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How Thermal Modification Can Make Wood in Architecture Last a Lifetime

For more than 10,000 years (or, since the Stone Age), wood has been an integral part of construction around the world. It is valued for its versatility, with external and internal uses as infinite as the mind can imagine.

Of course, wood is a natural form so it is subject to degradation and impact from the elements, which can result in rotting, cracking, erosion and the loss of physical properties. For years, scientists have explored ways to make it more durable and therefore sustainable to lengthen its lifespan as a construction material.

September 14, 2023

‘Just make it an apartment’ – Turns out, it’s harder than it looks

City centers are hyper focused on the possibility of bringing new life to nearly abandoned spaces, whose daily influence fueled downtown businesses (from restaurants to dry cleaners). Part of the efforts to make this conversion happen are tedious, including the changing of building codes, eliminating fees, and possibly even creating tax relief programs for office conversions.

However, recent reporting has uncovered just how complex it is to bring these ideas to fruition. NPR followed the journey of a transformation in Washington, D.C. of a 1980s-style office building into an apartment complex to chronicle the change–spoiler alert, it was really difficult.

August 16, 2023

The Air Conditioning Conundrum

The world is getting warmer, creating a higher demand for air conditioning. However, the more air conditioning units running as they are made today, the greater the chance temperatures will continue to rise.

July 20, 2023

Adaptive Reuse Brings New Life to Urban Spaces

When it comes to adaptive reuse, the process of transforming an existing building for a purpose other than what it was built or designed for, motivations can range. Whether the goals are environmentally driven, resource preservation, or maintaining historic value, adaptive reuse has become a solution to some of our modern problems of the built environment.

May 17, 2023