Blue Designs - Architectural Designers

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Showing category "Green Building" (Show all posts)

Eco-friendly 'plyscrapers' on the rise

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, August 24, 2017, In : Green Building 

Ever since the 10-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago was called the first "skyscraper" in 1885, architects have been striving to create ever-taller buildings. Ten stories quickly became 20, 20 became 50, and on and on. In 2009 the Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the world's tallest building, with its 154 floors towering above ground level.

So why is the mayor of Portland, Oregon, calling a modest 12-story tower set for completion there next year “a true technological and entrepreneurial a...


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MAD and Stefano Boeri propose crinkled towers and vertical forests for Milan's disused Railway Yards.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, April 13, 2017, In : Green Building 

MAD, Stefano Boeri Architetti and Mecanoo are among five architecture studios to unveil proposals to completely transform unused railways across Milan, creating high-density housing and swaths of greenery.
The five proposals emerged from a workshop held in December 2016, which invited architects to reimagine the brownfield sites of Farini, Porta Genova, Porta Romana, Lambrate, Greco, Rogoredo and San Cristoforo as public parks, social housing and hubs for sustainable modes of transport.
The ide...

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OAS1S "treescrapers" are modern skyscrapers inspired by trees.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, April 3, 2017, In : Green Building 

OAS1S has introduced a unique concept for the future of urban green living:  a 21st century home that merges architecture and nature into one. The OAS1S houses are inspired by trees that act as modern skyscrapers. These “treescrapers” consist of wood and leaves, collect sun and water, plus provide oxygen, shelter and food. The tall, slim and detached houses have average tree-like dimensions of 6 x 6 x 12 m, with spectacular vegetation facades. The basic architecture is shaped as a number ...

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Students use rice husks to build affordable homes in the Philippines.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, March 20, 2017, In : Green Building 


Rice husks used to be considered a waste product good for nothing but fire or landfills, but now enterprising companies are beginning to realize their potential as a sustainable building material. A group of students from the Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering at University of California used waste rice husks to manufacture termite-resistant composite boards with help from a $75,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and build affordable housing in the Ph...


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Green Facades : Why are some architects scared?

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, March 6, 2017, In : Green Building 

Why are some architects scared to use vegetation at the heart of their façade design? Is it the loss of control implied by adding vegetation to the design? Is this due to a varying emphasis on greenery during architects’ training? Or just that it challenges the defined image of a building? Whatever the specific reasons, it’s still very rare to see vegetation placed at the centre of the design concept, as in the Bosco Verticale ('Vertical Forest') apartment buildings in Milan, Italy.

Why i...

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China plans it's first "Forest City" to fight air pollution

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, February 23, 2017, In : Green Building 
Just weeks after Stefano Boeri announced plans for China’s first vertical forest, the Italian architect unveiled an even more ambitious vision: Forest Cities. Scaling up from his tree-clad Bosco Verticale skyscraper, Boeri created a blueprint for new cities in China that will be blanketed in greenery to fight air pollution. The first implementation of the nature-filled city will start in the city of Liuzhou, with construction expected to begin later this year.
Stefano Boeri’s Forest City m...

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Straw Bale Buildings are Carbon Neutral

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, In : Green Building 

A study by the Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland finds that straw bale buildings are carbon neutral. Engineer Adrien Chaussinand conducted extensive testing of ECO-46, a straw bale building that houses the Department of Parks and Gardens in Lausanne.

He conducted a life cycle analysis of the building, which accounted for all the energy that went into its construction — from planting the grass to the eventual destruction of the structure. “If all of the b...


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Self-Shaping Shelters that could revolutionise emergency housing.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, February 17, 2017, In : Green Building 
Emergency shelter design is becoming increasingly important due to the various refugee situations occurring around the world. Although some designs have already been awarded for their crucial role in providing emergency housing, other forward-thinking designers such as Haresh Lalvani are actively working to create a biomimicry-based system where shelter structures would be able to assemble themselves.
This type of installation could be a potential game changer for shelter design considering so...

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This Smog-fighting Music Academy will have an air purifier as effective as 33,000 Trees.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, February 16, 2017, In : Green Building 
The Polish city of Krakow has some of the worst air pollution in the world. In hopes of improving the city’s air quality, FAAB Architektura proposed a smog-fighting music academy fitted with a German air purification system that they say works effectively as 33,000 city trees. The music academy was designed as part of a larger “Krakow Music City” masterplan that envisions a largely car-free and environmentally friendly development atop a former military base.
Located between Krakow and t...

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China's first Vertical Forest is rising in Nanjing.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, February 3, 2017, In : Green Building 
Stefano Boeri Architetti is bringing the vertical forest concept popularized in Milan to Nanjing, China with the Nanjing Towers. The two green towers could provide the city with a breath of fresh air, producing around 132 pounds of oxygen every day as they absorb carbon dioxide. They’ll accomplish this air-cleaning feat with 1,100 flourishing trees from 23 local species and 2,500 cascading shrubs and plants.

http://inhabitat.com/chinas-first-vertical-forest-is-rising-in-nanjing/

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The end of air conditioning? Asia architects use green solutions to cool buildings.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, In : Green Building 

Spend five minutes in humid Ho Chi Minh City and you'll probably be running for cover into the nearest air-conditioned refuge.
In the Vietnamese city -- and many developing subtropical countries across Asia, such as Indonesia and the Philippines -- air conditioning (AC) is increasingly being considered a necessity.
But one architecture firm is advocating a different way to keep cool.
T3 Architecture Asia, which has offices in Vietnam and France, specializes in back-to-basics "bioclimatic archite...


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Green Building and Sustainability by Jack Laken

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Saturday, January 28, 2017, In : Green Building 

Our climate is changing. A shift in the number of wildfires, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts, and heavy rainfalls has been attributed to climate change. These changes have had an impact on agriculture and wildlife, including the introduction of new pests and depleting habitats.

Humans and our current life style practices remain the leading contributors to climate change, with carbon being the main culprit.

To read more go to :- https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/green-building-and-...


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Futuristic green city design runs like a real rainforest in Malaysia

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Saturday, January 28, 2017, In : Green Building 
If would If money were no object, what would be the ideal city of the future look like?  Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) answered that question with a spectacular design for the Forest City, a proposed masterplan for a new city in Malaysia.  This 20Km2 green smart city will be built around a central rainforest and mimic the forest’s ecosystem by adopting a closed loop system that reuses all its resources and controls out-flow.

Winner of the second place prizeinternational design...
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Will these houses make you dizzy? Architects Build Rotating Homes

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, In : Green Building 
Will these houses make you dizzy? Architects build rotating homes.  Imagine living in a house that follows the direction of the sun when it's hot. Or one that offers a different view out of your bedroom window every day of the week. For some bold homeowners this is becoming a reality, thanks to an innovative wave of architects who are re-imagining the concept of the house. Once something firmly routed to the ground, homes are now becoming moving entities that can rotate, change shape, and eve...
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Green buildings make you work smarter and sleep sounder, study reveals

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Sunday, December 18, 2016, In : Green Building 
Improved light, ventilation and heat control can boost workers’ productivity by thousands of dollars a year and reduce instances of sick building syndrome

People working in green buildings think better in the office and sleep better when they get home, a new study has revealed.

The research indicates that better ventilation, lighting and heat control improves workers’ performance and could boost their productivity by thousands of dollars a year. It also suggests that more subjective aspects...


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Sweden’s new ICEHOTEL 365 uses solar cooling to stay open all year-round

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, December 12, 2016, In : Green Building 
Sweden’s famed ICEHOTEL, perhaps the “coolest” hotel in the world, has just unveiled a permanent luxury lodge made entirely of ice. The newly-designed ICEHOTEL365 has all of the chilly charm of its sister hotel, but will be open 365 days a year thanks to state-of-the-art solar-powered cooling technology that will keep the structure frozen during summer months. http://inhabitat.com/swedens-new-icehotel-365-uses-solar-cooling-to-stay-open-all-year-round/


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How stone can help you create a more sustainable home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, December 2, 2016, In : Green Building 
How stone can help you create a more sustainable home

From the pyramids at Giza, to Stonehenge, to Machu Picchu, it is no coincidence that all of the longest lasting human structures are made from stone. Stone lasts forever, is natural, and is readily available in the environment. When it comes to outdoor landscaping or interior applications that see a lot of use and moisture (i.e. kitchens and bathrooms), natural stone is often the most durable and lowest-maintenance choice for surfaces. Unli...

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8 inexpensive earth homes almost anyone can afford

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, December 1, 2016, In : Green Building 
Many people dream of building their own home, but the financial cost and environmental toll of starting from scratch can often seem overwhelming. It doesn't have to be. By stepping outside the box and using natural methods, almost anyone can afford to build their own green home out of sustainable materials. "Earth homes" utilize surrounding terrain or other natural elements such as dirt, bamboo, wood, and clay to create a space with a negligible environmental impact. These homes are very well...
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Ecovative Design’s Mushroom Magic by Glenn Meyers

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, November 17, 2016, In : Green Building 
Are there alternatives to foam  when it comes tp packaging and insulation? Absolutely yes. contends Evocotive Design, a Green Island, NY company engaged in the design, development, and testing of new products and biomaterial applications. The company has launched two extremely green mushroom-based products.  Start with the packaging material, said to perform in customized shapes like foam does. This  high-performance alternative to molded or fabricated EPS, EPP, EPE is renewable, compostable,...
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New Construction Materials… That Self-Repair?

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, In : Green Building 



Opening up a new field of design for construction technology, the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is envisioning futuristic materials that repair themselves.

After recently launching the Engineered Living Materials (ELM) program, DARPA’s goal is to create a whole new class of construction materials. Imagine engineering living cellular systems into the structural features of traditional construction materials. The results might offer, for example, a driveway...
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Revolving solar-powered home for veterans wins California’s first tiny house competition

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, November 10, 2016, In : Green Building 
Santa Clara University students recently won California's first tiny house competition with 238 square feet of technological and design genius. Called rEvolve House, referencing its ability to track the sun throughout the day to optimize solar gain, the prototypical home was designed in collaboration with Operation Freedom Paws as a low-cost housing solution for veterans training their own service dogs.  To read more go to:- http://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-revolving-home-for-veterans-wins-...
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Building your House with Straw? How about Rice Straw? by Claire Cardwell

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, November 7, 2016, In : Green Building 


https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/building-your-house-out-of-straw-how-about-rice-straw
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This Reverse Pyramid is a Green Urban Community in the Skies of Paris

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, October 28, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/this-reverse-pyramid-is-a-green-urban-community-in-the-skies-of-paris

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Bio Bricks - the Future of Construction by Claire Cardwell

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/bio-bricks-the-future-of-construction

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Bricks - The ABCs of Green Building Materials by Aisha Abdelhamid

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, October 24, 2016, In : Green Building 



https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/bricks-the-abcs-of-green-building-materials-by-aisha-abdelhamid
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Green Building Envelope Towards a cleaner, greener, and healthier human ecosystem

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://www.arup.com/greenbuildings?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=GreenBuildingEnvelope

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BI(h)OME Is a Flexible Housing Unit That Can Be Plugged Into an Existing Home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Sunday, September 18, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://architizer.com/blog/bihome-1/

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Cellulose Insulation - ABCs of Green Building Materials by Aisha Abdelhamid

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, September 16, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2016/09/14/cellulose-insulation-abc-green-building-materials/

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Living Walls play a significant role in tackling toxic air hot spots in cities.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, September 16, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://www.hortweek.com/living-walls-play-significant-role-tackling-toxic-air-hot-spots-cities/landscape/article/1408943

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Brush & Wattle — The ABCs of Green Building Materials by Aisha Abdelhamid

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Sunday, September 11, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2016/09/09/brush-wattle-abc-green-building-materials/

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Floating Seahorse villas: CLAD gets exclusive first glimpse of underwater residence

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, September 9, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://view.bebee.com/?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jbGFkZ2xvYmFsLmNvbS9DTEFEbmV3cy9hcmNoaXRlY3R1cmVfZGVzaWduL0Zsb2F0aW5nLVNlYWhvcnNlLUNMQUQtSGVhcnQtb2YtRXVyb3BlLVRoZS1Xb3JsZC1LbGVpbmRpZW5zdC1Hcm91cC8zMjM1OTI/c291cmNlPW5ld3M=

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Affordable Homes made with Recycled Plastic Bricks pop up in a matter of Hours

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, September 9, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://inhabitat.com/affordable-chandi-gar-homes-made-with-recycled-plastic-bricks-pop-up-in-a-matter-of-hours/

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Bamboo - The ABCs of Green Building Materials by Aisha Abdelhamid

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2016/08/10/bamboo-abcs-green-building-materials/

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The ABCs of Green Building Materials – Adobe by Aisha Abdelhamid

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, July 29, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2016/07/28/the-abcs-of-green-building-materials-adobe/

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Home is where the Bark is by Jonathan Glancey

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, July 28, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.1843magazine.com/design/home-is-where-the-bark-is

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Green Buildings can Reduce Climate Change

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Thursday, July 28, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/green-buildings-can-reduce-climate-change-wgbc-2016-07-27

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Living Green - How it affects your Home Insurance

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Saturday, July 23, 2016, In : Green Building 
http://sustainablog.org/2016/07/living-green-how-it-affects-your-home-insurance/

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6 Great Green Designs that put South Africa on the map.

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, July 18, 2016, In : Green Building 


House Abo by Nico van der Meulen
http://inhabitat.com/6-great-green-designs-that-put-south-africa-on-the-map/
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Pros and Cons of using Shipping Containers for your New Home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/pros-and-cons-of-using-shipping-containers-for-your-new-home





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Building Materials, Fossil Fuels’ Ugly Cousin by Jay Wanty

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/building-materials-fossil-fuels-ugly-cousin-by-jay-wanty



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Should I use Hemp to Build my House?

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, June 6, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/should-i-use-hemp-build-my-house-claire-cardwell?trk=hp-feed-article-title-publish

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8 Advantages of using Straw Bales to Build your House

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Monday, June 6, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-advantages-using-straw-bales-build-your-house-claire-cardwell?trk=hp-feed-article-title-publish

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Are Green Buildings more Expensive to Construct?

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Friday, June 3, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/green-buildings-more-expensive-construct-claire-claire-cardwell 

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10 Reasons why you should use Sustainable Building Materials by Shelley Little

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Wednesday, June 1, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-reasons-you-should-use-sustainable-building-shelley-cardwell?trk=pulse_spock-articles

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Renovation vs New Construction - Which is Greener?

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Wednesday, June 1, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/renovation-versus-new-construction-which-greener-better-cardwell?trk=hp-feed-article-title-publish

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Building an Energy Efficient Home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-energy-efficient-home-marcus-pickett-claire-cardwell

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Top Tips for a Healthier Home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-tips-healthier-home-claire-cardwell-claire-cardwell

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The Pros and Cons of Using Shipping Containers for your New Home

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pros-cons-using-shipping-containers-your-new-home-claire-cardwell

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The Net Zero Influence

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/net-zero-influence-claire-cardwell-claire-cardwell

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The Advantages of Sustainable Building

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advantages-sustainable-building-claire-cardwell-claire-cardwell

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Building Materials - Fossil Fuel's Ugly Cousin

Posted by Blue Designs - Architectural Designers on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, In : Green Building 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-materials-fossil-fuels-ugly-cousin-jay-wanty-claire-cardwell?trk=hp-feed-article-title-publish

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