Jeddah Tower: Saudi Arabia’s 1km Skyscraper Reaches for the Sky
At first, the horizon appears vacant: little more than a blurred boundary separating beige desert from a white…
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Latest articles
MSU Smart Pavement Could Transform Winter Roads
A low-key trial in East Lansing is pointing towards a different approach to winter roads. On a modest section…
How the Netherlands Redrew Its Map with Water
On a grey autumn morning in Lelystad, the road appears to run in a straight line across water. Your sat-nav…
Senmar: Modular Homes and Sustainable Construction in Portugal
Senmar’s mission is to create “beautiful, high-quality houses that have profound respect for the environment”
The Quiet Power of an Invisible Planning Officer Job
The fluorescent tubes were already humming when I swiped in at 8:27 a.m., holding coffee in one hand and a…
China’s 22.13-Kilometre Highway Tunnel: Engineering Marvel or Geopolitical Message?
Headlights recede ahead like a slowly drifting constellation. Motorists stretch their shoulders, drink tepid…
How One Man Turned Two Caravans into a Family Home
Three-bedroom homes in his town were disappearing within hours, often bought by cash purchasers bidding above…
Flooding Old Oil Fields With Water to Stop Cities Sinking
On a grey Tuesday in Mexico City, engineer Daniela Ruíz stands in the centre of a sunken road, where the…
Can the City Charge You for Parking on Your Own Driveway?
The ticket sat beneath the windscreen wiper like a tiny white provocation. The motorist had only just arrived…
Deep Sea Tunnels: The New Silk Road Beneath the Ocean
The vessel’s deck trembles as sonar signals rebound from something hidden in the depths. Several engineers in…
Auguste Bossu’s Houses Without Stairs in Saint-Étienne
On Boulevard Daguerre in Saint-Étienne, a pair of circular interwar apartment buildings still catches the eye.
Coffee Grounds That Make Concrete Stronger
Just minutes ago, that aromatic powder seemed valuable. Now it is rubbish: damp, discarded and headed for the…
Phoenix home renovations: when the building code leads to court
In the street, neighbours slow down to look at the stalled building work, where stacked tools sit like a…
How Green Roofs Are Transforming Cities
Pavements throw back the light, building fronts store the heat, and people search in vain for a patch of shade…
Affouage: How Medieval Rights Still Deliver Free Firewood
Across parts of Europe, a medieval entitlement still exists both in present-day legislation and in the muddy…
China’s 22 km Tunnel: Engineering Miracle or State Power Showcase?
Every driver has experienced the moment when an ordinary journey turns into a story worth retelling. On…
How a Lemon Removes Hard Water Stains From Your Bathroom Faucet
The first time I rubbed a cut lemon over my bathroom tap, I expected absolutely nothing. I had read one…
Pompeii Reveals the Secret of Ancient Rome’s Ultra-Durable Concrete
A building site from almost 2,000 years ago, dating to the presumed destruction of Pompeii in 79 CE, has…
When Harmless Side Hustles Turn Neighbours Against Each Other
On a wet Tuesday morning in a drowsy commuter town, the dispute began with a wheelbarrow. By lunchtime, two…
Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link: Two Maritime Giants Build a 19 km Baltic Tunnel
Engineers, ship captains and welders are steadily preparing a scheme set to reshape travel in northern Europe…
Why Your Elevator “Close Door” Button Is a Placebo
The lift chimes, somebody calls, “Hold, please!”, and she taps more quickly, staring at the lit-up icon…