The Yoga Studio

Towering oaks enhance the property near Washington D.C., USA, where Paul and Annie Mahon chose to build The Yoga Studio. In his vision for this haven of natural healing, architect Jim Burton thus had to account for seasonal bombardment from staining acorns as well as smoke from the nearby grill area.

Burton specified TX Active photocatalytic cement from HeidelbergCement’s US subsidiary for the structure's exterior concrete walls and the grill area. Given its self-cleaning capability activated by sunlight, the choice is a natural.

The photocatalytic action eliminates the various pollutants – vehicle exhaust gas, flue gas from domestic heating, industrial discharges of chemicals, pesticides – which come into contact with the concrete surface, transforming them into substances which do not harm the environment. This allows the original aesthetic appearance of the structure or of the work to be preserved over time.

The clients' and architect's commitment to sustainability through the combined use of TX Active and other green technologies earned the project a LEED Gold certification when it was completed in 2007. Southface Energy Institute was the LEED provider for the project, as part of the LEED for Homes pilot program.