Empty office spaces can be converted to residential buildings – but it won't be affordable

With many employers switching to remote work, two engineering experts explain the feasibility of converting office buildings to residential spaces.

Leah Mo, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University • conversation
July 14, 2023 ~9 min

Right-to-charge laws bring the promise of EVs to apartments, condos and rentals

Illinois passed the latest law requiring new apartment buildings to be wired for EV chargers. Now apartment communities are figuring out the best ways to make shared charging work for everyone.

Eleftheria Kontou, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • conversation
June 27, 2023 ~8 min


House of moveable wooden walls promising cheaper, greener alternative to ‘knocking through’, wins award

Cambridge architects have won a public choice award at the London Design Biennale for a prototype home constructed with flexible wooden partition walls which

Cambridge University News • cambridge
June 22, 2023 ~4 min

House of moveable wooden walls unveiled, promising a cheaper, greener alternative to ‘knocking through’

Cambridge architects are inviting visitors to the London Design Biennale to experience a prototype home constructed with flexible wooden partition walls which

Cambridge University News • cambridge
June 1, 2023 ~4 min

Integrating humans with AI in structural design

A process that seeks feedback from human specialists proves more effective at optimization than automated systems working alone.

David L. Chandler | MIT News Office • mit
March 2, 2023 ~7 min

Two years after its historic deep freeze, Texas is increasingly vulnerable to cold snaps – and there are more solutions than just building power plants

Texas wasn’t prepared to keep the lights on during Winter Storm Uri, and it won’t be ready for future cold weather unless it starts thinking about energy demand as well as supply.

Matthew Skiles, PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin • conversation
Feb. 10, 2023 ~13 min

Color-changing material could warm or cool buildings

“This kind of smart material lets us maintain the temperature in a building without huge amounts of energy.”

U. Chicago • futurity
Jan. 27, 2023 ~6 min

Five human technologies inspired by nature – from velcro to racing cars

Humans often look to nature for the solutions to complex problems – here are five times where biological processes have inspired innovation.

Amin Al-Habaibeh, Professor of Intelligent Engineering Systems, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Dec. 30, 2022 ~7 min


Five ways drones will change the way buildings are designed

From building planning to heritage restoration and advance surveillance, drones are set to change the face of our cities – here’s how.

Ole B. Jensen, Professor of Urban Theory and Urban Design, Aalborg University • conversation
Dec. 1, 2022 ~6 min

Dreaming of beachfront real estate? Much of Florida's coast is at risk of storm erosion that can cause homes to collapse, as Daytona just saw

Dozens of homes near Daytona Beach collapsed or were left unstable when Hurricane Nicole struck. Here’s what can be done to reduce that kind of risk.

Zhong-Ren Peng, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida • conversation
Nov. 23, 2022 ~8 min

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