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A Melbourne school is creating great industry waves for its mix of stunning architecture and environmentally responsible principles. Acting as an incredible promotion of green thinking to both the young students attending and the wider community, is the junior building at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS). While the striking building, transformed by architectural firm McBride Charles Ryan is completely passive in its design, an absolute feat in its own right, it is its aesthetic that truly stands out. Oftentimes in green building projects a building's visual appeal is ignored in order to focus on the sustainable building aspects. While environmental responsibility may be more important than design greatness, it is incredibly positive to see such a prime example of a culmination of these ideas executed so elegantly.

What Experts Are Saying "KPF has been using GenerativeComponents for some time and it forms a key component in the armory of the KPF Computational Geometry Group. Several of our most advanced projects employ GenerativeComponents as a tool for exploring thousands of options as well as the complex geometry to be used in final construction, all ultimately benefiting our clients. The nature of GenerativeComponents as a MicroStation extension means that, as a matter of course, our advanced designs can be interchanged with an extraordinary variety of software." - Lars Hesselgren, Kohn Pederson Fox "At Arup, we believe firmly in the principle of integrated design and integrated approaches to design - it's the only way to design complex buildings well. That's why we use GenerativeComponents. And we are not alone. We are starting to see young people coming through the system doing things we could only have dreamed about a few years ago." - J Parrish, Arup Sport "Simplicity seeds complexity. But in the search for form we need to add reference to the representation to articulate the result. GenerativeComponents enables us to find, explore, and regulate forms more rapidly, and to transmit these forms to fabrication more economically." - Hugh Whitehead, Foster + Partners "Grimshaw's offices all share a common DNA. We are a design-driven office, and all projects are informed by the specific location, program, and environmental forces. We employ GenerativeComponents to take in and embed the multitude of inputs and structure them using this common DNA, thus enabling us to rapidly explore a variety of environmentally appropriate solutions for each design project." - Shane Burger, Grimshaw Architects "Using GenerativeComponents, we can accelerate our iteration through design options and, in parallel, assess all concepts and dismiss those that would be uneconomic to construct. As a result, we get to spend more time fine-tuning the best solution.â

about next way to design ...

We in the construction and design industry are currently going through a greenwash, a saturation of sustainability. In fact, we may be creating it. This public sense of exhaustion and lack of understanding in response to environmentally conscious mentalities and building processes, anything labeled 'green' to be precise, is causing an increased apathy in the entire sector and is impacting the communication of projects and concepts. Yet we are only adding fuel to the fire. We in this industry, and even those who are not, are confusing two key terms; that of Green Building and Sustainability, in turn creating confusion through misrepresented and easily misunderstood jargon. The thing is, it's universal. And ever so easy to accidently do.

One major green belt that has seen the devastating results of deforestation is the Amazon jungle. From 1991 until 2001 the total area cleared jumped from 415,000 km2 to 587,000 km2, proving that this massive, unsustainable deforestation effort has not been just a thing of the past. In fact, it was only last year that deforestation figures slowed to their lowest numbers yet. For many in the green building industry, that is how they would like it to continue. Offering to lead this conservation effort is London-based architectural firm Marks Barfield. Who have impressed architecture and environmental communities worldwide with their £6.4m proposal for a research centre in the Amazon, which will include a central, tree-shaped observation tower and 6 miles of tree top canopy walkways. Due to the nature and function of this tower, in addition to the limitations that the rural, fragile Brazilian environment holds, a sustainable building ideology forms the foundation of the proposal.

Kebony is a Norwegian company which aims to be the leading wood brand and technology organisation. Underpinned by proven timber modification technologies, it produces an enhanced wood of a superior quality that is both environmentally friendly and durable.

Terry. Terry Architecture's proposed mobile coastal homes are equipped to adapt to sudden environmental changes and can ebb and flow with the tide. Check out the concept currently on exhibit at the Venice Architectural Biennale and leave us your views…

Queensland has seen some devastating effects as a result of natural environmental disasters such as the powerful floods they experienced at the beginning of this year. In light of the damage caused by the floods, both the federal government and Queensland state government have banded together in order to use the excess water more effectively. In the latest reports, the combined government entities plan to harness the wet season floodwaters and channel them into irrigation systems. In creating an irrigation system that puts the floodwaters to positive use, the government hopes to protect infrastructure from the effects of the environment, as well as harness the water efficiently.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has been ardently backing a complete retrofit of all 'brown' or sustainably unfit operational buildings in this country. Which is only logical, as these buildings, particularly in the commercial sector, join together to become the largest carbon emitters in Australia. Their move to transform these unfit buildings has received a huge boost recently, with the support of Australand for their Green Star - Performance rating tool. The rating tool will become the backbone of the GBCA's work moving forward, as it will most precisely "help building owners, operators and occupants to measure and monitor the environmental impact of their buildings and take practical action to improve their buildings' performance".

The idea that the environment can aid healing is not a new one. In her book 'Healing Spaces", Dr. Esther M. Sternberg has explored the health benefits to patients on both a mental and physical level when exposed to plants and larger organic environments. Australian industry giants Brookfield Multiplex and HASSELL are taking on these principles and shaping their design and construction processes with environmental healing as a key foundation of their latest Perth healthcare development.

Sports stadiums around the world are turning green, adopting solar and wind technology to improve their cities and win over fans

Moving ahead of Australian Green Star compliance, One Central Park (OCP) by Ar. Jean Nouvel is an innovative and environmentally ambitious landmark project that takes a broader approach to carbon conscious design and exceeds the highest standards of sustainable residential design. Check it out here…

Photography: Nigel Young; Hufton & Crow; Courtesy: Foster+Partners Foster & Partners incorporate ambitious environmental strategy in a new sculptural addition to the city of London... Wrapped in a grid of highly reflective cast- aluminium brise soleil, shimmering in the bright sunshine, casting intriguing chiaroscuro effects on the street side, the Walbrook office building stands tall, distinctly individualistic, yet contextually alluding to the historical fabric of its neighbourhood .

other future concepts .. with robotic integration now.

some good other aspects to the interactive lively architecture...

Mr. Fresco's background includes industrial design and social engineering, as well as being a forerunner in the field of Human Factors. Mr. Fresco has worked as both designer and inventor in a wide range of fields spanning from biomedical innovations to totally integrated social systems. The Venus Project reflects the culmination of Jacque Fresco's life work: the integration of the best of science and technology into a comprehensive plan for a new society based on human and environmental concern. It is a global vision of hope for the future of humankind in our technological age.

but it seems sometimes in a 70s old project .. with no references to new architcture, next scripted one.. beautiful in some parts, unrealistic in others.. in fact this is an inspiring one. not a model... but to discuss on, it is a good beginning

about cities if it could be ... some ideas , there for sharing ...

info [ecosistema urbano] is working on an installation project for the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. Since we believe that many of the world's most difficult environmental challenges can be addressed and solved by cities… the project what if…?cities will be a collection of ideas from people with different backgrounds from all over the world presenting their own visions for an alternative future urbanity.

The Block Research Group has teamed up with the Computation and Design Group at Zaha Hadid Architects to build a 12-by-16-metre arched footbridge in a park in Venice - entirely without reinforcement.