Electrifyingly fun to drive: the Audi e-tron

• Drive concept with three electric motors as a worldwide first in the future mass production
• New quattro generation with electric torque vectoring
• 370 kW of power and 973 Nm (717.6 lb-ft) of torque for high level of dynamic handling and agility 

Audi is systematically moving forward with its e-offensive: The Audi e-tron and the Audi e-tron Sportback are becoming more agile, sharper and more dynamic as S models. The three electric motors, two of which are located on the rear axle, together provide 370 kW of boost power and 973 Nm (717.6 lb-ft) of torque. This allows the two purely electrically driven models to accelerate to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.5 seconds. The intelligent drive control raises vehicle safety, and dynamic handling in particular, to a new level: In addition to the electric all-wheel drive, there is the electric torque vectoring with active and fully variable torque distribution on the rear axle.

Standing still or on the move, the Audi e-tron is electrifying. Its expressive sill area, the electric tailboard and the light gray Single frame are indicators of the high-voltage technology that makes for a special driving experience. The electric SUV is powered by two powerful electric motors that are locally CO₂-neutral and virtually silent. A new generation of the quattro drive, the electric all-wheel drive, ensures excellent traction and dynamics. It ensures the continuous and variable regulation of the ideal distribution of drive torques between the two axles – within a fraction of a second.

The new Audi e-tron S models will be the first electric cars worldwide with three motors in mass production. Their drive layout is based on the concept with two different asynchronous motors (ASM); the e-tron product line was designed in modular form in line with this from the start.

A key factor for the sporty character and outstanding transverse dynamics is the low and central position at which the battery system is installed. It gives the vehicle a range that is suitable for driving long distances. During far more than 90 percent of all decelerations, the Audi e-tron recovers energy solely via its electric motors. The electric SUV taps its maximum recuperation potential in combination with the integrated electrohydraulic brake control system. Audi is the world’s first carmaker to use such a system in an electrically powered series production vehicle. The cleverly designed aerodynamics also contribute significantly to its efficiency. One highlight of this concept are the optional virtual exterior mirrors – a worldwide first in a series production model. Not only do they reduce aerodynamic drag, they also take digitalization in the vehicle to a whole new level.

The Audi e-tron offers the spaciousness and comfort of one of the brand’s typical full-size models. Paired with high-quality materials and fine workmanship, it makes electric mobility a premium experience. This is also ensured by the comprehensive and reliable range of charging options with intelligent solutions for at home and on the go.

From navigation with the e-tron route planner, which displays the appropriate route with the required charging points, automated billing at the charging station and all the way to remote control via smartphone – the Audi e-tron is extremely well connected. It is equipped with the high-end media center MMI navigation plus including LTE Advanced and a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard. Numerous assist systems further relieve the driver. For example, the standard efficiency assist promotes an economic driving style by displaying predictive information and performing automatic recuperation. If the customer selects the adaptive cruise assist, the system can also brake and accelerate the electric SUV predictively.

The interior of the future e-tron S models has been kept in dark colors. A large arc connects the displays of the virtual external mirrors with the hood above the Audi virtual cockpit. The instrument panel is driver-oriented, the middle tunnel’s console rests on open side walls. The leather/Alcantara covers of the electrically adjustable sport seats and the gear selector lever feature a rhombus S embossing. The door sills and steering wheel feature S badges. On request, Audi can offer a super sport seat in leather with a rhombus pattern in black, rotor gray or Aras red, as well as an air-conditioned customized contour seat with perforated leather.

As Ottawa’s unique green builder, RND Construction provides unequalled advantages

Ottawa’s RND Construction is a trend-setting builder whose unique green homes offer unparalleled quality.

And that’s saying something these days, as the industry shift toward sustainability is stronger than ever.

“In a lot of cases, people are being greenwashed,” says Roy Nandram, President/Project Manager with award-winning RND Construction. “We make it a point to properly educateconsumers. They want to know what the real nuts and bolts of green building are, and we provide that. We are dedicated to making sure they get the truth and most up-to-date information.

“We treat every single design or home that comes to us as unique, and then add green components. People come to us for green homes and they’ve been relying on us since our inception years ago.”

RND subscribes to a philosophy that promotes ‘green’ as a method of constructing homes and buildings which utilizes environmentally-friendly techniques while creating a sustainable and energy-efficient final product. Nandram says the advantages are many, including long-term savings and numeroushealthbenefits for the homeowners. Perhaps most importantly, he points out, it gives homeowners an active role in protecting against climate changes and preserving natural resources for future generations.

The benefits of green homes are many, and RND fills an important niche – it offers a much-needed top-shelf alternative to the status quo. This is essential, Nandram says, given the current state of the climate, new environmental protection laws, and rising costs.

The company realizes natural resources are becoming scarce… and more expensive, squeezing already tight margins. Despite these challenges, people continue to seek increasing levels of comfort in their homes.

To that end, RND focuses on incorporating design, comfort and operational efficiency into each project, always with an eye on anet-zero possibility. The combination of all three aspects helps to create an ideal living environment that is sustainable, as well as stylish and cost-effective.  (Note: A net-zero home produces the same amount of energy that it consumes annually through renewable energy resources).

It is RND’s mandate to not only build and renovate exceptional net-zero homes, but to be an educational resource for the public in general on the overall benefits of green homes and net zero.

RND regularly hosts free seminars at its Design &Innovation Centre that are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about green construction and materials. Topics change per seminar but cover indoor air quality, HRV systems and other green technologies.

Nandram, the president of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, also helps builders and renovators find cost-effective innovations to meet any upgrades of the building code, while stepping up and preparing for net zero by 2030.

“Great homes hinge on great design,” Nandram says. “When you combine green innovation, high intention, sincere effort, thoughtful direction, skillful execution and commitment, you generate a high quality home for the future.”

With over 30 years focusing on green building, RND has a team that is technically trained in building science and numerous green certifications, including R2000, LEED and net-zero affirmations. 

“Part of our vision is to exercise leadership in the critical field of sustainability,” Nandram says. “And our mission transforms that vision into reality. It is who we are, what we value, and where our aspirations for the future of the environment, the community and our own operations lie.

“We operate in a changing environment and proactively pursue creative ideas that can improve our construction processes. Our team takes a leadership position, embraces change and makes decisions that bring value as well as the opportunity to learn and share with each other and with the community.

“We work alongside experts in the field and people with values similar to ours, people who believe in the uniqueness and environmental responsibility of sustainable communities.

“We build living environments for our clients, and workplaces for our team, that are safe and healthy. We always aim to reduce environmental impacts and greenhouse gases, improve indoor air quality, and eliminate volatile organic compound materials and finishes.

“At RND Construction, we are redefining what a beautiful home is by shifting the focus to meet net-zero criteria. Beautiful homes come first, but we also help people contribute to the protection of the environment. Net-zero homes offer a unique opportunity to do just that.”

Web / rndconstruction.ca

RND Construction is a pioneer of building green homes. The Ottawa company has many honours to its credit, including a Canadian Home Builder’s Association award for the Production Home (2500 to 3000 square feet category) with their R2000-certified Meadow model in Riverpark Green. With its experience and commitment to green construction, RND Construction is uniquely positioned to see the path forward for net-zero homes.

Cam Thanh A&A Villa

This project was located in Hoian City, an ancient town in Vietnam. The house has an advantage of natural and cultural background because Hoian is famous for hundreds of years old houses along with diverse and unique flora and rivers. Therefore, we formed the idea to design this house based on the filtering and promoting the cultural and natural values of the locality. Specifically, the architectural form is transformed from the impression of native plants, and the architectural space is transformed from the native residential space. Besides that, we pay attention to the variation in the use of materials and in spatial design or morphology. All aimed at creating a unique and newness of the house, but VRA Design still adapting to the local climate, comfortable and familiar to indigenous living habits.

Because the investors of the project frequently receiving many friends and relatives, they require the house design not only to ensure daily life but also to have some breakthrough and newness, which must create a lasting impression for other users staying here. Around that requirement, we set a design goal that besides the comfortable of homeowners, the architecture must also show the characteristics of local architecture, and there is a break in the form of the house to create a good impression.

The house was located in Cam Thanh, Hoian City, that is an area with lots of coconut palm and nipa palm. Nipa palm forest tourism here is a prominent activity, so that coconut and nipa have become a symbol of this land. We take the shape of the leaves or trunk of the coconut and nipa as the starting point for special structural design. Whereupon, inclined column structure was created that purpose is to both create a visual impression and create new but familiar space, which like the under coconut space or nipa space.

In terms of the overall spatial layout, we rely on the spatial layout of the old houses in Hoian Ancient Town, that is, using some small gardens to split the long house into three short blocks, that would increase the effect of lighting and ventilation like the ancients did. With the prediction that in the future. there is a high possibility that the two sides of the house will have other adjacent houses, so such treatment is suitable for both present and future the house will always have enough light and ventilation for human life. 

Structural elements are presented in rough concrete colors, some brick walls retain the image of the material without plastering or painting, that helping to create a sense of roughness, closeness, and forming many visual outstanding. The interior is designed according to a simple trend, to ensure a harmonious feel, that abundant but not confusing. Indoor and outdoor spaces were arranged with many trees to bring abundance in the views. Not only that, the trees can shade the west sunlight meanwhile creating a cool living space for homeowners.

Text description provided by the architects. 

Kondan Retreat Resort

The vision for Kondan Resort goes beyond the primary purpose of providing hospitality with modern amenities at a scenic location, and seeks to address concerns related to its social, regional and environmental context. Only half the 30 acre property has been developed, with the resort facilities being restricted to 16% of the area, 10% allotted for rainwater harvesting and power generation, and 23% reserved for reforestation. Taking clues from traditional architecture, the built-form was evolved as a series of walls that define private and public spaces, and lend their peripheries to socio-economic activities reminiscent of historic citadels.  

Maval is located in the hills that separate the cities of Mumbai and Pune, and contains a series of large man-made lakes built to supply water and hydroelectricity to these urban areas. Although scenic, the region remains remote and lacks basic facilities, with the primary source of income being small-scale paddy and dairy farms. The client, originally from Maval, chose to return with a business model that would also create livelihood opportunities and stimulate the local economy. The attempt then was to provide the urban visitor an expected level of comfort housed in a built-form that respects its context and does not alienate its neighbours.

Located on a slope along the backwaters of a lake, only a fraction of the site has been developed, and where construction was undertaken, footprints were optimized to respond to topography, exiting trees and natural waterways, with portions of the natural surroundings either contained or revealed as views. Imagined on the lines of a historic citadel, the site is sub-divided into zones of increasing privacy, stepped down along the hillside and defined by eight intersecting walls, each with a unique character specific to its purpose. The resulting interweaving of enclosed, semi-open and open spaces cater to different activities.

Reception and Restaurant: accessed through the pramukhdwar (ceremonial gateway), the reception area creates an experiential connection from public to private zone via a gently rising, narrow and introverted lane that eventually opens onto the restaurant’s main deck with a stunning view of the valley to the south. 

Aamrai: four multi-level suites situated inside a mango orchard, the spaces of each being draped around one or more courtyards. Tarangan:  a series of six cottages cantilevered off an axial spine towards a grove frequented by fireflies. Swimming Pool: spreads organically through a cluster of trees, ending in an infinity edge towards the eastern valley.  Health club and Spa: located on the north-eastern end on the site, the spaces open onto the forest, with parts that are open to public, such as the indoor sports facilities and gym, being accessed directly from the public area.     

The walled campus lends its periphery to various elements of traditional public spaces that facilitate interactions and transactions between visitors and the local community. The kund(stepped reservoir), focal point for such activities, is flanked by the bazaar(shopping street) with workshops and stalls for artisans, a moha(Madhucalongifolia) orchard for weekly farmers’ market, and a hall for conferences or other informal gatherings. 

Much of the building material was sourced from the site itself. Stone from the excavation of water bodies and foundations has been used extensively in various interpretations of vernacular techniques ranging from dry pack to dressed masonry to composite boulder concrete. During the course of construction, objects such as stone light fittings were sourced from local craftsmen, and daily-wage labourers from nearby villages were trained in masonry or other vocational skills that would guarantee them employment as part of the resort’s maintenance staff. 

In India, where multiple and diverse cultures have evolved over generations of living in a specific geographies, regional identities and traditional wisdom are losing their relevance in an increasingly uniform global culture. Ideas of progress and permanence have found common expression in the incongruous concrete boxes found across the country. 

This project presented us with an opportunity to create a model for development that is as much about cultural sustainability, and the focus then was not merely inclusivity, but rather a celebration of the context. And for us the greatest reward was that, after seeing the resort, someone in a neighbouring village built a stone house for the first time in decades.

Text description provided by the architects. 

A MULTIPLE ARCHITECTURE REVEALING THE CULTURAL AND NATURAL FILIPINO HERITAGE

In the heart of East Asia, Cebu, in Cebuano Sugbo,is one of the largest islands in the Philippines. The eponymous capital of the Visayas province – Cebu City – is the oldest city in the archipelago. It was the first Spanish colony and was previously discovered by Portuguese explorer Fernando de Magellan in 1521. Cebu City is now the main maritime shipping port and the main economic business center specializing in the New Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) sectors.

The project is located inside the 50 hectare Cebu Business Park at the corner of Samar Loop and Avenue Cardinal Rosales. The objective is to construct a residential building with double environmental certification (LEED + BERDE) which offers the perfect balance between mixed cultural heritage and natural heritage of unparalleled splendor.

Looking for radical solutions to reduce the global carbon footprint, Vincent Callebaut Architecture has designed a 32-story, 115-meter high tower built of solid wood, as it is theonly natural, abundant, and renewable material. This organic tower integrates the principles of passive bioclimatism and advanced renewable energies. It was named “The Rainbow Tree” because it is an ode to Eucalyptus Deglupta, also known as Rainbow Eucalyptus, an iconic and colorful tree from the Philippines.

“The Rainbow Tree” tower is adorned with the most beautiful plant essences from the neighboring tropical forests. This luxuriant dress of more than 30,000 plants, shrubs, and tropical trees draws a flourishing spiral in the colors of the rainbow and brings a breath of freshness to the heart of Cebu Business Park which is mainly built of concrete and steel.

A MODULAR MASS TIMBER TOWER INSPIRED BY TRADITIONAL “BAHAY KUBO” HOMES

The Rainbow Tree is a staggered geometric stack of 1,200 modules, each with sides measuring 4 meters sides and a height varying between 3.2 to 4.8 meters. All these mass timber modules are prefabricated and standardized in a factory with a very high degree of precision. They are directly inspired by the “BahayKubo” (literally, cubic houses, also known as “Nipa Huts”).

These indigenous nomadic houses were made of natural materials from the forest such as wood, bamboo, and palm leaves. Before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers with their stone-base constructions, this traditional Filipino rural house originally rested on stilts and was anchored to the trunk of trees near the rice fields, coconut palms, and orchards.

These bio-based “Bahay Kubo” breathe! They are in symbiosis with nature. Their architectural identity reveals that they are based on ventilation, large open interior spaces, and terrace networks adapted to the tropical climate.  These three foundations are the basis of our architectural concept for building a CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) tower.

Invented in the 1990s in Austria and Germany, this construction technique consists of superimposing perpendicularly wooden slats and connecting them together using structural, now-organic adhesives such as tannins, lignin, cellulose, or even starch.

The Cross Laminated Timber manufacturing process requires much less energy than concrete or steel, and moreover it does not generate greenhouse gases. As a reminder, producing 1 ton of concrete generates 2.42 tonsof CO2 and producing 1 ton of steel generates 0.938 ton ofCO2.

In terms of fire resistance, remember that wood burns slowly, does not release toxic fumes, and transmits heat 250 times slower than melting steel and 10 times slower than concrete which cracks under the effects of the flames.

Being built from trees cut and harvested in short circuits in the archipelago in the heart of eco-responsible forests – where a cut tree is equal to a replanted tree – means that the Rainbow Tree is a real carbon sequestration well. In fact, during the growth of trees through natural photosynthesis, the stored carbon is found “trapped” in solid wood and is therefore not released into the atmosphere. For 1 ton of wood produced, about 0.9 tonnes of carbon is confined.

This means we are talking about a building with a negative carbon footprint!

MULTI-COLORED, CARBO-ABSORBING, AND DEPOLLUTING BALCONIES

The Rainbow Tree has sinusoidal balconies staggered between the even and odd floors allowing palm trees and deciduous trees to grow on a double height. The endemic plant species are listed according to the color of their flowering – pink, purple, green, yellow, orange, red – to draw 5 plant spirals wrapping around the solid wood facades.

This urban forest makes it possible to fight against the effects of urban heat and constitutes a true island of freshness by the evapotranspiration of plants bioclimatizing naturally the public space.

In addition, the 30,000 plants, shrubs, and trees planted on the tower will capture 150 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere of the Cebu City annually to transform them into oxygen through natural photosynthesis. The tower, which is already low in intrinsic carbon thanks to its bio-based construction materials, will also be breathable and depolluting during its operation.

A PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION INTEGRATING URBAN AGRICULTURE AND RENEWABLE ENERGIES

After choosing the mass timber construction to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the project during its construction, the efforts have focused on the integration of passive systems and renewable energies to reduce its carbon footprint during its operation.

First of all, the tower benefits from double insulation – interior and exterior – and from natural materials such as thatch, hemp, and cellulose wadding. In addition, the plant cover makes it possible to control the solar gains and take advantage of the evapotranspiration of the plants to cool the temperature felt on the balconies by 2 to 5 degrees.

To ensure natural ventilation in each apartment, wind chimneys cross the central core over its entire height. These chimneys draw outdoor air at an average of 29 degrees annually from the urban forest on the ground floor. This hot air passes under the earthquake-resistant foundations where the thermal inertia of the earth is constant all year round at 18 degrees. This naturally refreshed 22-degree air then forced into the apartments as in a termite hill.

In addition to the vegetable tubs planted on the balconies of the apartments, an urban aquaponic farm is spread over the last three levels of the Rainbow Tree. Aquaponics is a technique of sustainable and virtuousagriculture that combines fish farming and plant cultivation and allows you to experience the countryside in the city by removing social ties.

The Sky Farm produces 25,000 kilos of fruit, vegetables, and algae and 2,500 kilos of fish per year, or almost 2 kilos of food per week for each family residing in the tower.

These foods are grown with water saving of 90%, without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or GMOs, but from natural fertilizers. In fact, fish excrement nourishes the plants with nitrates. This absorption then filters the water. The purified water finally returns to the fish pond: the cycle can start again. It is nothing less than a recreated natural mini-ecosystem, where the waste of one element becomes the food of another element. A “living market” will allow Cebuanos residents to not only buy farm products but also to eat them on the spot in a cozy atmosphere.

The greenhouse, which is naturally lit all year round, benefits from a low-consumption LED light complement which reproduces the light spectrum of the sun in order to recreate the ideal conditions for photosynthesis.

This urban farm is covered with a solar canopy producing electricity stored in hydrogen fuel cells and domestic hot water redistributed in a virtuous loop in the bathrooms and kitchens of the apartments.

To top it all off, a farm of 16 axial wind turbines with magnetic levitation also generates electricity in situ without any noise pollution.

By 2050, 80% of the world’s population will live in cities. It is now necessary to produce as close as possible to the consumer-actors and consume the minimum of resources while reducing wastes and greenhouse gas emissions. Within the framework of the new circular economy, the Rainbow Tree is a prototype of a completely biobased vertical forest respecting the four pillars of the ecological city of the future, namely: energy self-sufficiency (heating, cooling, and electricity); greening of buildings and development of urban agriculture; soft mobility centered on pedestrians, bikes and electric co-mobility; social innovation through spaces for sharing between residents and solidarity services.

8850 Sunset Boulevard

A pedestrian-oriented, dynamic, and sustainable take on the Sunset Strip

8850 Sunset establishes a new mixed-use development in the heart of West Hollywood, combining market-rate residences, affordable housing, retail, dining, a music venue, and luxury hotel. The building’s 15-story bridged form responds to the eclecticism of Sunset Boulevard, while prioritizing light, views, and open space connections. At the street level, a two-story podium with cafes, public spaces, and retail echoes the scale and granularity of traditional storefronts along Sunset Boulevard, while a new music venue re-envisions the storied Viper Room, adding a recording studio and updating the live music experience for the 21st century. The condo and hotel volumes are separated by a 100 ft-wide gap, avoiding a conventional large, flat building façade on Sunset to instead capture north/south views and sunlight through the property.

Between the two volumes, a rooftop garden and terrace brings a new outdoor dining and social space to the neighbourhood. At the peak of the building, a skybridge connects the two volumes and incorporates an upscale restaurant and bar with views to downtown and the ocean.

Guided by the WeHo Green Building Program Standards, the project is designed to a LEED Gold standard. Various passive and contextual strategies are used to improve the performance and energy efficiency of the design including using a landscaped surface for the residence volume, with drought-tolerant plantings that create a cooling microclimate while beautifying the neighborhood.