News

Solarpunk: a sustainable future or green capitalist makeup?

Cities covered in vegetation, solar panels everywhere, organic architecture, and a strong sense of community. The Solarpunk aesthetic has captured the imagination of those who dream of a future that is more just, ecological, and technologically advanced.

But does this attractive image actually deliver what it promises?

Behind this green utopia lies a contradiction: who pays the price for this future to exist?

Technologies such as lithium batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels depend on raw materials extracted under precarious conditions, often in countries of the Global South. Toxic mining, child labor, and the destruction of Indigenous communities are part of the hidden cost behind the promise of clean energy.

At the same time, the narrative of a “green transition” often works more to preserve existing hierarchies than to challenge them.

The core question is:

Is Solarpunk truly an imaginative revolution, or just a new aesthetic wrapping for the same unequal system?

Is it possible to imagine a sustainable future without addressing who controls resources, technologies, and profits?

Interested in the topic?

Watch our full video to understand the movement’s origins, its political inspirations, and the risks of turning Solarpunk into just another design trend.

Disclaimer: The video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but simultaneous translation and subtitles are available in multiple languages.

UGREEN

With the UGREEN Pass Starter, you apply sustainability to your daily life simply and practically

Do you want to live more sustainably but don’t know where to start?

UGREEN Pass Starter is your first step toward a life with more purpose and a lower environmental impact. It gives you access to practical, objective, and actionable content designed to fit even the busiest routines.

Learn by doing how to reduce your impact on the planet through simple, accessible actions.

At UGREEN, we believe sustainability starts at home, at your own pace, using what you already have today.

Secure your access to UGREEN Pass Starter and transform your daily life.

Start now. The planet will thank you and your future will too.

News

How AI is changing what (and how) we build

Located in London, specifically at 155 Drummond Street, a red brick building from the 1980s has recently undergone a complete transformation. The project, named Trace, was designed by the French architecture studio Bureau de Change for the developer HGG London. Instead of demolishing the structure, the team chose to reuse the existing building, steering the proposal toward modern housing with low environmental impact.

Material reuse reduces emissions

By avoiding full demolition, the project significantly reduced the carbon emissions that would have resulted from constructing a new building. The original façade was carefully dismantled, and the bricks and mortar were crushed and reused to produce new glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) panels. These panels now clad the “new” building, while the crushed brick gives the structure its color, eliminating the need for chemical pigments.

Design combines architecture and efficiency

The internal layout was also reconfigured and now consists of five residential units: three apartments occupying the original floors and two duplex units built above the existing structure. The stepped floor plan improves ventilation and natural daylight, while the balconies contribute to thermal comfort and can be used throughout the year.

The vertical extension was only possible because GRC is lightweight, which helped avoid complex structural reinforcements. The new façade follows a system of hand-molded panels, creating shadow and texture while respecting the rhythm of the street.

A technical model of circular economy

The Trace project demonstrates that circular economy principles can be applied in practice. Retaining the original structure reduced the need for new concrete, urban mining prevented construction waste from being sent to landfills, and local panel fabrication minimized material transportation.

Because the retrofit process complied with the city’s planning regulations, the project was approved even in an area with strict urban controls. This shows that new sustainable solutions can function effectively in dense and historically sensitive contexts.