What material most recently and fundamentally changed building architecture? While there have not been any recent materials that have fundamentally revolutionised the design industry in the way concrete did in the 1920s, and resin and plastics did in the 1970s, which allowed for the creation of new forms and spatial opportunities, what we are seeing now is how manufacturing and technology are revolutionising the way we design buildings.
The ability to calculate and fabricate practically any shape using wood, concrete or steel elements with CAD/ CAM software has allowed us to push the boundaries like never before. This has enabled us to invent new materials that can be produced and assembled faster than ever—such as precast concrete as structure or cladding; mass engineering timber (MET); prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC); and 3D cement printing machines.
How does one choose architectural materials effectively? There are many criteria that guide the choice of material, but in essence it can be based on three key factors—context, performance and sustainability. First, we should consider the urban settings and integration, consistency with the design narrative, contribution to the architecture experience, and distance and perception of details. Second, we have to think about the measurable physical properties that contribute to the building performance such as thermal property, acoustics, glare, light transmission, shading coefficient, resistance, weight, porosity and so on. Last but not least, we need to take into account maintenance and sustainability.
Regarding material sustainability, how do we achieve this? There are several sustainable design practices that all designers have in their ‘toolkits’, such as sourcing local materials, considering thermal performance, mitigating the embodied energy, and so on. However, recyclability is a key aspect
Wood planks used as flooring or stairs could be repurposed at the end of the lifecycle
that should be a design driver for every new project. Material selection must consider how easily the components will be recycled at the end of their lifecycle. Also, buildings sometimes need to be certified by using Green rating systems such as LEED or Green Mark. In these instances, the material selection becomes an integral component to score certain criteria and achieve a Green rating.
As far as material is concerned, what key factors impact the final design output? Whether I draw a line or a curve, I always think about materials and systems in a holistic way. When approaching a design, I work closely with engineering consultants and construction specialists to be able to execute the initial intent. However, developing design intent into reality is a long process with a lot of hurdles along the way, from the design concept stage to construction and, eventually, the handover inspections.
There are at least three key drivers that can potentially impact the final design
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