Building Materials | Brighter Side News

Joseph Shavit

Turning high-rise buildings into batteries

With the rapid reduction in the costs of renewable energy generation, there is a growing need for energy storage technologies.

Joseph Shavit

51-story 'Farmscraper' is part office skyscraper part hydroponic farm

Greenery covered skyscrapers have become fairly commonplace, but what if, as well as bringing some nature into cities they could grow food?

Joseph Shavit

Transparent wood promises to become the window to the future?

Many different types of wood, from balsa to oak, can be made transparent, and it doesn’t matter if it is cut along the grain or against it.

Joseph Shavit

Could transparent wood be the window to the future?

Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future? Trees replacing the clear pane glass in your windows is not science fiction.

Joseph Shavit

New eco-friendly Israeli home, built from hemp

In the artist village of Ein Hod, Israel, Yoki and Danielle constructed an environmentally friendly house made from hemp.

Joseph Shavit

Building real buildings on the blockchain

Buildings that own and run themselves: this idea, from the think-tank Dezentrum, was put into action for the first time in a prototype.

Joseph Shavit

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Build a smaller house with no basement

Researchers have some practical advice for developers, homeowners and urban planners who want to reduce their environmental impact.

Joseph Shavit

Translucent concrete makes it possible to create customised facades at low cost

Two researchers have designed and patented a new product that promises to revolutionize construction and other sectors.

Joseph Shavit

Is Transparent Wood the Window to the Future

Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future? Trees replacing the clear pane glass in your windows is happening now.

Joseph Shavit

New 3D printable phase-changing materials can regulate temperatures inside buildings

As temperature fluctuations become more commonplace around the world, conventional cooling and heating systems need more innovation

Joseph Shavit

Novel smart cement can be used to build more durable roads and cities

Incorporating nanomaterials into traditional cement improves water and fracture resistance

Joseph Shavit

Scientists create new building materials that effectively protect humans from radiation

Bricks made of new materials are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than analogues made of lead and other materials