Modern materials for home decoration. New building materials and technologies: prospects for the future New finishing materials and technologies

New building technologies require new materials. So, scientists in Mexico created a new type of paint - thermal paint, which has a greater thermal conductivity. What is heat paint, its price, is heat paint suitable for use inside the apartment, is it smelly or not. Let's try to shed light on these questions. Traditionally, we believe that paint protects materials from the harmful effects of the atmosphere, ...

The so-called anti-seismic fiberglass textile wallpaper is one of the novelties. building materials 2016. In areas with increased seismic activity, special materials and projects are used for the construction of buildings, which make it possible to withstand soil vibrations during earthquakes. But what to do with buildings built before the development of anti-seismic structures? It is clear that these buildings need to be strengthened with ...

Tiles in the form of rubber tiles that prolong the life of old tires Modern construction companies are in constant search of new building materials that have a lower cost and higher quality than their counterparts. Increased attention is paid to innovative roofing, which is a very important part in the construction of residential buildings. A prime example of this is the roof...

The attractiveness of any home depends on the interior decoration of the premises. It is the final touches in the arrangement of an apartment or house that make them comfortable and cozy. Most often, consumers prefer familiar materials that are time-tested and guarantee reliability and durability. However, the construction idea does not stand still, and new, more efficient and less expensive technologies in finishing work are constantly appearing.

In a modern interior there is no longer a place for simple lamellas, lining and clinker stone. Of course, in general, the materials for interior decoration remained the same: wallpaper, tiles, various plaster panels, varnishes and paints. However, manufacturers have improved their quality: now familiar materials have new, valuable properties and unusual shapes that allow you to create innovative interior design. Renovation materials that have appeared recently are gaining popularity.

Protective coatings

The latest types of protective coatings have proven themselves in various types of finishing work - more and more craftsmen prefer modern materials due to their reliability and safety.

We have chosen four modern protective coatings for walls, which will allow you to use non-standard solutions in the decoration of the apartment:

• Slate paints;
• Magnetic paints.

Due to the properties of some substances added to marker paints, after the surface has completely dried, about a week after the end of work, you can safely draw on the walls with markers, like on a marker school board. Such paints are an excellent solution for the walls of children's rooms.

Slate paints

Another option for children's interiors is slate paints. When using this material, it will be possible to avoid the unpleasant hassle of washing the painted walls. The surface covered with slate paint, children can safely paint with crayons, without fear of consequences, because drawings and inscriptions can be erased, as from a regular slate board.

Antibacterial paint cleans and disinfects the air, destroys harmful microbes. It is used in children's rooms and medical institutions. The action of the paint is based on the principle of photocatalysis, which starts when exposed to light. Also, this coating helps to avoid allergic reactions.

Magnetic paint

Magnetic paint contains small particles of metal, which allows you to attach various things with magnets to it - now travel souvenirs can be hung not only on the refrigerator!

Wallpapers have enjoyed stable popularity for many decades, and today new, more convenient variants of this coating continue to appear - for example, thermal wallpapers.

According to some characteristics, they resemble ordinary vinyl or paper wallpapers, however, under the influence of any heat source, they change color, a pattern appears on the surface. The secret is in the use of a special paint that exhibits its properties when heated.

Another innovation in the field of repair is seamless wallpaper. They resemble decorative tapes that are glued to the walls horizontally.

In the manufacture of wallpaper, new materials are used that come to replace the standard ones - paper, textiles and vinyl - for example, cork. For the manufacture of cork wallpapers, compressed cork chips are used. The main advantage of this material is environmental friendliness, and a significant disadvantage is its high cost. For gluing such wallpapers on the walls, no adhesive additives are used. The heat-treated material releases natural juice, which securely holds the mass together.

Liquid wallpaper is also used as a protective coating for walls. Behind the strange phrase is a material that is a decorative plaster, which is applied to the wall with a spatula and then leveled evenly on the wall surface. Such a coating hides unevenness and small cracks in the walls, but at the same time allows the walls to breathe, which prevents the appearance of mold. The disadvantages of using it include the high cost and solubility in water: you should avoid getting water on the coating and additionally fix the "liquid wallpaper" with a special varnish.

The coating imitates natural stone and is a durable and wear-resistant material. Walls lined with flexible stone look like they are covered with natural granite or marble.

Venetian plaster

An unusual protective wall coating, which is a liquid material that dries in an even layer and looks like natural marble.

Energy-saving technologies for renovation

One of the goals of innovation in interior decoration is the introduction of energy-saving technologies for repairs, which allow saving heat in the house.

The most common way to reduce the consumption of thermal energy is to insulate the walls and ceilings of the building. In this regard, new technologies for repairing ceilings have appeared.

A stretch ceiling is a polyvinyl chloride film tightly stretched over a mounted frame. Additionally, it is equipped with lighting fixtures of various shapes and configurations.

Stretch ceiling consists of several elements:

• PVC fabric;
• Lighting;
• frame;
• Decorative baguettes and caps.

Stretch ceilings have different kind depending on the material chosen: some resemble a mirror polished surface, others resemble a plastered plane.

The following types of tension structures are used:

• With a lacquered texture: it is most popular because of the shiny surface, which reflects light and interior elements of the room well;
• With a matte texture: the exact opposite of the previous look - the surface completely absorbs light; used primarily in public institutions;
• Satin texture: combines lacquer coating and a grainy surface, soft diffused light and beautiful overflows are obtained in the room;
• Perforated texture: when the lights are turned off, it imitates the starry night sky.

Manufacturers constantly offer new types of textures and many shades of stretch ceilings.

Stained glass ceilings have a number of advantages over the usual materials:

• Beautiful and unusual appearance;
• Ease of installation: installation of the structure is easy to do with your own hands - the stained-glass windows are installed by the assembly method.
• Practicality in operation: the ceiling is made up of separate parts that are easily replaced in case of damage; they are easy to wash and wipe from dust;
• Environmentally friendly: the stained glass window is made of metal and glass - no plastic!

The indisputable advantages of such a ceiling coating include resistance to moisture - because of this, its use in bathrooms is popular.

When choosing finishing materials for flooring, the purpose of the rooms of the apartment or house should be taken into account. For example, wooden flooring looks especially authentic in the kitchen, but there it requires special care. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that some synthetic materials can cause allergies in people living in the house.

Significant are such indicators as the appearance of the material, its moisture resistance, as well as the base on which the material will be installed.

Unusual types of tiles

For a long time, tiles have been the leader among floor coverings for bathrooms and kitchens; however, this is a fairly “conservative” material that is difficult to improve. Only relatively recently have such variations of the usual coating appeared, such as three-dimensional, liquid and pebble tiles.

Volumetric tiles have bizarre shapes: from one edge it is concave, and from the other it is convex. Such tiles look especially impressive on the wall, giving the room a stylish and status look. It should be noted that the installation of the material is difficult, and therefore is an expensive service.

Liquid tile allows you to create a unique design of the room: it changes color and image from mechanical influences. Liquid tiles are laid mainly on the floor - there its properties can be fully revealed.

Pebble tiles are used to decorate the walls of the bathroom. It consists of many stones glued to the base of the tile.

floor array

High-quality floor coverings are made from solid wood. This material replaces parquet. Manufacturing is simplified by the fact that technological processes such as sanding and varnishing are carried out in the factory. A solid board is laid in the same way as parquet - by gluing to the base.

Modern technologies have also touched the production of parquet. So, artistic parquet is an expensive flooring made of various types of wood. To create a pattern, panel parquet is used or decorative elements are combined with piece parquet planks.

Innovative material for flooring - improved linoleum. This is an eco-friendly coating made from natural raw materials.

Marmoleum does not warp or fade, has good thermal insulation properties, is non-toxic, withstands heavy loads without loss of performance.

Due to the low cost, this material will soon be able to replace the usual laminate for everyone.

Innovative finishing materials that have appeared harmoniously fit into any interior. The advantages of such materials are obvious: safety for the health of those living in the house, environmental friendliness, high wear resistance, original appearance. Innovative materials have a high cost, but these costs justify themselves.

Majority modern people consider bamboo as a decorative material. But it's actually an incredible building resource. Bamboo grows quickly, it is stronger than steel and more stable than cement. So Penda, an architecture studio in Beijing, China, wants to use bamboo as the main resource for building an entire city.

This city will be sustainable, environmentally friendly and inexpensive. Buildings will be built by tying bundles of bamboo together, tying them with rope. Using such a technique, Penda thinks it can build a city that will hold 200,000 people by 2023.

Once the overall structure is complete, horizontal and vertical blocks can be added with ease. In addition, a room or even an entire bamboo building can be dismantled without much effort, and bamboo rods can always be reused.

Diamond nanowires

As far as we know, diamonds are the hardest mineral found naturally on Earth. This makes diamonds an excellent building material when used properly.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have created innovative diamond nanothreads that are 20,000 times thinner than a human hair. At the same time, diamond nanowires are considered the most durable material on Earth (and, possibly, in the entire Universe). In addition to being thin and strong, they are also incredibly light.

The researchers were able to create these strands of ultra-thin diamonds by applying alternating cycles of pressure to isolated liquid benzone molecules. As a result, rings of carbon atoms were born, which were ordered in a chain.

Such nanothreads may be unlikely to be used in everyday construction, but in ambitious projects, for example, they are.

Airgel insulation

Airgel is not new material. It was discovered back in the 1920s. It is created in the process of removing liquid from the gel and replacing the liquid with a gas. In the process, the substance becomes ultra-light, since it is 90% air. It is ideal for isolation. Airgel has been used to insulate pipelines in industrial areas and even on the rover.

Aspen Aerogels wants to use aerogels for home insulation. The company created a product called the Spaceloft quilts, which are fairly easy to work with due to their weight and thinness. Although lightweight, these blankets offer two to four times the insulating properties of traditional fiberglass or foam insulation.

Spaceloft blankets also allow water vapor to pass through and are also fire resistant, oddly enough. While airgel-wrapped homes won't be as fire resistant as Fahrenheit 451 homes, this type of insulation should reduce home fires.

The problem is that airgel is much more expensive than traditional insulation, although it will save money on energy bills over the long haul. In addition, not all houses can be easily upgraded with this material. These blankets are best suited for older homes or newer ones that will be specially designed to be insulated with airgel.

travel printer

The laying of the road takes a lot of time. On average, one worker can lay 100 square meters a day using traditional methods. Road printers like Tiger Stone can shorten this process by printing up to 300 square meters of cobblestone pavement per day.

Another RoadPrinter RPS can lay up to 500 square meters per day. One to three operators feed the car with bricks. The pusher then sorts the bricks into a pattern like a carpet. At this point, gravity takes over and the car lays down the brick road. A roller-like roller then presses the bricks into place.

These printers run on electricity and do not contain many moving parts, making them easy to use and maintain. In addition, they do not create much noise, especially when compared to traditional road paving methods.

Of course, the main difference between most roads and those laid by these presses is that they lay bricks, cobbles or tiles instead of asphalt. However, block roads are even better than asphalt because they filter water, expand when frozen, and last longer.

Cordless multidirectional elevators

A big problem with a large infrastructure in that there is no efficient way to navigate it. People always walk at the same speed and for a certain distance. And in each elevator there is often only one moving booth. If you have ever used an elevator in a large building, you know that sometimes waiting to die is like.

German elevator manufacturer ThyssenKrupp plans to get rid of these problems. Instead of using cables, he proposes launching elevators based on magnetic levitation (maglev). Then they can move both vertically and horizontally. This will also allow you to use more than one booth per shaft, saving you waiting time.

Finally, magnetic lifts will consume less energy, which is also good for the environment. In 2016, ThyssenKrupp plans to test the new elevator system in a building at its research campus.

solar paint

One of the most common complaints about solar panels is that they are big, an eyesore, and not powerful enough. To change this, several researchers are working on solar cells that are so small and flexible that they can be painted on surfaces. In fact, a team of researchers at the University of Alberta created spray solar cells with zinc and phosphorus nanoparticles.

If every homeowner paints their roof with this solar paint, they can generate more than enough energy for their home, thus reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, solar paint is cheaper to produce than traditional ones. The solar panels used in this paint aren't very efficient yet, but scientists are working on the problem.

Vertical cities

According to United Nations projections, by 2050 there will be more than 9.6 billion people on Earth. This is 2.3 billion heads more than we have today. In addition, it is assumed that 75% of the world's population will live in cities, which will exacerbate our problems with the lack of free space in these same cities.

One way to solve this problem is to build vertical cities. There are already several proposals for vertical cities that could be built in the Sahara, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China.

These vertical cities will be with giant buildings that will provide people with homes, jobs and shops. For example, the Italian firm Luca Curci Architects is going to build a 189-storey building in the UAE. It will be able to accommodate 25,000 people with shops and offices. Since people won't have to leave the building, this will solve the problem of space and reduce carbon emissions.

Such megabuildings will be self-sustaining and green. Since they are large, solar panels can be placed throughout the wall area. They will also use geothermal energy and collect rainwater.

smart concrete

When an area begins to flood, there is nowhere for the water to drain. In the city, this is even worse, because there is less soil to absorb water. To reduce the threat of flooding, the British company Tarmac created an asphalt called Topmix Permeable.

Most types of concrete allow water to soak into the ground, but only 300 millimeters per hour. Topmix allows you to pass 36,000 millimeters of water per hour, which is about 3300 liters per minute.

Instead of using sand for concrete, Topmix includes pieces of crushed granite packed together. Water percolates through these pieces of granite, and then is absorbed by the soil, flows into the sewer or is collected in a water reserve. In addition to reducing the chance of flooding, Topmix will be able to keep the streets dry and safe. In addition, water can be sent to tanks and used for needs.

The problem with permeable concrete is that it can only be used in places where it is not too cold. Cold weather will cause the concrete to expand, which will destroy it. It will also be more expensive than conventional concrete, but over the long haul, cities can save money by reducing flooding.

smart bricks

Looking at Smart Bricks designed by Kite Bricks, it's easy to see their resemblance to Lego bricks. These building bricks have handles on top and can be put together like Lego pieces. Smart bricks are held in place with rebar and come in the most different forms.

Instead of using cement, these bricks are held together with a strong double-sided adhesive. Removable removable panels can be attached to the bricks from inside the building. These panels can be removed if needed. There are also cubes for building floors and ceilings. In the center, the blocks are empty, they can be filled if necessary with insulation, pipes and electrical wiring.

Such bricks can lead to improved heat control, production flexibility and a 50% reduction in production cost.

Swarm of construction robots

In search of innovative building methods, Harvard researchers turned to nature for inspiration, in particular termites. Termites can build large structures in the absence of central control. To this end, they simply carry a piece of dirt to the site of the first construction site. If she is busy, they carry her to the next place.

The TERMES project uses the same swarm building idea but uses small robots. These simple low cost drones build structures by following the original design and placing blocks in the first available space until the structure is complete. The swarm does not require human intervention at all after setting the initial task.

This kind would be ideal for building structures in dangerous places, in space or under water. He could also do menial work, saving people time.

Modern innovative construction technologies that amaze the imagination with their originality and fantasticness are used as the achievements of the latest scientific research, and the invaluable experience of ancestors.

Let's start with the most common building material - wood. It would seem that there is still something new to come up with? But even here modern innovative technologies come to the rescue.

1. Construction technology of domed houses without nails, Vladivostok, Russia

Scientists from the Far Eastern Federal University are creating modern wooden domed houses. At the same time, as in the good old days of Russian architects, without a single nail. Their uniqueness lies in the use of new designs of locks between the individual parts of a wooden spherical frame.

A domed house made of wooden parts is created in record time. Literally in a matter of hours, the frame of an unusual house grows. Today, they want to test this technology in several cities of Russia. Between themselves, the links are joined with the help of a special lock, which perceives all loads - vertical, lateral, and so on. Details are made with such precision that a kind of Lego constructor is obtained. Any person, having such a kit with a small assembly instruction, can mount this structure on their own.

At one of the recreation centers in Primorsky Krai, the Snezhok domed express cafe, built by scientists, is already operating, which is very popular, attracting visitors with an unusual shape. The second domed house is much larger - it is a two-story twelve-meter structure with an area of ​​195 m².

2. Multi-storey buildings made of wood, London, UK

We are all somehow used to the fact that wood is used to build low-rise houses, one or two floors. But developers from the USA consider it possible to use wood for the construction of buildings up to 30 floors high.

The first of the modern residential buildings, built of wood using modern technologies of wooden housing construction (from five-layer wooden adhesive panels), has 9 floors and 30 meters in height. This house stands in London, it has 29 residential apartments and offices on the ground floor.

It is amazing that the entire above-ground part of this house was built in 28 working days by just five people, armed with only one mobile crane and electric screwdrivers.

3. Construction technology of wooden houses Naturi, Austria

The technology consists of profiled small-sized tree trunks, called “balance” by experts, which are stretched on a four-sided machine. The fact that it is the thinner that is used clearly demonstrates the fact that in every element without exception there is necessarily a core of a tree.

Then from such "puzzles" you can assemble any part of the building. Drying, the individual elements are deformed and wedged "tightly ”, creating a very strong and lightweight construction.The purpose of the invention of such a technology is the use of low-quality raw materials, which in Russia, for example, are used only for pulp or in general simply as waste.

4. Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China

Chinese architects have invented a way to build cheap houses. Their secret is in a huge 3D printer that literally prints real estate. And there would be nothing unusual in this - the technologies for "printing" buildings are already known. But the fact is that Chinese houses will be made ... from construction waste.

Thus, the specialists of the architectural company Winsun intend to solve two problems at once. In addition to creating low-cost houses, the project will give a second life to construction waste and industrial waste - this is what houses are made of.

The giant printer has really impressive dimensions - 150 x 10 x 6 meters. The device is quite powerful and can print up to 10 houses per day. The cost of each of them is no more than 5 thousand dollars.

A huge machine erects the outer structure, and the inner partitions are assembled later by hand. With the help of 3D printing technology in China, they hope to solve the pressing problem of affordable housing. In the near future, several hundred factories will appear in the country, where construction waste will be used to produce consumables for a giant printer.

5. A house is printed from bioplastic, Amsterdam, Holland

Dus Architects has developed a project to print a residential building on a bioplastic 3D printer. Construction is carried out using an industrial 3D printer KarmaMaker, which "prints" plastic walls. The design of the building is very unusual - walls are attached to the three-meter end of the house as in the Lego constructor. If redevelopment of the building is required, then it can be easily changed by replacing one part with another.

For construction, a bioplastic developed by Henkel is used - a mixture vegetable oil and microfiber, and the foundation of the house will be made of lightweight concrete. When completed, the building will consist of thirteen separate rooms. This technology can change the entire construction industry. Old residential buildings and offices can simply be melted down and made into something new.

The idea of ​​a similar material was found in ordinary shells. The fact is that the shells are enriched with the necessary complex of minerals that give them elasticity. It is these minerals that are added to the composition of concrete. The new type of concrete is incredibly elastic, more resistant to cracks, and even 40-50 percent lighter. Such concrete will not break even with very strong bends. Even earthquakes are not afraid of him. An extensive network of cracks after such tests will not affect its strength. After the load is removed, the concrete will begin the recovery process.

How does this happen? The secret is very simple. Normal rainwater reacts with concrete and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to form calcium carbonate in concrete. This substance also fastens the cracks that have appeared, “heals” the concrete. After removing the load, the restored section of the slab will have the same strength as before. Such concrete is going to be used in the construction of critical structures, such as bridges.

7. Carbon Dioxide Concrete, Canada

The Canadian company CarbonCure Technologies has developed innovative technology production of concrete by binding carbon dioxide. This technology will reduce harmful emissions and could revolutionize the construction industry.

Concrete blocks are produced using carbon dioxide emitted by large industries such as oil refineries and fertilizer plants.

The new technology achieves a triple effect: concrete will be cheaper, stronger and more environmentally friendly. One hundred thousand of these concrete blocks can absorb as much carbon dioxide as one hundred mature trees absorb in a year.

Straw houses using modern technologies are being built all over the world. Reliable, warm, comfortable, they perfectly passed the test of our climate. However, until now, the modern technology of building from pressed straw (in the West it is called strawbale-house) is little known to us. It is based on the best properties of this unique natural material. When pressed, it becomes an excellent building material. Pressed straw is considered the best insulation. Straw stems of plants are tubular, hollow. They and between them contain air, which, as you know, has a low thermal conductivity. Due to its porosity, straw has good soundproofing properties.

It seems that the phrase "fire-resistant straw house" sounds paradoxical. But a plastered straw wall is not afraid of fire. Blocks covered with plaster withstand 2 hours exposure to an open flame. The straw block, open only on one side, does not support combustion. Bale density of 200–300 kg/cu. m also prevents combustion.

Straw houses are built in America, Europe, China. In the US, there is even a project for the construction of a straw skyscraper with 40 floors. The tallest straw houses today are five-story buildings that are combined with a reinforced concrete and metal frame.

Indeed, everything new is a well-forgotten old. Earthbite houses are gaining popularity again. This material is still used today for the construction of supporting structures and walls.

At the heart of the zembite is ordinary earthen soil. Zembitbit has been tested by time, it was built from it in ancient Rome. The earthen soil mass has high moisture resistance and practically does not shrink. And the thermal characteristics of the earth bit can be enhanced by adding, for example, straw cuttings. After a few years, earth bit becomes almost as strong as concrete.

The most famous building built of zembit can be considered the Priory Palace located in Gatchina.

10. Chameleon brick, Russia

Since 2003, the Kopeysky brick factory has been producing bricks, nicknamed "velours" for the ability to literally absorb light with its surface, as a result of which it becomes saturated, resembling velvet.

The effect is achieved with the help of vertical grooves applied to the surface of the brick with metal brushes. At the same time, it becomes possible to deepen the main color when changing the angle of incidence of light, which likens a brick to a chameleon - in different time During the day, it can change color depending on the light.

The texture of velor brick works great in tandem with smooth brick in ornamental or figured masonry.

eleven. "Flying houses, Japan

Japan never ceases to amaze with its developments. The idea is simple - so that the house does not collapse as a result of an earthquake, it simply ... should not be on the ground. So they came up with flying houses, and all this is quite real.

Undoubtedly, the word "flying" is a beautiful allegory, suggesting childhood dreams of flying in a balloon house. But Japanese construction company Air Danshin Systems Inc has developed a system that allows buildings to rise above the ground and "float" above it during an earthquake.

The house is located on an air cushion and after the sensors are triggered, it will simply hover above the ground, and during such a change, the residents of the building will not feel anything. The foundation is not attached to the structure itself. After soaring, the house sits on a frame located on top of the foundation. During an earthquake, seismic sensors are activated, which are located around the perimeter of the building. After that, they will immediately start the pressure compressor located at the base of the house. It will ensure the "levitation" of the building at a height of 3-4 cm from the ground. Thus, the house will not be in contact with the ground and will avoid the consequences of tremors. The novelty has already been installed in almost 90 houses in Japan.

"Flying houses" have been developed by many Japanese firms, in the near future know-how will appear in other regions of Asia, which often suffer from earthquakes.

12. Container house, France

Used containers have long been used for the construction of budget housing in different cities and countries. Here is one example.

During the construction of the house, eight old shipping containers were used, which created an unusual architectural form of the building. In addition to containers, wood, polycarbonate and glass were also used. The total area of ​​the house is 208 square meters.

The cost of building such “container-type” economy houses is usually half that of building a similar house from ordinary building materials. In addition, it is built twice as fast.

13. Exhibition complex from sea containers, Seoul, South Korea

If you have not surprised anyone with residential buildings made of containers for a long time, then a completely unusual building has appeared in the center of the business and shopping district of Seoul. It was built from 28 old shipping containers.

The area is 415 sq. The complex will host exhibitions, nightly film screenings, concerts, master classes, lectures and other public events.

14. Student dormitories from containers, Holland

Each separate container room has all the amenities. In addition, the roof is equipped with an efficient drainage system that collects rainwater, which subsequently goes to domestic needs.

In Finland and other Nordic countries, ice hotels are being built with might and main. At the same time, a room in an ice hotel is more expensive than in a hotel made of other, more traditional building materials. The first ice hotel opened in Sweden over 60 years ago.

16. Mobile eco-home, Portugal

A variety of technologies are used in the construction of such mobile structures. The peculiarity of this house is its complete energy independence. Solar panels are fixed on the surface of the object to produce energy that fully provides the unique house with the necessary amount. By the way, the house is not only environmentally friendly, but also completely mobile.

The eco-house is divided into two sections - in one sleeping space, and in the other - a toilet. The outside of the house is covered with environmentally friendly cork.

17. Energy efficient capsule room, Switzerland

The project was developed by architects from the NAU company (Switzerland), who sought to make the most comfortable and compact housing. Called the Living Roof, the capsule room can be placed on almost any surface.

The capsule room is equipped with solar panels, wind turbines and a rainwater collection, storage and recycling system.

18. Vertical forest in the city, Milan, Italy

The innovative project of Bosco Verticale is the construction in Milan of two multi-storey buildings with live plants on the facade. The height of the two high-rise buildings is 80 and 112 meters. In total, 480 large and medium-sized trees, 250 small trees, 5,000 various shrubs and 11,000 grass cover plants were planted on them. This number of plants corresponds to an area of ​​10,000 m? ordinary forest.

Thanks to almost two years research work botanists successfully selected tree species that are most adapted to such difficult living conditions at altitude. Various plants were specially grown and acclimatized for this construction. Each apartment in the house has its own balcony with trees and shrubs.

19. Cactus House, Holland

A luxury 19-storey residential building is under construction in Rotterdam. It received such an original name due to its resemblance to this thorny plant. It has 98 apartments with superior comfort. Construction is carried out according to the project of the architectural company UCX Architects.

The peculiarity of this house is the use of open terraces-balconies for hanging gardens, located one above the other in a stepped order, screwing up in a spiral. This arrangement of terraces allows the sun to illuminate the plants from all sides. The depth of each terrace is at least two meters. Not only that, small pools will also be built into these balconies.

We are used to the fact that we are usually talking about energy-efficient houses. And in preparation for the Expo-2020 exhibition in the United Arab Emirates, an entire energy-efficient city will be built. It will be a "smart city", fully self-sufficient in energy and other resources. The project is planned to be implemented near the settlement of Al Avir in Dubai.

It will be the first of its kind to be completely self-sufficient in terms of providing residents with all the necessary resources, transport and energy. To do this, the energy-efficient city will be equipped to the maximum with solar panels, which will be placed on the roofs of almost all residential and commercial buildings. In addition, the city will independently process 40,000 cubic meters of wastewater. The area of ​​this supercomplex will be 14,000 hectares, and the residential area itself will be built in the shape of a desert flower. Surrounded by a belt of green spaces, the "smart city" will be able to accommodate 160,000 residents.

"Construction Rules", No. 43 /1, May 2014

The copyright holder of all site materials is Construction Rules LLC. Full or partial reprinting of materials in any sources is prohibited.

It is human nature to strive for comfort, in order to live in comfort, it is necessary to monitor the condition of housing, to make repairs as necessary.

New materials and technologies

The construction market offers great opportunities for apartment renovation, modern materials appear, new technologies are developed. Building innovations include:

• "liquid wallpaper" - decorative finishing;
• stretch ceiling:
• 3D self-leveling floors;
• "Liquid" glass - universal waterproofing.

New technologies greatly simplify and speed up the repair of apartments, make it possible to turn a house into a "candy". The “smart home” system is becoming more and more in demand, it allows you to automatically control the processes taking place in the apartment, configure and use the life support system of housing to the maximum.

Repair in the apartment begins with the alignment of walls and ceilings, modern plaster mixtures based on Rotband gypsum are ideal for this purpose. This plaster is elastic, has excellent adhesion to concrete surfaces, does not crack or shrink, its main advantage is that it dries quickly.

decorative trim

A new word in the fine finishing of surfaces is a decorative coating made from natural fibers of cellulose and cotton, the so-called "liquid wallpaper". They are a powder, before work it is diluted with warm water to the density of putty and applied to the walls with a spatula, and then leveled with a roller. Due to the convenience and ease of working with this material, you can somewhat reduce the time for repairing an apartment.

The dried coating forms a smooth textured surface. With the help of pigments, wallpaper can be given any color palette; in an avant-garde interior, bright color spots will be useful; for a living room in a classic style, it is possible to choose a finish with silver or gold threads.

Liquid wallpaper has many advantages:

• create a smooth, seamless surface;
• antistatic, do not attract dust;
• safe in terms of ecology;
• UV resistant.

Defects are easily eliminated, the damaged area is cleaned, a new composition is applied to it and leveled with a roller. The coating can be completely removed from the wall, soaked and applied to another surface without compromising quality.

Decorative finishing in the interior offers ample opportunities for creative ideas. Wallpaper can be applied graduated, with a smooth transition from light to dark, or you can make a drawing, using additional components to change the texture. Thanks to modern materials and innovations in the construction industry, apartment renovation can turn from routine dirty work into a creative process.