Joey Valenti, DArch 2016, continues to develop his sustainable award-winning DArch project, entitled “Rescaling Urbanism.” His concept integrates a low-cost design of easy-to-build transitional structures using local albizia wood. The invasive tree species imposes human safety hazards, threatens rare native plants, and is currently being removed across the State with few positive uses. Valenti’s project aims to improve socio-ecological resilience in Hawai‘i by responding to the growing need for housing and creating a local renewable material for building. He is working towards building a full-scale prototype by the end of 2016.

Link to article:
http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2016/07/27/house-built-out-of-albizia-wood-might-solve-multiple-sustainability-issues/