower and two 58-floor, 265m-high residential towers.

Star Development is planned to be built in the central business area in Kuala Lumpur in the vicinity of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Qatar unveils new design for Khalifa International Stadium

Khalifa Stadium

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the Aspire Zone Foundation of Qatar unveiled the renovated design for Khalifa International Stadium, which is said to be the third proposed host venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

As part of the redevelopment, the venue will be revamped to include a seating capacity of 40,000 during the tournament and new cooling technology to maintain optimal playing temperature of 26°C.

The technology was tested by the comittee at an open-air fan zone in Doha during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. It will be incorporated into the stadium and training sites to ensure players and fans are provided with a comfortable atmosphere.

Vinci St Modwen gets approval for new Covent Garden Market in London

Vinci St Modwen (VSM) was granted planning permission by Wandsworth Council’s planning application committee for the redevelopment of the 57-acre New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) site in Nine Elms, London.

VSM is a 50:50 joint venture between St Modwen Properties and Vinci along with its partner, the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA).

The ten-year project will involve modernisation, as well as developing a new 500,000ft² market, 3,000 new homes, 135,000ft² of office space and 100,000ft² of retail, leisure and new community facilities, including shops, cafés and restaurants.

Lambeth Council approves Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge design

Lambeth Council will proceed with London’s controversial Garden Bridge over the River Thames project, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Dan Pearson.

With this latest approval, Garden Bridge Trust received part of the required permissions for the project construction.

Aimed at connecting the South Bank and Covent Garden, the proposed 367m bridge is yet to be considered by Westminster Council, which will review plans on 2 December.

COBE-led team wins Denmark’s Køge Nord Station design competition

COBE-led architecture team comprising COWI and DISSING+WEITLING won a contest to design Køge Nord Station in Denmark.

The COBE-led team beat competitors from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, French firm Arep Ville and fellow Danish firm Gottlieb Paludan Architects.

The winning proposal envisions a transport hub for 90,000 passengers using the facility daily and brings together high-speed trains, local trains and freeways connecting Copenhagen from the south.