John Barry Lowe

Honoured to have our work on sustainability acknowledged at the RIAI Architecture Awards 2025 where Teach Sprúis was highly commended in the SUSTAINABILITY category

Thanks Andrew, maybe it might form part of a mix if biodiversity is given more weight in evaluating timber options

Timber Lodge in Queen Elizabeth Park [2013]. I'll soon figure out threaded posts

CLT has to be seen to be appreciated. On a recent trip to London I visited 2 beautiful community buildings : the Timber Lodge in Queen Elizabeth Park [2013] and the Frampton Park Baptist Church [2013] Sourced with the help of the 2018 publication waughthistleton.com/100-projects...

My letter to the editor in the Irish Times today on why we ought to target one million people cycling every day instead of one million EVs on Irish roads by 2030.
#ActiveTransport

Can Scots pine Save the Irish Forestry Industry? Scots pine forests could not only enhance biodiversity and combat climate change but also provide a sustainable and valuable timber resource.

Architects are being urged to decarbonise buildings. If timber is part of the solution, how much biodiversity does forestry support? Nordic spruce used to make CLT is native to central Europe. Sitka spruce grown in Ireland is not. Why don't we grow more native Scots pine ? ecoplan.ie/can-scots-pi...

Citizen Science - Local Authority Waters Programme Citizen science actively involves citizens in science that generates new knowledge or understanding. Experience by LAWPRO in the 2nd RBMP cycle has shown that

For water biodiversity the Citizens Science program can help communities assess wildlife quality in water samples using the great recording form. More info lawaters.ie/citizen-scie... Thanks to Prof Mary Kelly-Quinn freshwater ecologist at UCD for showing it at Rewild Dublin ? 25 Conference.

Teach Sprúis has been selected for the RIAI Architectural Awards 2025 shortlist. All 48 projects on the shortlist are part of the Public Choice Award. Votes can be cast until June 16th at www.riai.ie/public-choic...  The Public Choice Award and category awards will be announced on June 19th.

Whether through outright lies about the harmlessness of fossil fuels or the indirect lies of snake oil ‘Abundance theory’, both Right and Left politicians and commentariat have decided it’s easier to pretend global warming isn’t an extinction-level threat than it is to tackle it.

Sorry about the "emmissions" typo. Cannot see a Bluesky option for corrections.

Rotor Deconstruction – Reuse of building materials made easy We are a cooperative that organises the reuse of construction materials. We dismantle, process and trade salvaged building components.

Brussels based RotorDC have built a business around desconstruction and salvage. It is also a Cooperative. The support and interest of the Brussels region government has been critical to supporting its development. rotordc.com/home. Every region in Europe can have one of these.

In Brussels I visited 2 impressive circular economy businesses. Inspired by BC Materials who make the léém brand low-carbon clay plasters, paints and earth blocks from the excavation material under Brussels. bcmaterials.org/products-leem

March 16th I went by ferry/train from Dublin to Brussels. From ferry at 7:30 am to arriving in Brussels took 14 hours. With better train times it can be 12 hours. London Euston to Pancreas is a short walk. For CO2 emmissions of trains v planes see. www.directferries.co.uk/carbon_footp... Great trip

World’s most powerful underwater turbines are coming to French coast One of France's first commercial-scale tidal energy pilot projects, NH1 is due to supply thousands of locals with clean electricity.

France’s new tidal turbines aim to power thousands of homes with clean energy supplying electricity to 8 million people.

www.euronews.com/green/2025/0...

When science showed in the 1970s that gas stoves produced harmful indoor air pollution, the industry reached for tobacco’s PR playbook The natural gas industry has spent years trying to undermine scientific findings about gas stoves and health. If this sounds familiar, that’s no accident.

theconversation.com/when-science...

Buildings don't breathe!


VERY useful animation from UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings UCL.

Helpful myth-busting, explaining moisture and building materials with the aid of biscuits!


youtu.be/Aky2HsB03Tk...

Wood Awards Ireland 2024 - Eden Architects We are delighted to announce that Teach Spúis is a Winner at the Wood Awards Ireland 2024 in the category Small-Scale Buildings. The awards were announced at a ceremony in Farmleigh House on December ...

We are delighted to announce that Teach Spúis is a Winner at the Wood Awards Ireland 2024 in the category Small-Scale Buildings. Read about the awards and see the catalogue of winning and shortlisted projects www.edenarchitects.ie/2024/12/13/w... #passivehouse #masstimber #clt

Can you give a source for the informative table ?

Factcheck: 18 misleading myths about heat pumps - Carbon Brief Heat pumps are an alternative to gas boilers and wood stoves for indoor heating. They...

Myth busting about heat pumps www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-18...

Community group who saved road from coastal erosion urges State to reduce fossil fuel use The Maharees Conservation Association in Kerry says Ireland is in ‘big trouble’ unless the government escalates plans to switch to a low carbon economy.

An inspiring community jrnl.ie/6568875

A boat being paddled through a huge mass of floating water bottle plastic

Before choosing bottled water over tap water, remember it takes more than 10X the water that a bottle of water holds to make the plastic bottle and transport the water. And that’s before considering the fuel and GHGs, the 1000 year bottle life, and the RIDICULOUS amount of $ we’re paying for water.

Manual title page “Street Design Manual For Oslo”

Street cross section drawing “spatial division of streets”

Street cross-section emphasizing how the street tree root system goes underneath the wide sidewalks and bike lanes

Drawing of roundabout With separate path for people on bikes.

Attention Street Design Nerds! One of the most intriguing cities in recent years at reconsidering streets for people instead of just for cars, Oslo Norway, has translated their great Street Design Manual into English and put it on-line. Worth digging into. #Oslo
www.oslo.kommune.no/getfile.php/...

I haven't made one of these for a while, so here's a heatmap that shows the monthly global temperature anomaly for 1880–2024.

This shows the difference between the average temperature in each month and the 20th century average for that month.

Data from NOAA: www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monit...

Put it on adverts for free and let someone collect it. Could be good for a greenhouse type structure

Are these average daily figures including when the room is empty ? How does that translate into performance in that space when 1,2,3 or 4 people are in there for a few hours ? Thats when the stats get interesting

Decentralized ventilation systems - invisible, energy-efficient, silent Original decentralized ventilation system since 1999. 5-year manufacturer's guarantee. Free advice and planning support.

Look at www.inventer.eu available from ecological building systems

Interesting historical perspective. Heat recovery through mechanical ventilation does offer a clear way to reduce energy use.

A suburban road with front gardens in 2008 and the same road bereft of front gardens, which have been paved over for cars, in 2022.

In less than 20 years, car culture has destroyed the traditional British suburb, with enormous environmental, social, and political consequences.

Labour tops manifesto assessment on climate, the three largest parties all fail | Friends of the Earth Campaigners call for would-be Taoiseachs to be challenged on their party’s failure in Leaders’ Debate The Labour Party has come out on top in 

Are you curious how the climate policies of political party manifestos stack up ahead of 🇮🇪 #ge24 next week?

❌ The three major parties - Fianna Fáil, Sinn Fein and Fine Gael all failed our assessment
✅ the Labour Party came out on top

www.friendsoftheearth.ie/news/labour-...

Surprised the demand range seems so flat. 2 am a lot of demand there