All posts tagged: building

When did people start building houses with corners?

When did people start building houses with corners?

Published by skeptic

Rectangular buildings became common from about 10,000 years ago, as seen in this reconstruction of the ancient city of Çatalhöyük in Turkey selimaksan/iStockphoto/Getty Images Buildings with corners have a much deeper history than we thought, adding an unexpected twist to a curious architectural mystery from the dawn of village life. Archaeologists have long been aware of a global trend in early architecture. From south-west Asia to the Americas, the very earliest settlements typically contained buildings with a round or oval-shaped ground plan. Then, usually a few thousand years later, these apparently went out of fashion, becoming… Source link

Building critical digital research infrastructure in Canada

Building critical digital research infrastructure in Canada

Published by skeptic

There’s no single formula for building digital research infrastructure, but there is much to learn from our international peers. Case in point? Canada has a model of collaboration that reflects its unique character. When building digital research infrastructure (DRI) in Canada, the scenario is much like the country: expansive, complex, and regionally diverse. Here, many partners, institutions and government bodies work together to build the assets the country needs to get a leg up in the global knowledge economy. Against the backdrop of an evolving and dynamic space, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) is unlocking the full potential of Canada’s commitment to leading-edge research. While other G7 countries, such as the United Kingdom, have made significant investments in DRI—spending twice as much as Canada—recent investments are helping Canada start to close the gap and catch up with its international peers. With a strong vision and a federated approach, the Alliance and its partners are building a national strategy for DRI and gaining momentum in this high-tech race towards the future. Here’s how the Alliance …

£13.8bn school building maintenance backlog revealed

£13.8bn school building maintenance backlog revealed

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Unions have called on the government to urgently invest in restoring school buildings – as a “damning” new report revealed a £13.8bn backlog in maintenance. The new National Audit Office (NAO) report, published today, estimates a maintenance backlog of at least £49bn across key public services including schools, prisons, hospitals, and MOD sites. Almost 30 per cent of this backlog – £13.bn (28 per cent) – was accounted for by schools, which came in joint-second place with NHS sites, behind only MoD properties. The NAO added that “poor government data” means the true cost “cannot be estimated” and “is likely to be higher”. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, described the report as “damning”, and said the new government must “go further and faster” in making school buildings safe and fit for purpose. “We frequently hear from school leaders of the unacceptable conditions with which pupils and staff are having to contend – from crumbly concrete to leaking roofs, draughty portable cabins and school dinners being served in …

Sustainable building materials create better indoor climates

Sustainable building materials create better indoor climates

Published by skeptic

Researchers from ETH Zurich have investigated the use of sustainable building materials to provide better passive dehumidification of indoor spaces. Rather than being released into the environment by a mechanical ventilation system, the moisture is temporarily stored in the sustainable building materials and later released when the room is ventilated. The researchers studied the effects of hygroscopic materials, which helped high humidity be absorbed by walls and ceilings and temporarily stored there. “Our solution is suitable for high-traffic spaces for which the ventilation systems already in place are insufficient,” explained Guillaume Habert, Professor for Sustainable Construction, who supervised the ETH research project. Sustainable building materials from marble quarrying The team followed the principle of the circular economy in their search for suitable hygroscopic materials. The starting point is finely ground waste from marble quarries. A binder is needed to turn this powder into moisture-binding wall and ceiling components. This task is performed by a geopolymer, a class of materials consisting of metakaolin (known from porcelain production) and an alkaline solution (potassium silicate and water). The …

Learning to be an entrepreneur means building connections as well as studying business

Learning to be an entrepreneur means building connections as well as studying business

Published by skeptic

Entrepreneurs drive innovation, create jobs, and contribute to economic growth. But entrepreneurship is not just about having a brilliant idea. It requires skills that often must be learnt. Structured entrepreneurship education is designed to give people the knowledge they need to start and run their own businesses. It is typically provided through university courses, business schools and specialised training programmes. It includes a variety of subjects: business planning, financial management, marketing and innovation. However, there is a significant gap between traditional entrepreneurship education and the practical ways in which entrepreneurs actually learn. Traditional entrepreneurship education often focuses on theoretical knowledge and structured business planning. These aspects are important but they tend to overlook the dynamic and practical aspects of entrepreneurial learning. Entrepreneurs learn through experience, experimentation and, importantly, through interactions within their social networks. We carried out research to explore how entrepreneurs learn. We observed working practices in five co-working spaces, held discussions with 41 people and carried out more structured research interviews with six entrepreneurs. Our findings suggest that relationships and social networks play …

Banksy Mural to Be Sold with the Building It’s Painted On

Banksy Mural to Be Sold with the Building It’s Painted On

Published by skeptic

  A Banksy mural is heading to auction early next year. The catch? The buyer must purchase the entire building upon which Well Hung Lover was painted by the anonymous street artist.   Banksy’s Well Hung Lover Heads to Auction Well Hung Lover by Banksy, 2006. Source: Adrian Langtry/CNN.   In 2006, Banksy painted Well Hung Lover on the side of a sexual health clinic in Bristol, England. It depicts a naked man hanging from an open window. Another man, dressed in a suit and standing next to a woman in underwear, looks out the window, seemingly unaware of his partner’s dangling lover. This Banksy mural is technically the United Kingdom’s first legal piece of street art after a survey by the Bristol City Council granted permission retrospectively. Well Hung Lover was defaced by a paintball gun in 2009, after which the City Council partially restored the mural. It was defaced again in 2018 with black spray paint.   The sexual health clinic has since relocated from the building with the Banksy mural. Now, Bristol real estate agent Hollis …

Banksy Mural Will to be Sold with the Building It is Painted on

Banksy Mural Will to be Sold with the Building It is Painted on

Published by skeptic

A Banksy mural of a man hanging out of a bedroom window as he tries to evade his love rival is being sold at auction with the building it is painted on. Titled Well Hung Lover, it was painted on the wall of a sexual health clinic in Bristol, UK, in 2006. Banksy, who is from the city, said he wasn’t aware of the building’s coincidental use at the time. Real estate agent Hollis Morgan is auctioning the property – and therefore the artwork – with a new 250-year lease next year. The Grade II-listed Georgian building has five floors and is located close to Bristol Cathedral and the University of Bristol. A nightclub operates in the basement. Hollis Morgan is promoting the property’s potential to be converted into student apartments. As for the fate of the artwork, the real estate agent pointed to the fact that Bristol city council has no official policy on street art, no matter who it is by. “It is recognised that street art is created not as a permanent work of …

Gigantic structure taller than the Empire State Building found hidden off the coast of Australia

Gigantic structure taller than the Empire State Building found hidden off the coast of Australia

Published by skeptic

In an astonishing revelation from the depths of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, scientists have unveiled the discovery of a “massive” new reef. Standing tall at 500 meters (around 1,600 feet), this new reef is an underwater skyscraper, soaring even higher than some of the world’s renowned architectural marvels, including the Empire State Building in New York and the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. This monumental discovery was made in the waters off North Queensland by researchers aboard the Falkor, a vessel from the Schmidt Ocean Institute. Notably, this is the first such reef to be uncovered in over a century. The researchers stumbled upon the massive structure as they meticulously mapped the seafloor of the northern stretches of the Great Barrier Reef. Newly discovered 500 meter tall detached reef adds to the seven other tall detached reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef. (CREDIT: Schmidt Ocean Institute) For perspective, consider this: the newly discovered reef towers above the iconic Empire State Building, which measures 381 meters up to its top floor. It also surpasses the …

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Acquires M. Residential Building

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Acquires $22 M. Residential Building

Published by skeptic

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston has purchased a 62-unit apartment building for $22.8 million, securing the only non-museum property on the block adjacent to its new wing. Located at 14 Palace Road and 11 Tetlow Street in Boston’s Fenway Court, the five-floor residential building now makes the museum, constructed as a 15th-century Venetian palace, a landlord for its tenants. The museum said its acquisition of the building was a move to safeguard the area from potential development that could threaten the current state of the museum’s surrounding area and the experience of visitors. Related Articles The money for the building’s acquisition is separate from the museum’s funds that go to exhibitions, programs, and conservation of work in the collection. In 2023, the museum reported $19.3 million in revenue in 2023. “We believe this was the best course of action for the neighborhood, ensuring no negative impact on the community, our neighbors, or the museum’s visitors,” Hardwick said in a statement to Boston Business Journal, which first reported news of the sale. The deal …