FRIDAY5 – November 30, 2018

Congratulations to the students and faculty at Virginia Tech who contributed to this very special project.  The FutureHAUS Dubai team took top honors at this year’s Solar Decathlon Middle East.  They were one of 22 teams to compete in the international competition and the only team to compete from the U.S.  The home was designed and fabricated in Blacksburg, VA before being shipped overseas and reassembled. 

Following the competition, the high-tech house is expected to be on display in several major U.S. cities including Chicago, New York, and D.C.  MillerClapperton is very proud to have played a part in FutureHAUS Dubai by supplying fabricated Metal Composite Material panels, which were used as a shade structure.  To read more about our role, click here or click here to see the team’s big win and photos of the building process over the past few months.
 

Researchers from the University of Michigan have set their sites on the high number of abandoned buildings and the circumstances surrounding their abandonment, in the hopes of finding solutions to prevent land clearing of such structures.  They have coined a new term to describe their study of the life cycles of the built environment – domicology.  Ultimately, structures will be designed with the idea that once they reach the end of their usefulness, they can be deconstructed with the valuable components repurposed or recycled.  Read more about this concept and what needs to change here.  

With a big chill hitting the South this week, we can’t help but think about snow and the mountains.  Sure, it sounds idealistic and the image in our minds romanticized, but no matter how attractive a setting, architecture in the mountains can be downright challenging for those on the design side.  Thanks to ArchDaily, we can enjoy the finished concept with this selection of photos showcasing incredible architecture amid breathtaking surroundings.  Enjoy by the fire or with a hot cup of coffee!