Studio DuB

03/07/2025

🇳🇱 In the Netherlands, bricks are learning to breathe.

A green-tech innovation is transforming ordinary buildings into living walls — by designing bricks that invite moss to grow directly on their surface.

These moss-friendly bricks require no soil, no maintenance — just rain and wind.
And what they offer in return is remarkable:

🌱 Purify urban air
🌡️ Cool buildings and streets by up to 7°C
🌍 Capture and store CO₂ naturally

In the city of Leiden, schools and bus stops are being cloaked in moss — turning everyday walls into air-cleaning, climate-cooling ecosystems.

This isn’t just decoration. It’s a defense against urban heat and pollution.
A quiet, green revolution is rising — brick by brick.

08/04/2025

Copy taken from original plan for the City Archives from December 1900. This shows our public Searchroom and other offices/stores on level 1 at the City Chambers.

26/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BHjZq3xcs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A new cement sand alternative could help tackle two major problems—carbon emissions and the global sand shortage. Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a white, mineral-based material made using just seawater, electricity, and CO2. The process mimics how corals and mollusks build shells, forming calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide that can replace sand or gravel in cement.

Unlike traditional sand mining, which damages ecosystems, this method creates a sustainable substitute while capturing carbon dioxide instead of releasing it. Plus, its only byproduct is hydrogen, which can be used as clean fuel. Researchers say the material’s composition can be customized for different construction applications, from plaster to concrete.

If scaled up, this approach could make cement production significantly greener. While it won’t eliminate all emissions from cement manufacturing, it offers a step toward more sustainable construction. With abundant raw materials and the potential to integrate with existing cement plants, this could be a promising shift for the industry.

31/12/2024

Sweet little house alterations and extension project.