This week on Dezeen, we launched our Building with Cob editorial series investigating the potential of the ancient, low-carbon building material in contemporary construction.
The series kicked off with an interview with design collective Cella, which argued that innovation is needed to bring cob – an earthen material made from clay-rich soil, straw and water – back into the mainstream.
We also put together a guide to traditional earthen building materials, which looked at cob, rammed earth, adobe and wattle and daub.
An inflatable dome rose over a construction site in China
Also this week, a 20,000-square-metre inflated membrane ballooned in Jinan, China, to enclose a construction site and shield the neighbouring buildings from dust and noise.
Reaching 50 metres high, developers China Energy Construction Group and Licheng Urban Development Group claimed it is the “largest inflatable dome in the world”.
Jeffrey Renz utilised his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home to photograph products from his homeware brand
Designer Jeffrey Renz showcased products from his brand Ready to Hang at his New York weekend home, Toyhill house, which was originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1950.
Renz’s homeware items, including mirrors with playful shapes, were photographed in the mid-century home alongside designs by Wright and other designers.
Populous revealed designs to revamp and expand Benefica stadium
Two football-related stories made news this week. Architecture studio Populous unveiled its plan to modernise Portuguese football club SL Benfica’s Estádio da Luz stadium in Lisbon and expand its masterplan to include an indoor arena, swimming pool, theatre and events space.
Also, local architecture practice OODA completed a cubic building wrapped in a honeycomb-patterned facade for the headquarters of the governing body of Portuguese football in Porto.
A home on the Irish coast caught readers’ attention
Popular projects this week included a coastal home in Ireland covered in rough render, a Belgian house with glass brickwork walls and a renovated 1920s villa in Germany.
Our latest roundups feature modest houses topped with red metal roofs and boathouses across North America.
This week on Dezeen
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