The mushroom cells are injected into a mixture of starch, hydrogen peroxide, water, and minerals and left to grown in a darkened areas.  The mushroom cells digest the starch and their root structure begins multiplying.  After a couple of weeks the sample is dried.  Drying it helps prevents fungal growth.

Find out more about the inventors and their company visit their website.

The sustainable features are:

1. Cumaru Wood Rainscreen
2. Enough rooftop photovoltaic solar panels for a net zero electricity supply (90-100%) for an average home.
3. One on-site 1.2 KW Windspire wind turbine that could produce about 20% of the energy an average home (550 kWh a month) assuming wind speed of at least 12 miles-per-hour year round.
4. Geothermal heat exchange between the house and the below-ground 55 degree temperatures year round, providing a constant starting point for both heating and cooling.
5. Epoxy coated gyp-crete floors for interior thermal mass to prolong passive heating and cooling
6. Passive solar design: low South-facing windows with sunlight access to thermal mass in the floor.
7. Heat-chimney effect created with roof ventilation in North skylights for expelling hot air
8. The framing wood was recycled from an ammunition plant.
9. Recycled materials in interior finishes such as the composite recycled paper countertops.
10. The rainwater reclamation using a wooden slat skin to keep water off the building and stored in underground tanks. Cumaru is one of the hardest woods on the planet and can be harvested sustainably.

Images: Robert McLaughlin
Via Jetson Green and GreenBuildingElements

(Abstract) This paper provides the first credible evidence on the economic value of the certification of “green buildings” – value derived from impersonal market transactions rather than engineering estimates. For some 10,000 subject and control buildings, we match publicly available information on the addresses of Energy Star and LEED-rated office buildings to the characteristics of these buildings, their rental rates and selling prices. We find that buildings with a “green rating” command rental rates that are roughly three percent higher per square foot than otherwise identical buildings – controlling for the quality and the specific location of office buildings. Ceteris paribus, premiums in effective rents are even higher – above six percent. Selling prices of green buildings are higher by about 16 percent.

For the Energy-Star-certified buildings in this sample, we subsequently obtained detailed estimates of site and source energy usage from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our analysis establishes that variations in the premium for green office buildings are systematically related to their energy-saving characteristics. For example, calculations show that a one dollar saving in energy costs from increased thermal efficiency yields roughly 18 dollars in the increased valuation of an Energy-Star certified building. Beyond the direct effects of energy savings, further evidence suggests that the intangible effects of the label itself also play a role in determining the value of green buildings in the marketplace.

A link to the paper can be found here.

InnoVida Panel Diagram

InnoVida Fiber Composite Panels are pre-manufactured, load bearing, insulated, and fire-resistant. The system is designed to meet seismic, hurricane, sustainability and budget requirements and are currently being used (as a donation) in the construction of 1,000 homes in post earthquake Haiti. The panels are formed by a layer of polyurethane insulation sandwiched between two composite structural skins which are then bonded by a proprietary resin. Applications for the panels include walls, roofs, floors, and foundations in a variety of building types ranging from homes to schools to commercial buildings. These panels are pre-manufactured in InnoVida’s facility to meet architectural specifications and then shipped to the site. Panels can be curved and cut to any shape and then finished with a number of finishes such as stone, stucco, siding, wallpaper and more.

Published R-values for the panels are roughly 5.88 per inch meaning R-14.6 for a 2″ panel and R-23.7 for 4″ panels. This is significantly more efficient than a typical 2×4 wood stud exterior wall with R-13 batt insulation. As far as size, the panels can be made up to 19′-6″ by 8′-3″ and for structures up to three stories tall.

The other major benefit–particularly where disaster relief is concerned–is that the houses can be built quickly. The average InnoVida house can be built in a quarter of the time it takes to build a conventional house, according to the manufacturer. And because all panels are made to order, the building and manufacturing processes produce very little job site waste, air pollution, or natural resource consumption. Finally, the flat-pack homes can be built with no heavy equipment (forklifts or cranes) and only a few skilled workers. – “The Disaster-Proof House”, Builder Online

InnoVida has operations in Germany, Africa, India, South America, and the Middle East with plans to build 10 factories in the United States in the near future. InnoVida Panels are part of a new generation of engineered materials which meet multiple requirements for our modern buildings including cost, sustainability and constructability. I hope to see more and more…

“We wanted to blur the line between exterior and interior. The existing cafeteria, now demolished, was lit exclusively by fluorescent lighting and had few windows. The owner and design team decided to elevate, celebrate, the the Dining Hall by adding daylight, fresh air, and views to the exterior.”– Jonas Risen

View down the center bay - each bay has seven skylights

View down the north bay - booths line the north and south walls

Section at skylight

Reflected ceiling plan

The skylights are spaced 10′ on center in the east-west direction and 20′ on center in the north-south direction. They are designed to flare from top to bottom, starting as 3′ x 3′ glazed apertures at the ridge-line growing to just under 10′ x 10′ at the base. Combined with a highly reflective white paint, the cone shaped skylight helps to bounce and disperse the light before it reaches the tabletop. Also integrated into the ceiling design are acoustic panels, supply air diffusers, and efficient fluorescent uplights running the length of each bay on either side of the skylight. The roof itself uses SIP panels for insulation and sheathing above standard wood roof trusses spaced 10′ on center between the skylights.

View down the south bay - glazed doors and windows line the north and east walls

Below is an image of the Dining Hall in the evening with the artificial lights on. The wall/beam mounted fluorescent indirect fixtures are linked to a control system which allows the users to select from five preset lighting schemes depending on space use. Up-lighting on the acoustic panels is designed to contrast with the daylight from the skylights during the day, signaling the diurnal shift from day to night. Acoustics in the space are great due to the design of the ceiling plane and the integrated acoustic panel materials.

View down the south bay - Minimal artificial lighting used at night only

Exterior view toward the Dining Hall down campus' Main Street - skylights visible ridges

Exterior view of the Dining Hall main entry

The Friends School Dining Hall illustrates the ability of design to harness sustainability, program and site to create a strong sense of place. In the case of the Dining Hall, the design team and client set out to create an elegant yet informal, a powerful yet democratic, place for students and faculty to interact, contemplate and learn together. The use of a skylight is not unique, but the effort is noteworthy because sustainability was used to justify, to codify, the need and design for the Dining Hall ceiling. The project does in fact have many additional sustainable features and was built to meet LEED for Schools Certification, but the most obvious one is the daylighting of the Dining Hall. I would hope that designers around the world can look to projects like this one for inspiration on how to elevate the common into something more and use sustainability as a guide to do so.

What if the google street view car were recording in infrared, too? What would that do for public awareness of energy inefficiency from leaky building envelopes? Even more than energy meters running backwards, this could provide a concrete image of heat loss, that might encourage the use of tighter standards like the Passive House certification?

We’re picturing a new kind of show: the Biggest Loser of Infrared, where the hosts drive down neighborhood streets, looking for inefficient houses to attack with a crack team of insulators and retrofitters.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Fair enough, these houses looked good. So why then does the final ranking not list them as first, second and third. The reason is Team Illinois and its second place finish. Illinois stood awkwardly on the winners podium between the popular kids of SD2009 and at just $250-450K the house was by far one of the cheapest in the competition. Amazing then that Illinois came in second place, just a scant 9 points behind second time champion Team Darmstadt. Kudos to Illinois for providing a sustainable house at such an affordable cost.

But there is more to the story. What Germany and Illinois have in common, besides extremely close scores, is Passive House! Yes both of the houses were designed to meet the Passive House standard. The German house was not certified but was built by the university where Passive House was pioneered. The University of Illinois is the stomping ground of the Passive House Institute US headed by Katrin Klingenberg who was a design consultant on the team.

So ignoring aesthetics for a moment. If you wanted to build a super efficient house, would you not choose Passive House? – The building standard winner of the last two Solar Decathlons? And would you not try to make the house as affordable as possible? Given that an added $400K might only get you a slightly more efficient home? It is at least worth considering…

In my opinoin, Illinois used the Solar Decathlon to show a cost effective method of achieving energy efficiency and deserves more credit for doing so. Take notice because I suspect we will see the development of a number of affordable Passive House projects in the coming years.

University of Michigan School of Art and Design. The glass and concrete tiles use the POWERleap utilizes the phenomena of piezo-electricity [electricity from applied stress] discovered in the 1880’s by the Curie Brothers to convert human kinetic energy into a usable power.

As Ms. Redmond states: We have designed a flooring system that will harness your exerted kinetic energy, and use it to generate electricity for us to enjoy. By integrating these interfaces that generate electricity from our daily activities in public and semi-public built environments, each individual will have the ability to generate electricity for their community. Joggers through Central Park would directly power the lights that make it safe for them to jog at night. Through use of energy generating tiles, people are constantly involved in the very activities that create the electricity they need.  Dutifully offsetting their recreational consumption, they’re contributing to the greater energy good.

Two Passive Houses have won an eco-homes design competition for a sustainable development at “The Works Ebbw Vale” in Wales. The two entries, one three-bedroom and one two-bedroom house, use up to 85% less energy, emit 80% less carbon dioxide, use the sun as the primary heating source, and have excellent indoor air quality. The designs, by bere:architects of London (three bedroom) and HLM Architects of Cardiff (two bedroom), also share a commitment to regional sustainability by using locally sourced materials and products such as sheep’s wool insulation, wood pellets for biomass energy, a wildflower meadow roof, dry stacked regional stone walls, larch wood cladding, and products made by Welsh companies such as innovative cement and paper insulation. This is a great example of how Passive House can be adapted to meet regional and cultural aesthetic criteria while still providing an affordable strategy for producing ultra efficient homes.

“Using local craftsmanship, supply and materials and leading edge environmental analysis and design tools we have created a truly vernacular house reflecting the heritage of both Wales and Ebbw Vale. By applying the principles of passive design with cutting edge environmental design tools, we have designed a low energy building at affordable cost.” – Jonathan Jones, HLM Architects Regional Director

The competition houses, sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government and Blaenau Gwent Country Borough Council in association with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), are to serve as the nucleus of a ‘Future Houses’ exhibition at the master planned redevelopment of the Ebbw Vale steel yard in Blaenau Gwent. Furthermore, the masterplan for Ebbe Vale includes a ‘Learning Campus, a Local General Hospital, a Leisure Center, Sport Pitches (playing fields), a Theater, and high quality office space all surrounded by 500 environmentally friendly homes which includes the two new Passive Houses. A strong connection to the local environment is also an essential concept of the development. As for the two Passive Houses, construction is scheduled to begin sometime in January of 2010.

Interestingly, the requirements for the eco-homes included meeting both the German PassivHaus low carbon building standard and the Welsh Code for Sustainable Homes(CSH) Level 5 which stipulate methods for waste disposal, use of local materials, water efficiency and use of renewable energy features. In winning the competition, the design teams were able to successfully integrate the two building standards and meet their strictest requirements. This issue of competing building standards often comes up when discussing Passive House because it is being transported globally. In the U.S. for instance, the major force for green building is LEED which has its own set of unique requirements not all in tandem with the Passive House standard. The danger, beyond complicating the design and implementation processes, is that the doubling of standards reduces the major benefit of the Passive House standard, namely that it delivers a building with excellent air quality, low carbon footprint, that uses very little energy at an affordable cost.

“The innovative measures for energy efficiency used in these designs can be replicated in building developments throughout Wales and should cost no more than a standard home when economies of scale are taken into consideration. The new technologies together with the use of local products manufactured from recycled materials, open up a range of business, training and job opportunities for local people which supports our sustainable agenda.” – Leighton Andrews, Local Deputy Minister for Regeneration

The design of the houses still shows variation in the application of Passive House. Both houses are timber framed, highly insulated, nearly airtight and have glazing optimized to admit solar radiation from the south. The two storey, three bedroom, bere:architects home (shown at the top of the post) includes a thick dry stacked stone wall base with larch clad siding on the upper floor. The house is topped in a wildflower meadow roof which ties the building to the landscape. “Evacuated glass tube solar panels provide 65% of the hot water throughout the year, which is supplemented by an energy efficient gas boiler. Electricity is supplemented by Photovoltaic panels, sheep’s wool is used for interior insulation while retractable external blinds provide shade in summer.” (taken from the official BRE press release) The two storey, two bedroom, HLM Architects house on the other hand uses ” [...] PV roof tiles to supplement electricity, hot water is provided by a wood pellet biomass boiler while rainwater is harvested for gardens and flushing toilets. Movement sensors control all fixed lighting. The HLM design also features dry stone walling and uses innovative local products ranging from cement replacement from Cenin in Bridgend to paper insulation from Excel Technology in the Rhymney Valley.” (taken from the official BRE press release)

It is worth noting that these Passive Houses, and the development at large, is an indicator of the emphasis Wales is putting on sustainability. I applaud the effort and look forward to seeing images of the completed houses.

“Wales has once again shown bold environmental leadership and it will reap the commercial and employment benefits that will undoubtedly come from creating the first Passivhaus skills base in the UK. I believe that Wales now has the opportunity to become the Passivhaus centre of the UK and our practice, bere architects, looks forward to helping with this.” (taken from the official BRE press release)

(This post was originally published on GetActiveGoPassive by Ziger/Snead Architects)

(Click here to see the fullsize board.)

In the summer of 2009, Ziger/Snead participated in Architecture for Humanity’s Classroom of the Future Open Architecture Challenge. The brief was to work with an existing educational organization to create a classroom design that would best serve their needs into the next century. Participating designers worked with schools from all over the world, but we decided to stay close to home, partnering with our friends at the Baltimore Curriculum Project. BCP is a nonprofit charter school operator that runs five schools in the city. We’ve worked with them in the past, collaborating on a vision for a renovated auditorium at the Collington Square School, and on the recently completed library, early learning center, and Phase One Masterplan for the Hampstead Hill Academy.

For this project, Rhonda Richetta, the principal of City Springs School, brought our team from Z/S into the classroom to talk to students about architecture, and find out from them what their school needed.

We worked with the students as they made drawings of their classroom space. Many of them were especially interested in representing the lists of daily goals posted in the classroom, the storage space and shelves, the board, and the windows. Our design team was also interested the Baltimore Curriculum Project’s emphasis on research, data, feedback and interaction. BCP uses a very closely tracked curriculum in their schools that’s based on direct instructional interaction between teacher and student, and lesson plans that are synchronized and coordinated across their schools.

Defining learning as the potential for making connections to the larger world, we found an opportunity for an architectural intervention at the classroom’s aging, outdated and inefficient window system: the literal interface between the space of education and the larger environment. We created a diagram illustrating the various functions of the existing window wall as a series of filters for light, air, sound, views, and information.

(Click here to see a larger version of the diagram.)

Our proposal is for a system of multifunctioning, off-the-shelf components that, when combined, reorganize the window into a machine for interacting with the outside world. Through teleconferencing, data overlays, and side by side comparisons between the skyline of Baltimore and other cities around the world, the students of City Springs would be able to link their own learning experiences to those of students in other countries. This kind of data display and feedback also enables students to track their own goals as a class, and as individuals.

(Click here to see a larger version of the diagram.)

Additionally, the Window Wall also allows the students to regulate their own immediate physical environment, fine tuning the light, air, and acoustics of their space in order make the most of their connection to these other, larger systems.

The new Window Wall system fits into the existing opening, a section through the system shows the components:

(1)  SOLAR THERMAL SUNSHADE

(2)  HEAT POWERED ABSORPTION AIR CONDITIONER

(3)  OPERABLE CURTAINWALL WINDOW

(4)  LIGHT REFLECTOR IN WINDOW POCKET

(5)  BLACKOUT BLINDS

(6)  ELLIPTICAL REFLECTIVE LIGHT FIXTURE

(7) WINDOWSHADE AND PROJECTION SCREEN

(8)  SLIDING ERASABLE INTERACTIVE SMARTBOARD

(9) DAYLIGHT REFLECTING VENETIAN BLINDS

(10) EXPERIMENTAL WINDOW PLANTER BOX

(11) CONDENSATE FROM AIR CONDITIONER WATERS PLANTS

(12) SOLAR THERMAL RADIATOR AND SHELF SYSTEM

(13) EXPERIMENTAL CHICKEN INCUBATOR

(14) LAPTOP PRESENTATION CONTROLLER

(15) SPEAKER SYSTEM

(16) DAYLIGHT REFLECTOR

(17) CLAMP AND PIPE SYSTEM FOR PROJECTORS, CAMERAS & OTHER PROJECTS

(18) INTEGRATED CAMERA/PROJECTOR SYSTEM

(19) LED PROJECTOR FOR HEADS UP DISPLAY

(20) ACOUSTIC CEILING TILE

(21) SEATING  MADE FROM DISCARDED CRUSHED WINDOW FRAMES

Several of these products, like the absorption chiller, the microform daylight reflecting blinds, and the solar thermal collector/radiators, were first discovered by the team while doing research for Greenline. We looked for opportunities to combine the pieces in unique configurations, with the requirement that every piece should function in at least two ways, preferably in three or four ways, whenever possible. So the mullion at the window holds a light fixture, a daylight reflector, a pull-down blackout and display screen, and a track for a sliding whiteboard. The solar thermal collectors create warm water for radiators in the winter, the same warm water helps power the absorption chiller in the summer, when the collector also functions as a sunshade, deflecting solar heat gain. The condensate from the air conditioner is collected and used to help water the plants at an experimental window garden, which also helps to freshen the air.

Studies from organizations like the EPA, the USGBC, the Acoustical Society of America, and many others have demonstrated the measurable gains in learning ability that come along with improved air, light, and sound quality in the classroom. But equally interesting are the possibilities within these types of systems to illustrate new models for learning and interaction: closed loops, upcycled surpluses, and bundled micro-infrastructures. This project seeks to address those important qualitative issues in a way that also allows students to discover all of the teaching moments inherent in the demonstration of the principles of sustainability.

(Design team: Steve Ziger, Fred Scharmen, Sukanya Walsh, Doug Bothner, and the students of the City Springs School, special thanks to City Springs Principal Rhonda Richetta, and Alison Perkins-Cohen of the Baltimore Curriculum Project)

Producing energy by walking on Shibuya station. Tokyo, Japan. ????????? from UNUChannel on Vimeo.

A simple description can be was done by Meg West with Arcadia Studio:

[…] the pool is divided into two roughly equal sized areas: a swimming zone, and a regeneration zone. The swimming zone is not really any different than a “normal” pool – it can be a lap pool, or a bean shaped pool, or a pond. The regeneration zone, however, is where interesting things happen.

Water spills over from the swimming zone into the regeneration zone, where aquatic plants rooted in gravel act as a biofilter. Water cleansing is achieved with zooplankton, phytoplankton, and water plants. As the water filters through the plants’ root zones and a sediment filter tank, all the impurities are essentially “eaten” by natural microorganisms.

My attraction to these systems is likely personal as I grew up swimming in clear, freshwater, lakes in Sweden (…cold as well…). No trace of chlorine or artificial agents and yet the water was healthy and refreshing, with the exception of the occasional obvious duck, fish, leech or lily pad to make the swim more exciting. The most interesting aspect of these pools is that they can be installed in both rural and urban areas. The way NSPs blend nature, architecture and human activity is really a great example of how to properly design the systems of the future. I hope I have the chance to swim in an NSP soon… otherwise a cold Swedish lake will have to suffice.

For more information please visit the relevant wikipedia article.

Names that stand out in the field include: BioNova, Woodhouse Natural Pools, Clear Water Revival, and Michael Littlewood Landscape Designer among others.

CycleTracks Free!

A new app released by the SanFrancisco Transportation Authority based on the assumption that people don’t always go where you think they do.  Cyclists upload date about their trip including time of day, route, and purpose.   City Planners will be using the information to better plan bike routes throughout the city.

GoodGuide Free!

Start shoppng smarter.  Use this guide to scan barcodes to find the environmental implications of products you buy.  The database currently lists information about personal care and household chemicals but will be expanding to include food, toys and electronics.

MeterRead $2.99

Helps track your household energy usage by keeping track of your monthly meter readings.  Helps you understand your electric bill and find out if those energy efficient light bulbs are having any effect on your expenses.

IRecycle Free!

This app will finally help get rid of those old batteries and paint cans that have been sitting in your basement forever.  Find recycling locations in your area for all sorts of hazardous materials.  Directions, hours of operation and materials accepted are included for most search results.

GreenPeaceTissueGuide Free!

This app helps to decipher  which paper products are really green as they claim to be.   Includes ratings and recommendations for over 100 paper companies so  you can be a responsible buyer.

FindGreen (formerly 3rdWhaleMobile)

Sort of like Yelp, except more green, this app will help you find green businesses in your areas.  Great for when your traveling and want to find some sustainable shops in your area.

350 Mobile

A call to action for climate change.  Get up to date on policies, solutions, and ways in which you can help. Includes cool interactive maps on projects going on around the world.

WindMeter $.99

Ever wonder if the location of your house would be suitable for a windmill?  This app, along with Windspeed and some other similar ones use the microphone on your phone to measure the wind in your location.

SeafoodWatch Free!

Brought to you by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this app allows you to make sustainble seafood choices.    The regional guide clues you in to what type of seafood is sustainable in your area.

Wood, arguably the most timeless of materials, is being reinvented (re-engineered) by sustainable technologies to meet the challenges of building in the 21st century. These new wood products attempt to match the desired properties of conventional pressure treated lumber without any of the associated negative environmental and health impacts. Beyond sustainability, the re-engineering of wood is driven by a desire to thwart encroachment by other, more designed, building materials into the building industry and is generally following the trend of technology making both new and old materials smarter through science and research. In the case of wood there are two exemplary technologies which the Ziger/Snead team has recently reviewed for use in a planned LEED Platinum building for the Parks&People Foundation.

Cambia by Greenleaf

Cambia wood is thermally modified (high heat) to “improve the dimensional stability and decay resistance of wood in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner.” The wood, after treatment, is apparently much more resistant to checking, splitting than untreated wood and is very similar to conventional pressure treated lumber in terms of preventing rotting and insect decomposition. All of this is accomplished using almost no chemicals and the thermal treatment is powered by gasses released from the wood itself during low heat combustion. The science is very interesting and is described more thoroughly by the Cambia team:

Wood, by nature is hygroscopic. Free hydroxyl groups absorb and release water with changes in the climatic conditions. Water molecules diffuse into the cell wall and bond to the OH groups, taking up space in the cell wall and causing the cell walls to expand.  Wood movement (expansion, contraction, cupping, twisting, warping) is due to the unequal absorption and exorption of moisture. Heating wood at high temperatures in an oxygen free environment causes lignin to flow and hemicellulose to decompose, producing water-insoluble polymers thereby increasing dimensional  stability.

As an organic compound, wood biodegrades. Biodegradation requires the presence of oxygen and water in the cell wall. In turn, enzymes metabolize available oxygen and water, causing the cell walls to decompose.

At high heat, free and bound water is eliminated, reducing the point at which the wood is no longer losing or gaining moisture. Wood exhibiting low Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) expands and contracts less with changes in relative humidity. Water absorbing hydroxyl groups in the hemicellulose break down.. Water molecules have nothing to bond to.

The energy to thermally modify the wood comes from the wood. Organic compounds are drawn off and reused as a fuel source. Upwards of 80% of the energy required to thermally transform the wood is derived from the wood itself. The heavier tar-like constituents form an amorphous crystalline matrix around the wood fibers, reducing EMC by upwards of 75%. The stabilized wood is less prone to movement (cupping, warping, twisting) contributing to a significantly longer service life.

At high heat, carbohydrates and water are reduced to the point where they are no longer a food source for wood destroying microbes.

The sample I have is a Poplar (their most used wood species) which actually smells wonderfully charred and is similar in color and texture to Ipe (dark brown). The weathered sample has grayed beautifully over time and has almost no signs of aging. The process can be applied to any wood species and does not affect FSC certification for those interested in LEED credits! Interestingly, we have researched the idea of using lumber reclaimed from a western Maryland barn and having the Cambia treatment applied. ‘FSC reclaimed’ might even apply so the new building would have FSC certification by using recycled wood from a structure in the region. Beautiful!

Kebony

Kebony wood is a pressurized treatment process where an bio-based solution is applied to wood in lieu of the conventional chemicals. The result is a harder, more stable wood product with increased resistance to rot and insect attack. The Kebony team describes the treatment process below:

Kebonization is a time-consuming process in which the properties of the wood are enhanced. The wood becomes harder and more stable, and its durability is improved. The liquid used in the process contains a bio-based substance which forms a stable solid inside the wood. The process involves the following four stages:

1. Ingredients are mixed according to a patented recipe.
2. The liquid is applied under pressure.
3. Drying of the wood materials.
4. The wood materials undergo a curing process at temperatures above 100?C.

The process is close-looped and the liquid ingredient is recycled during the production process. The furfuryl alcohol used as the input chemical is produced from agricultural waste from sugar cane production.

Kebony is far more stable than other wood types. The only difference that will be noticeable over time is the patination that occurs in wood exposed to the elements.

Cambia and Kebony are both clear examples of how technology can be used improve age old building materials. Instead of creating a new synthetic version of wood, product developers are simply tweaking the existing materials, saving and slightly altering all the established processes for extraction, sales and production. Also worth noting is that in a time of rapid deforestation due to farming and lumber demand, we as designers need products which allow us to use traditional materials sustainably. I look forward to seeing more of these products developed in the future.