Category Archives: Technology

Tours: The ‘J&J Residence’ – Modern, Energy Efficient In Chandler, Australia

Refined and energy-efficient, J&J Residence is a modern house crafted by Hogg & Lamb. Using rammed earth as its hero material, the architectural design practice creates an aesthetically pleasing home that works harder for the environment than it may first appear.

Timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Modern Home 00:31 – Entering the Home 01:20 – The Rammed Earth Wall 02:24 – Building a Sustainable Home 02:47 – Sustainable Design Features 03:18 – The Unexpected Quality of Rammed Earth 03:44 – Materials Used 04:23 – What the Architect is Most Proud Of

J&J Residence is located in the Brisbane suburb of Chandler – an evolving suburb with a growing number of large-scale residences. Externally, Hogg & Lamb breaks up the visual solidity of the modern house with sections of glazing across the home’s two floors – the resulting façade evokes the image of stone fingers rising from the eroded hillside. Entering the modern house, residents find that the low front doorway precedes an impressive double-height entry space.

By purposefully juxtaposing the scale of the doorway and entry space, Hogg & Lamb creates a sense of experiential release so that the internal architecture of the home can be appreciated with a sense of relaxation. The architecture and interior design of J&J Residence is largely influenced by the use of rammed earth walls.

Alongside travertine, spotted gum and Viridian EnergyTech grey glass, the textural material of rammed earth establishes a raw, natural and calming material palette. The material is also integral to the energy efficiency of the modern house, featuring high thermal mass that keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer. J&J Residence represents a triumphant first project for Hogg & Lamb. A modern house of style and sustainability, the residence demonstrates the versatility of its material palette.

World Economic Forum: Top Stories – April 15, 2022

This week The World Economic Forum are highlighting 4 top stories – workers paid to relocate to rural areas, an innovative aircraft design, a lifesaving slime robot, and a wind and solar energy milestone.

Timeline: 00:15 Workers paid to relocate 01:40 New aircraft design takes flight 03:11 Lifesaving slime robot 04:22 Wind and solar energy milestone

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

New Architecture: BEEHA Headquarters In Sharjah, UAE By Zaha Hadid (2022)

BEEAH Group’s new headquarters in Sharjah, #UAE, was opened on Wednesday, March 30 by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

Powered by its solar array and equipped with next-generation technologies for operations at LEED Platinum standards, the new headquarters has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) to achieve net-zero emissions and will be the group’s management and administrative centre that sets a new benchmark for future workplaces…

Zero Waste: Trash Turned Into Cash (The Economist)

The world is facing a growing waste problem, with 2bn tonnes produced last year alone. Is it possible to clean up this mess by turning trash into cash? 00:00 – The world has a huge waste problem.

Video timeline: 00:45 – Upcycling to reduce waste 02:46 – Building offices from recycled products 03:46 – The problem with traditional recycling 04:59 – Waste reduction relies on a circular economy 05:38 – Taiwan’s waste management success 08:20 – The problem with incineration 09:55 – Is the future zero waste? 10:43 – Consumption attitudes are changing Read our special report on waste here https://econ.st/3JrlD6y

Innovation: Top Vehicles In Development (2022)

Top innovative vehicles in development in 2022.

Video timeline: 00:00 Intro; 00:49 Arcimoto D1 Arcimoto trials driverless delivery pod based on three-wheeled electric FUV Design; 02:21 DolaGon UTV Autonomous Ski Lift Vehicle dolaGon UTV serves as an autonomous ski lift; 03:28 Lifestyle Vehicle “A LOFT ON WHEELS” Design: Canoo Electric Vehicles; 05:20 Zuri 2.0 VTOL Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft; 06:35 SCG Boot “Cryogenic hydrogen SCG Boot off-roader aims to recast fuel cell tech”; 08:02 Arosa Electric Sports Hovercraft “VonMercier’s electric sports hovercraft promises exceptional agility”.

History & Science: Ancient Texts Deciphered With AI

The origins of ancient inscriptions are often shrouded in mystery. Writing carved into stone millennia ago can be hard to read and is often missing entire sections of the text. Now a neural network, trained on thousands of existing inscriptions, could help historians figure out when and where a piece of writing comes from – as well as fill in missing words and characters.

Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158…

Africa Views: Ivory Coast Agriculture Goes Digital

Climate change, land degradation and deforestation have severely damaged Côte d’Ivoire’s natural surroundings. Many farmers are worried about their future. But Digitalization is bringing new hope.

Côte d’Ivoire is a West African country with beach resorts, rainforests and a French-colonial legacy. Abidjan, on the Atlantic coast, is the country’s major urban center. Its modern landmarks include zigguratlike, concrete La Pyramide and St. Paul’s Cathedral, a swooping structure tethered to a massive cross. North of the central business district, Banco National Park is a rainforest preserve with hiking trails. 

Microbes: A Microscopic View Of The Human Body

Among the unknown worlds in the universe, we can count our very own bodies. Like planet earth, each of us is made up of fascinating landscapes that are home to all kinds of wildlife.

The film takes the viewer on a unique microscopic safari, where we encounter some of the myriad creatures that live, thrive, compete, feed, are born and die on or inside our bodies. In fact, microscopic creatures play a more powerful role than we know: These life forms impact our health, our life expectancy, our physique and even our behavior.

The film renders these hidden worlds visible with the help of special effects: Combining cinematic electron microscopy with a super macro film technique. The documentary explains cutting-edge scientific findings, by turns surprising, enlightening and amazing. It raises questions about who we are, and how we exist in the unexplored, complex ecosystems that help constitute us.

We are born 100% human, but will die 90% microbial. Between these two points in our lives lies the unexplored terrain of ‘Life on Us’.

Previews: New Humanist Magazine – Spring 2022