[Photo ourtesy of Stefano Boeri Architetti]
Cairo’s Vertical Forests
Stefano Boeri, known for his vertical forest buildings, and Egyptian designer Shimaa Shalash are bringing urban forests to Cairo. Three cube-shaped structures will house 350 trees and more than 14,000 shrubs and smaller plants. Once completed in 2022, the buildings are expected to absorb seven tons of carbon dioxide each year while producing eight tons of oxygen. The project is part of the city’s Greener Cairo initiative—a major effort to drastically increase plant life in and around Cairo in the coming years.
[Photo courtesy of ALLIANT ENERGY]
Upland Prairie and English Farms
For the first time, the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure has awarded its highest honor—the Envision Platinum award for sustainable infrastructure—to wind farm projects. Alliant Energy developed both Upland Prairie and English farms in Iowa using turbines that are quieter, more efficient, and more durable than earlier models. The turbines generate electricity at very low and very high wind speeds, requiring fewer units and less ecological impacts to reach their energy goals. The projects are part of Alliant Energy’s push for a 40% reduction in their carbon emissions by 2030 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
[Photo courtesy of Whom Home]
Whom Home
Launched in August 2019, Whom Home aims to steer the furniture industry toward real sustainability. Whom owns its own zero-waste factory and has total control over the production process, allowing the new company to eliminate toxic chemicals from its fabrics and incorporate polystyrene sourced from US landfills into their decor. They focus on building furniture from high-quality materials that will last—not head straight to the dumpster after a few years of use. For every tree cut down, Whom plants 40 more, steadily rebuilding the resources we all need.
