Tag Archives: By M. Calkins

Design, Materials

Solid as a Rock

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The stone industry adopts a new sustainability standard.

By Meg Calkins, FASLA

Sandstone for the Barangaroo project in Sydney by PWP Landscape Architecture was quarried directly on the project site. Image courtesy PWP Landscape Architecture.

In 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, Bill Browning, an environmental designer and founder of Terrapin Bright Green, cites “material connection with nature” as a significant principle. Continue reading Solid as a Rock →

General

Concrete Minus Carbon

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New technologies can reduce the environmental footprint of the most-used construction material.

By Meg Calkins, FASLA 

It is easier to achieve bright colors with carbon cement, which is whiter than ordinary portland cement. Image courtesy of Solidia Technologies.

Concrete in the 21st century promises to be a more sustainable material, and given the nine billion metric tons used globally each year, it must be. Continue reading Concrete Minus Carbon →