Japan to build world’s largest wooden skyscraper by 2041

Japanese company Sumitomo Forestry announced plans to construct a 350m-tall skyscraper built primarily out of wood by 2041.

The structure is part of the W350 plan to create ‘environmentally friendly and timber-utilising cities,’ according to the company and is timed to mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of Sumitomo Forestry in 1691.

The building will be made of 90% wood, with the remainder made up of steel. The finished structure will include 70 floors above ground, cover a total area of 455,000m² and require 185,000m³ of timber. Sumitomo Forestry also predicts the project will cost around JPY600bn.


Home of the future unveiled by ELe

Extreme Low Energy (ELe), a specialist manufacturer of low energy infrastructure unveiled a model low-energy, eco-friendly, home of the future at its headquarters in Skelmersdale.

The firm installed the replica modular home in the reception area of its new offices. It is fully equipped and powered by ELe systems and built by sustainable building company Simply Modular.

It uses ethernet cables to power a range of domestic and commercial appliances, and by using DC power, it eliminates the wasted energy that is created during AC/DC conversion.

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Arthur Mamou-Mani claims machine learning will outpace 3D printing

Pioneering architect Arthur Mamou-Mani argued that 3D printing is not the future of the architecture industry, but smart robots that can learn from mistakes will have a significant impact on the industry’s future.

Speaking to Design & Build Review, the director of Mamou-Mani and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts explained that he does not share the popular view that 3D-printed homes could be a solution to international housing problems and revolutionise the way architects do their work.

“I think with 3D-printing there are so many attempts to do homes, 3D-printing the first home. I don’t think that there’s a place that someone lives in that has been 3D printed; I think there are conceptual ones,” he said. “I’m not sure that extruding in concrete, for I don’t know how much time, to create a building is the solution.”


Deborah Berke Partners to design residential project at Princeton

US-based architecture firm Deborah Berke Partners secured a contract to design new residential college buildings at Princeton University.

The project will be led by firm partners Deborah Berke and Maitland Jones. It has been proposed as part of a campus expansion to accommodate increased undergraduate students.

Princeton president Christopher Eisgruber said: “Expanding our undergraduate student body is an essential feature of our commitment to extend access to a transformative Princeton education, and this project represents a significant step toward that vital goal.

“Deborah Berke Partners is an outstanding and inspired choice to design Princeton’s next residential colleges.”


Bluesky develops 3D infrastructure maps using mobile phone technology

The UK’s geographic datasets and services provider, Bluesky, completed a research project to develop mobile phone-based technology to capture 3D maps of infrastructure, with support from the UK Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.

Designed to produce accurate data on the location and its surroundings, the nine-month-long project focused on the use of smartphone technology to capture and calibrate video footage, and then convert it to 3D spatial data.

Attributes of essential infrastructure such as overhead power lines and other utility facilities can be extracted using specially developed algorithms and workflows.


UNEC wins $1.14bn Deira Mall construction contract from Nakheel

United Engineering Construction (UNEC) secured an AED4.2bn ($1.14bn) contract from property developer Nakheel to build the Deira Mall shopping centre in Dubai.

According to Nakheel, Deira Mall would be the Middle East’s biggest mall with a total development value of AED6.1bn ($1.66bn).

UNEC will begin construction of the retail, dining and entertainment venues by the first quarter of this year. The company is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) based construction firm.


Hitachi to design ‘Smart City’ services for One Bangkok

Japan-based Hitachi Consulting was awarded a project to design ‘Smart City’ services for Thailand’s integrated district, One Bangkok.

The company will assist investment holding and real estate company TCC Assets (Thailand) and Frasers Property in designing ‘Smart City’ services of their joint ventured private sector project One Bangkok.

One Bangkok smart cities and sustainability director Anthony Arundell said: “Smart City services and sustainability are among our top priorities, which is also in line with Thailand 4.0, the government’s industrial policy that aims to transform the Thai economy.


Opal wins interior design contract for MAG EYE project in Dubai

Opal was awarded the interior design contract for the AED4.7bn ($1.27bn) MAG EYE project in Meydan, Dubai, developed by MAG Lifestyle Development.

MAG also appointed the project management company VX studio as the peer review consultant for the project.

Under the contract, Opal will design the interiors of the townhouses and apartment buildings, while VX Studio will provide development solutions.