Integrating with nature

A new building at the Georgia Institute of Technology aims to generate more power than it uses, micro-mobility company Helbiz is to begin operating a eet of 00 electric dockless bicycles in Rome, and Colgate-Palmolive has designed an innovative recyclable toothpaste tube.

- STEVE HILL

SOLAR CANOPY

The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States aims to generate more electricity from solar panels than it uses on an annual basis.

The 4366-square meter structure features a 917-solar panel canopy that harnesses the energy and provides shade for the south and west façades and also collects rainwater, which is treated for all uses, including drinking.

Other sustainable elements of the design, by Lord Aeck Sargent and The Miller Hull Partnership, include the innovative use of reclaimed materials, composting toilets and the diversion of more waste from landfills than the facility sends to them.

The project is also home to a 400-square meter rooftop garden featuring a honeybee apiary, pollinator garden, and blueberry orchard.

Georgia Tech President Dr. Ángel Cabrera said: “The Kendeda Building is an incredible and beautiful example of sustainable design, integration with nature, human inclusion and well-being.

“It is the most sustainable building of its kind in the [US] southeast. And thanks to our partnership with the Kendeda Fund it will inspire architects, civil engineers, business and policy leaders for generations to come.”

Dena Kimball, Executive Director of The Kendeda Fund, added: “The official opening of the building is the starting point, not the finish line.

“Now the real work begins, as Georgia Tech embraces the goals of the Living Building Challenge and demonstrates what is required to operate a building that gives more than it takes and creates a positive impact on the human and natural systems that surround it.”

GREEN FOR GO

Micro-mobility company Helbiz has been awarded a three-year license to begin operating a fleet of 500 electric, dockless bicycles in Rome.