Illustration of evening view of 5 Times Square in Midtown Manhattan during a representation of its office-to-residential conversion, with warm lights glowing from newly framed apartments inside the high-rise’s glass and steel structure, symbolizing adaptive reuse, sustainable building design, and affordable housing in New York City.

One Tower, 1,250 Homes: How 5 Times Square Is Being Rebuilt from the Inside Out

  • Building, Design & Architecture, Sustainability
The Midtown office tower conversion offers a real-world blueprint for high-rise reuse, housing relief and carbon cuts without starting from scratch

In the heart of Midtown, a 38-story glass giant is being reworked from the inside out—not to reopen as offices, but to house people. No demolition. No do-over.

Just 1,250 apartments—including 313 permanently affordable homes—taking shape inside what used to be one of Times Square’s most prominent commercial towers.

5 Times Square is now one of the largest office-to-residential conversions under construction in Midtown Manhattan. It’s an initially filed $95 million transformation led by RXR with design by Gensler.

While renderings and feasibility studies are easy to commission, this one’s happening.

Why 5 Times Square Works When Most Buildings Don’t

Most office buildings aren’t cut out for conversion. Too deep. Too dark. Too messy to make code. But 5 Times Square checks just enough boxes to make it viable—and just difficult enough to prove it isn’t easy.

What gave it a shot:

  • A centralized service core that simplifies residential circulation.
  • ~31,000-square-foot floorplates that can accommodate natural light.
  • A fully glazed curtain wall supporting daylight access and façade reuse.
  • Steel framing and slab spacing compatible with residential layouts.

Still, this isn’t some light remodel but a near-complete rework: plumbing risers drilled, corridors rerouted, HVAC systems (expected to be electrified), elevator shafts reassigned. What’s more, the design is being scoped to comply with Local Law 97’s 2030 emissions caps, though detailed MEP plans aren’t yet public.

Floor by Floor, Above a Transit Superhub

As of early 2024, vacancy hovered around 75%, with the remaining tenants phasing out. That’s enabled a rare sequencing window: floor-by-floor interior buildouts above an active base of retail and transit access.

Construction challenges include:

  • Penetrating existing slabs for plumbing and shaft extensions.
  • Pressurizing stairwells and adjusting egress to meet residential code.
  • Mechanical, electrical and elevator retrofits for higher-density operation.
  • Vertical sequencing logistics above occupied and retail areas.

All of this is unfolding above the Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority station complex, the busiest in New York with 54.3 million entries in 2023. The original tower was built around it. The retrofit must work around it, too.

What Made This Possible? A Rare Stack of Policy and Timing

Structure matters. So does zoning. But to convert at this scale in Midtown, you need a rare alignment of law, finance and timing.

MechanismImpact
FAR Cap LiftedNY’s FY2025 budget eliminated the 12 FAR cap for residential citywide, enabling denser projects like this one in Midtown.
467-m Tax IncentiveBy including 25% permanently affordable units, the project qualifies for up to 35 years of property tax relief.
Ground Lease RenegotiatedRXR paid $8 million to revise its lease with the City of New York, unlocking flexibility to proceed.
Conversion AcceleratorA city program enabling expedited review across zoning, DOB and housing agencies.

The Carbon Math Behind Not Starting Over

Tearing down a steel tower like this would waste decades of embodied carbon. And in a city where Local Law 97 penalties are looming, that math matters.

5 Times Square is pushing that advantage:

  • Keeping structural steel and envelope intact.
  • Moving toward electrified systems for future carbon-free operation.
  • Leveraging transit-oriented design.

This is pragmatic carbon avoidance, layered into a housing play that works—barely—because the building allows it.

One Building Won’t Fix the Housing Crisis. But It Can Shift the Blueprint.

This project isn’t a cure-all but a working model—flawed, complicated and happening.

5 Times Square shows what’s possible when policy, design and development finally align. It shows what’s hard (shaft work, lease rewrites, policy risk) and what’s worth it (permanently affordable housing, avoided carbon, reused urban infrastructure).

It doesn’t solve the crisis. But it proves we’re not stuck.

And that makes it more than a project. It makes it precedent.

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Construction crew assembling CLT panels on a high-rise timber building in Bordeaux

Inside France’s Wooden Skyscraper Boom

  • Sustainability
From Bordeaux to Paris, France is stacking wood higher than ever—what does it mean for the future of cities?

Skyscrapers weren’t supposed to be made of wood.

Concrete and steel? Sure. That’s how we’ve built for more than a century. But in France, a different kind of skyline is emerging—one shaped by engineered timber, not poured concrete. And this isn’t just some greenwashed concept sketch. These towers are real, occupied and getting taller by the year.

From Bordeaux to Paris, France is betting big on mass timber—not as an experiment but as a mainstream material that’s fast to assemble, low-carbon by nature and increasingly cost-competitive. Spurred by tough national climate laws and a culture that values architectural ambition, the country is rewriting what’s possible with wood.

Bordeaux Quietly Leads the Timber Charge

You’d think Paris would take the lead on mass timber skyscrapers. But it’s Bordeaux that quietly stole the spotlight.

Start with Hyperion, a 17-story, 57-meter mixed-use tower completed in 2021. It remains France’s tallest wooden-framed residential building. Built by Eiffage Immobilier, Hyperion used approximately 1,400 cubic meters of engineered wood and stores around 1,000 metric tons of CO₂—the equivalent of nearly a decade of emissions from a typical apartment building.

More than 1,500 components were prefabricated off-site—including cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors, glulam beams and modular timber-framed walls—and then assembled on-site in just five months. The structure sits on a concrete base and core for seismic stability, but everything above is a showcase of wood engineering.

Next comes Silva Tower, scheduled to finish in late 2025. At 56 meters and 16 stories, Silva is Bordeaux’s second mass timber high-rise. More than 60% of the structure is made from wood, combining French pine CLT floors with spruce glulam beams sourced across Europe. According to developer Kaufman & Broad, Silva represents a “low-carbon trajectory”—and at this scale, that’s not just marketing spin.

Paris Is Building Bold—and Tall

Paris has joined the timber party with projects that balance density, detail and design ambition.

Take Wood Up, a 50-meter, 14-story tower in the city’s 13ᵗʰ arrondissement. Completed in 2024, it uses French beech from Normandy—shipped in by barge—along with Douglas fir columns and a glulam frame. The structural system relies on a three-story concrete podium and dual timber column rings: beech inside for strength, Douglas fir outside for stiffness.

Then there’s Le Berlier, another 50-meter residential project by Moreau Kusunoki. The design pairs clean, modern lines with a charred timber façade, blending texture and warmth. It’s composed of two volumes—one 15 stories, the other eight—forming a dense but elegant massing that aligns with the city’s push for sustainable, high-density timber housing.

Meanwhile, in the suburb of Villiers-sur-Marne, Stefano Boeri Architetti is planning Forêt Blanche, a 54-meter Vertical Forest wrapped in 2,000 trees, shrubs and plants. Equal parts high-rise and habitat, the tower’s green façade covers the surface area of a hectare of forest, marking a bold merger of biophilic design and climate-conscious urban planning.

The Policy Backdrop: France Isn’t Just Hoping—It’s Mandating

France’s shift to timber isn’t just a design choice—it’s legally backed.

The RE2020 regulation, rolled out in 2022, imposes some of the world’s strictest limits on lifecycle emissions for new buildings. Material choices are central. If you’re using concrete or steel, you’d better have a good reason, because mass timber has become the low-carbon benchmark.

The same year, a new sustainability law took it further: all state-funded public buildings must use at least 50% wood or other bio-based materials by weight. There’s no fine print. No room for loopholes. The target is mandatory, and the market is responding.

Starting May 2025, updated fire safety codes formally allowed mass timber in high-rise and public-use buildings, a major regulatory unlock. And while fire fears still linger, they’re largely outdated: mass timber chars on the outside, forming a protective barrier, and when paired with hybrid design and sprinkler systems, performs on par with concrete in fire scenarios.

Timber’s Cost Premium? Narrowing by the Year

Mass timber still costs more than concrete, but the gap is shrinking.

In dense urban regions like Paris, timber housing tends to carry a modest cost premium, typically in the single-digit to low-double-digit range per square meter. But in regions like Poitou-Charentes, or when measured over the building’s full lifecycle, that premium shrinks significantly—and in some cases, reaches cost parity.

In 2023, the French Ministry of Agriculture’s Agreste report highlighted that mass-timber construction increasingly competes with traditional methods, particularly outside dense urban centers.

It found that while timber builds in Paris-area markets can carry modest premiums, in rural regions—such as Poitou-Charentes—cost differences narrow significantly. When considering prefabrication efficiencies and whole-life value, these timber structures are often price-competitive with concrete-built equivalents 

Scaling Up: France’s Timber Industry Grows—But Faces Headwinds

The numbers are rising: France’s prefab wood construction market is worth €1.5 billion, growing at around 3% annually. CLT and glulam are leading the charge, with domestic and international suppliers investing in new plants.

In 2024, Schilliger Holz AG opened a fully automated CLT plant in Vogelsheim with 50,000 cubic meters of annual production capacity—a step toward strengthening domestic supply.

Still, the industry faces supply-side bottlenecks. Softwood harvesting has plateaued. Domestic hardwoods remain underutilized. And climate change is complicating forest management, forcing salvage logging and putting pressure on biodiversity.

Building the Future: Education, Workforce and Skill Development

France is also investing in talent. The University of Lorraine offers a master’s degree in Wood Construction Architecture through ENSTIB, in partnership with the National School of Architecture of Nancy.

The country is also helping launch the first pan-European campus focused on forestry, timber construction and architectural trades.

It’s a long game—but the foundations are already in place.

The Road Ahead: From Niche to Norm

France’s push to build skyscrapers from wood isn’t a fleeting trend or eco-friendly window dressing but a full-scale rethink of how cities grow—and the bet is starting to pay off. Sure, challenges remain: supply chains, policy hurdles, cost pressures. But the momentum is real.

As carbon limits tighten and prefab workflows accelerate, timber isn’t the alternative anymore. It’s the benchmark.

The only question now is how fast the rest of the world catches up.

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Cross-section of a modern, energy-efficient home showcasing interior living spaces, ventilation, and insulation layers—illustrating how building science innovations help prevent mold, moisture damage, and structural issues.

Rot, Mold and a Near-Miss: How Building Science Is Changing the Way We Build

  • Sustainability
Applying knowledge of the science behind buildings makes a profound difference in their energy efficiency, durability, comfort—and safety

In 1980, Joe Lstiburek could have killed his parents. Literally.

Back then, he was a young Canadian engineer obsessed with energy efficiency. So, when government grant programs became available to help homeowners insulate their homes and switch to gas appliances, Lstiburek convinced his parents to go all in. They sealed up their house, swapped out the oil furnace and called it progress.

But airtight houses don’t breathe. Moisture built up and appliances vented poorly. And carbon monoxide nearly took out the senior Lstibureks.

That was hard-earned wisdom for their son, a Ph.D., professional engineer, ASHRAE Fellow and principal at Building Science.com. But as he said, “Doing stupid stuff” may be the secret behind his impressive career as a building scientist. Now, decades later, Lstiburek is one of the most respected names in the field—and the lessons from that near tragedy are as relevant as ever.

What Is Building Science?

Building science studies how air, heat and water move through structures to understand “the physical behavior of the building as a system and how this impacts energy efficiency, durability, comfort and indoor air quality,” according to the Whole Building Design Guide.

But Lstiburek sums it up more succinctly: “Building science is the physics and practice of environmental separation—keeping the outside out and the inside in.” In the past century, the structural integrity of U.S. buildings has been excellent, he said. And the Chicago and Boston fires in the 1870s transformed U.S. fire codes forever, emphasizing noncombustible materials like brick and stone.

The issues left to address were water, heat and moisture, the culprits responsible for rot, corrosion and mold.

The Perfect Wall—and Why Most Buildings Don’t Have One

“Most of the damage that happens to a structure—expansion, contraction, corrosion, decay and ultraviolet radiation—are functions of temperature,” Lstiburek said.

To stop the destruction, Lstiburek points to the perfect environmental separator: a four-layer system every building should have. “The perfect wall has water, air and vapor control layers directly on the structure and a thermal control layer outside them all.”

Flip the perfect wall on its side and you achieve the perfect roof. Flip it again and you’ve got the perfect slab. But while the theory is simple, modern building materials complicate things quickly.

“Even the Dumbest of the Three Little Pigs …”

It used to be that homes were made of rocks and trees. If they got wet, they dried quickly, thanks to what Lstiburek calls the “massive energy exchange across the enclosure.” But materials have changed.

“Even the dumbest of the three little pigs didn’t build his house out of paper,” Lstiburek said. “But we’re building out of moisture-sensitive materials and totally altering the energy exchange.”

Paper-faced gypsum board has replaced plaster and OSB has replaced wood. Materials like these trap moisture instead of shedding it—and that’s where the real trouble begins.

The Five Problems Nobody Saw Coming (Until It Was Too Late)

In his article Five Things, Lstiburek lays out five construction trends since the 1980s that slowly make buildings worse:

  • Increased thermal resistance that reduces the drying potential of the enclosure.
  • Decreased permeability of the linings inside and outside of building enclosures, massively reducing breathability, combined with dense insulation between linings and windows that allow water injection.
  • Water and mold sensitivity of building materials causing rot and unhealthy conditions.
  • Lower ability of building enclosures to store and redistribute moisture, also producing rot and mold.
  • Complex three-dimensional airflow networks that couple the building enclosure to the breathing zone of the occupied space via the mechanical system.

The kicker: These issues unfold slowly, sometimes decades after initial construction.Lstiburek said these issues aren’t going away—structures will have more insulation, impermeable and mold- and moisture-sensitive materials and hollow areas that allow potentially toxic airflow. That takes us back to the misguided renovation of his parents’ home.

The Deadly Insulation and Furnace Replacement Programs

In the 1970s, the Canadian Home Insulation Program gave money to homeowners to insulate their attics. The Oil Substitution Program paid them to replace their oil furnaces with gas. Lstiburek encouraged his parents to sign up for both.

But the caulking and sealing to increase energy efficiency also resulted in the rotting of walls and attics—and carbon monoxide poisoning when new gas appliances weren’t adequately vented to the outside.

Lstiburek fortunately recognized the risk early enough to make extensive modifications to their home before it killed his parents. Others weren’t as lucky and suffered tragic and unnecessary deaths.

The United States as Building Science Guinea Pig

In recent decades, the time between poor choices and consequences for buildings and occupants has shrunk from more than 20 years to 5–10 years, according to Lstiburek. The result: Lawyers, insurers and regulators get involved earlier—and the AEC community increasingly faces liability issues.

“Why would we want the attorneys to teach us building science?” Lstiburek asked.

We wouldn’t. Luckily architects, engineers and contractors have more chances to learn building science than ever, especially in the U.S. Lstiburek said he believes the country is the world leader in building science, partly because we have almost every climate zone on earth. That makes the United Sates the ultimate testing ground for what works in construction—and what doesn’t.

“I don’t want other countries to make the mistakes we’ve made in North America,” Lstiburek said. “I look forward to the United States providing a leadership role and helping the rest of the world stay out of trouble.”

First, Do No Harm

Lstiburek’s message is blunt: Energy efficiency alone isn’t enough. If you don’t understand building science, you risk damaging buildings and killing or sickening the people inside them.

He’s not trying to scare you. He’s just trying to stop you from becoming the next story.

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Europe’s Largest Construction Project Is Going Diesel-Free

  • Sustainability
The high-speed rail line in England began with a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions, then expanded to diesel-free construction sites to further decarbonize the project

Imagine a construction site without diesel, and it’s hard to see how any work would get done. Diesel supplies 98% of all energy used in the construction industry, according to the Engine Technology Forum. That includes powering more than three-fourths of all heavy construction equipment, along with generators and compressors.

But using diesel comes at a price. Even diesel that meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 standards produces noxious exhaust fumes and particulate matter that are damaging to the environment and unhealthy for workers, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

This reliance on diesel doesn’t mesh well with the U.K.’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050. With construction responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions—mainly from manufacturing building materials and burning fossil fuels—the sector has a lot of work to do. That made it a brave decision to eliminate diesel from construction sites for the new High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line.

“Climate change presents unprecedented challenges,” said Andrea Davidson, head of environmental sciences, technical services directorate, HS2 Limited. “The way we travel—and the way we build our transport networks—are critical to our response to this global emergency.”

Zero emission goal

HS2 will connect Birmingham and London via zero-carbon bullet trains. That requires four new state-of-the-art stations, two depots and 140 miles of track.

HS2 initially aimed to achieve net zero GHG emissions in keeping with the U.K.’s targets. But key partners, like Skanska, were already working toward diesel-free construction sites—and developing a business case and taking actions to realize that goal. HS2’s decision was also influenced by provisions in the U.K. Finance Act 2021 to ensure taxes fairly reflect the harmful impact of diesel emissions. The policy aims to incentivize users of polluting fuels to improve energy efficiency, invest in cleaner alternatives and use less fuel.

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In HS2’s Net Zero Carbon Plan, the organization committed to all HS2 sites being diesel-free by 2029, with the first in 2022. In addition, the team aimed for a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from steel and concrete by 2030 compared with 2021 and an 11% reduction in heavy goods vehicles by 2027 compared with 2020. From day one of HS2 operation, the railway plans to use only zero-carbon electricity. Finally, HS2 aimed to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025 and Scope 3 emissions from 2035, offsetting any residual emissions from that point.

Myth-busting is the biggest hurdle

Finding diesel replacements isn’t necessarily easy. No single alternative fits all construction sites—the candidates depend on the location, activities and building methods. If no mains power connection is available, Davidson advised considering other solutions, from hydrogen power towers and fuel cell technologies to drop-in biofuels and bio-LPG.

Being a first mover also means taking on higher costs. Davidson noted the importance of thinking beyond the initial investment when deciding on diesel alternatives and including operating costs and carbon savings for the entire period of machine usage on a site.

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Also, contractors’ preconceived ideas about diesel options can foster a reluctance to change. Trials, testing and independent academic evidence are essential to de-risk solutions and inspire confidence that diesel alternatives work, are reliable and address health and safety concerns. Only then does a diesel-free site become viable.

“The site teams have been absolutely key to achieving this target on HS2,” Davidson said. “Their initiatives have flagged to other contractors what is possible, which is driving the opportunity and transition.”

Combining technologies

One principle to reducing use of any energy source is to minimize demand. So, a critical first step is ensuring on-site fuel efficiency to reduce emissions and cost. Increasing efficiency might include older machine retrofitting, operator training, anti-idling programs, battery storage solutions and flywheel technologies.

Of course, a mains supply can make powering equipment with a clean charging solution easier. But access depends on land permission, demand and timeframes for connections. Working with distribution network organizations helped H2S formulate a plan to streamline connections.

In the H2S Net Zero Carbon Plan, the target is ultra-low or no emissions by 2035. For now, the focus is on reducing or eliminating emissions as much as possible and demonstrating the feasibility of diesel-free construction sites on a major project. “By prioritizing targets like this, we are reducing impacts to site operators as well as those living in close proximity to sites by improving local air pollution,” Davidson said. “Due to the size and scale of the HS2 program, we have an opportunity and responsibility to challenge the norm, to identify opportunities and roll out more sustainable solutions so that we can leave a positive, lasting legacy.”

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Marcus Performing Arts Center Milwaukee

Mass Timber Soars: Milwaukee’s New Landmark Aims for Sustainable Sky-High Record

  • Sustainability
The Marcus Performing Arts Center redevelopment is set to redefine eco-friendly architecture with the tallest mass timber building in the world

It’s safe to say that mass timber is having a moment.

As building teams strive to create more sustainable and faster-to-build projects, with reduced costs and less environmental harm, this earth-friendly and aesthetically pleasing favorite is gaining ground on traditional construction methods.

Now, mass timber is reaching new heights in a project by Michael Green Architecture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Once completed, the structure will be in the running for designation as the tallest mass timber building in the world—an ambitious feat of earth-first design and engineering.

MGA Principal Michael Green walked Built through the redevelopment of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, sharing his enthusiasm for mass timber and providing the details about what this ambitious redevelopment project will entail.

Why laminated timber matters

Laminated timber has been an environmental darling since the introduction of its predecessor, cross-laminated timber, in Australia in 1995. Not only does mass timber require less energy to create than other building materials, but it could also absorb carbon from the atmosphere—a huge advantage over traditional materials like cement, steel and concrete with a huge carbon footprint. “Wood is the best principal material available for building structures when considering total energy use, carbon emissions and water usage,” Green said.

Mass timber construction can also be considerably more affordable than its conventional counterpart, with some claiming it’s as much as 5% cheaper than steel and concrete construction. Additional cost savings can also be realized through a shorter construction time, thanks to the use of prefabricated panels, less labor needed for the installation process and savings on foundation costs thanks to mass timber’s reduced structural weight.

So what actually does this material consist of?

“Mass timber construction utilizes large solid panels of wood engineered for strength through laminations of layers,” Green explained. “These cross-laminated timber—or CLT—panels are layers of solid wood set at 90-degree orientations.”

A rendering of the plaza at the base of the Marcus Performing Arts Center (right).

As the name implies, these panels are considerable in size. “They can range upwards of 64’0” x 8’0” and be of any thickness from a few inches to 16 inches or more,” Green said. “These very large, very dense solid panels of wood are ideal for construction, meet or exceed all safety regulations and provide a warm and healthy environment for living and working.”

An ambitious undertaking

According to Green, the Marcus Performing Arts Center redevelopment project might feature the world’s tallest mass timber structure once completed, in addition to being the tallest building in the state of Wisconsin at up to 55 stories and 1.2 million square feet across the development.

Green said the project “aims to set a new global benchmark for mass timber construction,” representing an investment of more than $700 million.

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The project will include multiple mixed-use buildings, which will be completed in several phases of construction. Once completed, it could include up to 750 residential units; 190,000 square feet of office space; 40,000 square feet of retail space; 300 hotel rooms; parking spaces; and a variety of public plazas and walkways, each designed to bring energy and a sense of public ownership to the reimagined center.

Green said that this project represents the way that smaller cities like Milwaukee are leading the way when it comes to innovation and sustainability in construction. Some industry observers have recommended America’s smaller- and mid-sized cities use environmentally inspired projects like this one to bring together climate resilience, environmental justice and equity, as well as green economic development in a process called green regeneration.

Another rendering of the building (left) that includes an outdoor cafe.

“This ambitious development underscores Milwaukee’s capability, alongside other smaller US cities, to lead in innovation and sustainability,” Green said. “Smaller cities have unique opportunities to embrace cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, setting examples for larger urban centers.”

Green’s hope is that the completed project will inspire other cities to tackle greener redevelopment projects of their own. “By pioneering projects like this, [cities] can become hubs of economic growth, cultural vibrancy and environmental stewardship, demonstrating that transformative urban development is possible regardless of city size,” he said. “Milwaukee’s commitment to sustainability and innovative construction techniques highlights its potential to inspire similar initiatives nationwide.”

Partnering with purpose

To complete the project, MGA will partner with The Neutral Project, a regenerative development company that, Green said, “crafts financially responsible, sustainable living spaces that foster healthy lifestyles and friendly neighborhoods.”

Green was drawn to partnership with Neutral due to their shared belief that “the traditional model of endless growth at the expense of the environment is unacceptable. It’s time for a differentiated and thoughtful approach.”

Instead of endless, mindless expansion, MGA and the Neutral team strive to create what Green calls “thriving ecosystems”—living spaces that actively improve the environment. Whereas traditional construction can create structures that have a net negative impact on their environments, Green said he hopes to create buildings that regenerate and renew their surroundings.

These regenerative developments are designed to go “beyond sustainability,” balancing the needs of their human tenants and users with design decisions that benefit the natural world, enabling the art of living well with minimal environmental impact. With increasing numbers of consumers making more environmentally focused decisions about where they live, work and spend their time, these types of structures will doubtless become more common in years to come.

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WHBC Architects

Viral and Visionary: WHBC Architects’ Bold Approach to Eco-Inspired Architecture

  • Sustainability
From recycled telegraph poles to community-driven design, WHBC Architects crafts eco-conscious buildings that capture the imagination of millions

Although based in Malaysia, WHBC Architects has garnered attention from fans of design and building around the globe. Shared on social media from Instagram to TikTok and beyond, the firm’s viral approach to design tells a compelling story.

Whether it’s a house on a tropical island constructed from reclaimed telephone poles, a design-forward dog hotel, a durian collecting shed or a communal bath built for the indigenous people of Malaysia, the structures the firm completes are always as unique as they are inspired.

But WHBC’s work goes beyond the viral moment. Drawing on local vernacular techniques and inspired by nature, its work uses unconventional materials and eco-inspired design choices to create structures that are truly one of a kind.

A background in building

“I grew up watching my dad repairing and making all kinds of things at home, from toys to giant clocks,” said BC Ang, who runs the firm with his partner, fellow architect Wen Hsia Ang. “I guess that naturally made me want to be a maker/inventor.”

Born, educated and married in Malaysia, the Angs were inspired to found WHBC Architects around 2007. Although their ambitions are lofty, the pair completes their impressive slate of projects from a tiny two-person office.

“We believe design is an act of balancing—utility, technology and emotions in its specific place,” the pair wrote in a joint statement. “All condensed as a problem-solving idea in equilibrium.”

In practice, Ang says this means creating design that truly feels holistic. “It is my belief that good design should not only have a good idea, but it should be also built well; therefore, the conversation with materiality and its accompanying building techniques are very important.”

Ang says the firm’s flexible, open mindset means it’s ready to take on any creative challenge, no matter what the client needs. “We have completed a number of works the past few years which we have not had the time to share yet,” he said, “including a timber farm building and quarters built with a single module of reconstituted timber, a few houses, a meditation hall, a toilet and EV charging highway rest stop.”

Grounded in client conversations, the inspiration the natural world provides and a commitment to thinking differently, the firm’s designs are often founded in that homegrown, ranging curiosity that Ang found so inspiring in his childhood. Perhaps this is why, when asked to name the most inspiring projects of his career, he said, “It was actually a short teaching stint at SUTD in Singapore; it was a chance to guide young adults to see design and making differently.”

Creating new ways of seeing and responding to the world, Ang aims to design structures that illuminate and inspire.

Unconventional materials, striking results

One of WHBC’s most striking social media successes is a house the firm built on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, which was constructed in its entirety from reclaimed wood—including a framework made from recycled telegraph poles.

Ang says he’s unsure why the house has resonated so deeply with audiences around the world. In addition to its success, the house was one of the signature projects that got the duo behind WHBC nominated for the prestigious Royal Academy Architecture Prize. Years after its construction, the structure continues to inspire conversations around creative reuse and materiality.

But when asked about the sources of inspiration for this creative home, Ang was pragmatic. “We just had to make projects (residential or otherwise) that come into the office the best we can,” he said.

That pragmatic approach ended up being the key to that fascinating project. “In Malaysia, we noticed old timber telegraph poles were being replaced with concrete poles,” Ang shared. “When our client requested to build a timber house on the island of Langkawi, we explained that if we were to use freshly logged timber, we could not guarantee the source of the timber or whether it is dried enough.”

Seeking a creative solution, the Angs came up with the idea of reclaiming the materials from those discarded telegraph poles. “We proposed the idea to build with these old poles,” he said. “Compared to freshly logged timber, the durability of the poles is time tested, dry, stable and has a beautiful patina, which only time can give.”

Together, the two visited timber recycling yards to collect hardwood poles that would pass their structural performance tests while also having their preferred aesthetic qualities. They then drove a steel pin into groups of four poles, which acted as a termite shield while turning the poles into a column.

Using the poles as a frame, they created a striking modernist take on a traditional Malay house, honoring the time-tested timber architecture the region is known for—which is becoming increasingly difficult to build due to material constraints.

The result is a building both striking and simple, a perfect marriage of history and modernity.

Where nature and culture meet

Ang says the telegraph pole house is emblematic of the duo’s open-minded approach to creating new spaces. “The source of material, the weather and our culture shape all vernacular building … it’s all around us; we are inspired by all these then and now,” enthused Ang. “We always consult our clients on the most important matters, but our clients appreciate that we are there to make clear decisions on their behalf.”

He said that centering nature and building structures that respond to their surroundings remains essential to the duo’s work. “Respect nature, like how we would respect an elder, understand its power and wisdom, try your best to make appropriate decisions even if it’s not popular, and try not to make nature angry,” he said.

In the past, adhering to these lofty ideals had been easy. But now the Angs find themselves facing their greatest challenge yet. “We are currently building a home for ourselves,” he shared. “I think building your own house is the most difficult job an architect can do. Like a surgeon who tries to operate on themselves. I wished I had an architect with no unnecessary baggage to make a clear decision for me!”

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Why Water Management Is Among Construction’s Most Pressing Issues

  • Sustainability
The construction sector uses a lot of water, not least in the manufacture of essential materials like concrete and mortar. As the world confronts a looming climate crisis, what does the industry need to do to manage its water usage more effectively when delivering the homes and other buildings society needs?

As well as one of life’s “essentials,” water is a crucial element in a variety of industrial processes, not least construction.

To the casual observer, the only visible evidence of construction site water use might be a worker hosing down a truck full of construction waste to prevent the escape of dust.

But lots of water is used in many aspects of construction and in a variety of ways.

Amid a climate change crisis and the increasing threat – and instance – of drought, the sector is looking at ways to improve water efficiency in construction projects, as well as doing more to source what it does use responsibly while striving to minimize waste and leaks.

How much water is used in construction?

According to the Construction Products Association, water is used throughout the construction lifecycle, from extracting raw materials to construction product manufacturing, throughout the building phase, and obviously once buildings have been completed and are occupied.

And when a building has reached the end of its useful life and is set to be demolished, water is used in that process too, not least to reduce the spread of dust and other debris into the air.

The CPA goes on to say that manufacturers of construction products rely on water across a broad spectrum of uses. Water, it says, “can serve as a lubricant, a cleaning agent, a sealant, a heat transfer medium, a solvent, an air pollution control medium, plus an array of other uses depending on the material and products being produced.”

Crucially, water is used in the manufacture of mortar and cement concrete, materials that have their own issues when it comes to energy efficiency and their environmental impact.

According to the journal Nature Sustainability, in 2012 concrete production was responsible for 9% of global industrial water withdrawals and 1.7% of total global water withdrawal.

The UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings reckons that up to 8,000 liters (2,113 gallons) of water may be included in mixtures and materials as construction of an average-sized new-build home proceeds, although this varies depending on the design.

The importance of water management during construction activity

Water is clearly a crucial component of construction activity. Consequently, its sourcing, storage, use and eventual disposal need to be managed effectively.

With mounting pressure on existing water supplies amid threats of droughts and other climate change-related events, having a construction water management plan in place is a must.

There is plenty of information available to the construction sector covering how to use – and conserve – water during project delivery.

In the UK, the Construction Leadership Council has drawn up water management guidance that asserts the need “to improve the efficiency of water use on construction sites through better planning and management … and to encourage consideration of environmental risks associated with construction activities.”

The CLC said its ultimate aim was to eliminate the demand and use of potable water in construction. “It is unlikely that water demand can be eliminated, but efforts can be made to reduce and use alternative sources, as well as reuse water for construction activities,” it added.

Once a project’s water needs have been identified, alternative sources should be planned for, with a metered potable supply available as backup.

The CLC calls for a water use hierarchy to be put in place, addressing – in descending order – the elimination of unnecessary water use; consideration of alternatives to potable water, such as rain and “grey” water; reduced use; and the reuse and recycling of water.

Effective water management is a group effort

The Water Conservancy organization encourages water conservation at every stage of a construction project, from design to planning and the construction process itself.

It also highlights the importance of involving the people tasked with delivering a scheme in the water use goals.

It is important, it says, to establish water conservation as a key objective of the project and ensure that everyone involved is aware of their responsibilities.

The Water Conservancy adds that induction training should be provided for new employees and contractors “so that they are also aware of their responsibilities and the benefits of the program,” while the project’s water management plan needs to be kept on-site to “ensure that all employees are aware of and have access to it.”

Water management needed to be discussed at regular meetings, the Water Conservancy says, with ongoing achievements monitored.

And in a nod toward the benefits of highlighting good practice, it adds: “Promote your successes with press releases to local media and industry associations.”

What are the rules and regulations around water consumption?

There are several areas of regulation covering water and the built environment, although these are focused on the degree to which water is used – and saved – once a development has been completed.

The mayor of London’s office spells out how agencies in London and adjoining regional and local planning authorities will work to “protect and conserve water supplies and resources in order to secure London’s needs in a sustainable manner.”

It stipulates that development should minimize the use of mains water by incorporating water-saving measures and equipment and by designing residential development so that mains water consumption would meet a target of 105 liters (28 gallons) or less per head per day.

There will also be support for sustainable water supply infrastructure in new developments as part of water companies’ water resource management plans.

How to reduce water consumption in construction: Now and in the future

While construction is improving water usage, designers of the homes and other buildings society needs will be creating them with water efficiencies in mind.

Planning authorities want limits of 125 liters (33 gallons) of water per person per day on new housing developments as part of the Building Regulations Part G and can demand a lower limit of 110 liters (29 gallons) as part of a planning condition.

The water footprint of a new home or office can be reduced considerably by thoughtful design.

Showers can replace baths, or baths can be designed to be more water efficient. Dual flush toilets are becoming the norm, while rainwater collection, via a water butt system, can replace tap water for most outside uses. Meanwhile, appropriate landscaping can protect homes from flooding – another consequence of climate change – and prevent wasteful water run-off.

With the world on the brink of a full-blown climate crisis, water efficiency in construction must be addressed. The sector is no doubt fully aware that it makes good environmental – and business – sense to tackle the water issue sooner rather than later.

Can Construction Be Completely Emissions-Free? Norway Aims To Find Out

Read more here
Dark Sky Bluebeam

How DarkSky Standards Combat Light Pollution and Protect the Night Sky

  • Sustainability
DarkSky International, an education, advocacy and conservation organization protecting the night sky, approves new luminary standards, lighting programs and policy language

At one time, nightfall plunged our ancestors into darkness and let them marvel at celestial objects in an inky sky. But in recent times, our ability to alter natural light levels has advanced to the point that stars, planets and galaxies are fading from view. Of the 2,500 stars that should be visible, the typical American suburbanite can see only a few hundred.

Instead of starlight, the night is filled with streetlights, spotlights, stadium lights, neon signs, billboards and parking lot towers—all contributing to light pollution, defined by National Geographic as the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor light. Light pollution damages human health, alters wildlife behavior and wastes energy and money as light blazes when and where it’s not needed. The result is glare that blinds drivers, light trespass that disturbs sleep, eerie orange skyglow over metro areas and confusing and garish groupings reminiscent of Times Square.

Until light is policed in the same way as air, water and land pollution, it falls to architects, engineers and designers to select lighting systems that perform their function while still preserving the night sky—with the help of manufacturers whose fixtures meet the specs for responsible lighting and governments that support policies to protect darkness.

“I think people are understanding the urgency of lighting design, because it’s become more and more difficult to see a clear night sky from anywhere,” said James Brigagliano, lighting program manager at DarkSky International.

The harmful effects of too much light

Light where it doesn’t belong disrupts the night and day rhythm encoded in the DNA of all animals and plants. That impacts behaviors from feeding and sleep to reproducing and evading predators.

Human circadian rhythms are attuned to outdoor light during the day and darkness at night. Breaking that cycle with artificial light increases the risk for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes and other diseases, according to research reported in Environmental Health Perspectives.

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For wildlife, prey use darkness as cover and predators use light to hunt, so illumination dramatically alters the environment and the odds. For instance, newborn sea turtles need to turn toward the ocean and safety after hatching on the beach, but often they’re confounded by light on shore. Birds that migrate or hunt at night are lured by brightly lit cities and veer from their flight patterns. And after dark, the insects that birds depend on are drawn to burning bulbs and their deadly heat.

Worse still, lights are often pointless, adding economic waste to ecosystem harm. DarkSky International estimates that at least 30% of all outdoor lighting in the United States serves no purpose and is emitted by lights that don’t have shields to prevent spillage. Wasting light costs $33 billion each year and uses about 120 terawatt-hours of energy—enough to meet New York City’s electricity needs for two years. Quality outdoor lighting could cut energy use by 60% to 70%, saving billions of dollars and reducing carbon emissions. But that depends on lighting responsibly.

Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting

DarkSky and the Illuminating Engineering Society jointly published the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting to prevent and reduce light pollution. Designing new projects or retrofits using the principles can create beautiful, functional, healthy lighting that minimizes harmful effects and saves energy and money.

  1. Useful: If it’s not serving a function, you shouldn’t have it.

Identify the purpose of lighting and its impact on everything in the vicinity, including wildlife and habitats.

  • Targeted: Aim light so it falls only where it’s needed.

Direct and shield light beams so they point down and don’t spill outside the area being lit.

  • Low level: Light should be no brighter than necessary.

Use only the light required and make sure nearby surfaces don’t reflect light and create excess.

  • Controlled: Use light only when it’s needed.

Install motion detectors, dimmers and timers to allow only the minimum light needed available at any time.

  • Warm-colored: Use warmer-color lights where possible.

Cut back on shorter wavelength light (blue-violet) to the least amount needed.

New standards, programs and policies to bring back the night

The DarkSky Approved program provides objective, third-party certification for lighting design,  products and installed projects that reduce light pollution. Designers can search products by manufacturer, use, retailer, light temperature and residential use. Project standards fulfill requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification as well, but requirements continually evolve based on new information.

“We’re cutting down on what we allow for high-angle lighting—from 90 to 80 degrees,” Brigagliano said. “So now we’re allowing only 1% of the total light output of a fixture to be between 80 and 180 degrees. There’s no benefit to light between 80 to 90 degrees and the new cutoff will help reduce uplight and sky glow.”

DarkSky Approved programs now include pedestrian lighting as well as sea turtles, sports venues and lodging. The new program addresses glare from light fixtures used in areas like campuses where people need lower-level lighting for safety at night.

“We also have wildlife-tuned luminaries, with subcategories like sea turtles,” Brigagliano said. “That’s needed because different species have different sensitivities to wavelengths. However, if we control brightness and shield the light source, we’ve taken care of much of the issue and the color of light is less important.”

In addition, DarkSky recently released an updated and simplified model policy that was written to make it easy for states and municipalities to adopt. “Just a little bit of improvement is better than none,” Brigagliano noted.

Every place a dark sky place

The International Dark Sky Places program certifies areas worldwide that preserve and protect darkness through responsible lighting policies and public education. Not all are remote parks and sanctuaries—a neighborhood or city can earn recognition as a Dark Sky Community or Urban Night Sky Place if residents are committed to a healthful and beautiful night.

“Anywhere where there’s a DarkSky-approved place, there’s been a fair amount of dark sky conceptual lighting design,” Brigagliano said. That work may soon be required as part of state or local regulations. At least 19 states and a number of municipalities have laws in place to reduce light pollution.

To be ready, architects, engineers and designers must recognize that light can be a pollutant—and balance providing light with protecting the dark.

Hero image courtesy Mark Eichenberger

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