the role of building materials in architectural design

The Role of Building Materials in Architectural Design

Hafedh Abed Yahya , and Muna Hanim Abdul Samad

The 4th International Malaysia-Ireland Joint Symposium on Engineering, Science and Business (IMiEJS) 2014

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Historical introduction

Architectural design process

The role of materials in architecture

Conclusions

The Role of Building Materials in Architectural Design2


“The subject of material is clearly the foundation of architecture”

William Morris (1892)

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Before 19th

Century After 1800s

Late 20th Century

In the Future

Click to add text… …

Stone


Steel & Glass


Metallic Surfaces


Smart Materials

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Architectural design is “The method of organizing materials and forms in a specific way to satisfy a definite purpose”.

Kurt Dietrich, (2008)

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Space

Shape

architectural design

elements

Architectural design processMaterials

Colour

Line

1

2

3

4

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Texture 5

Mass 7

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1. 2. 3.

Form is driven in the first proposal by the

architect. The materials are then explored to realize the shape.

Form Material Selection

Materials selection can drive the design process selection.

Material Selection Form

The basic approach for designing, driven

both form and material together, is pure creativity and

intensive effort.

Material Selection & Form

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Buckminster Fuller’s ‘Bucky Balls’ is a good

example shown in figure.

Fuller developed structures that

postulate the possibility of unknown

elements.

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The three design processes, materials are the criteria which finalize the design. Architectural

design moved forward by pushing the limits through which the materials, new and old, can be

assembled, shaped and formed to provide a new awareness in the design process.

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Objects had

The role of materials in architecture

functional purpose

the water wheel, the steam engine, the gas turbine.

symbolic or decorativethe cave painting of Lascaux, the wooden masks of Peru, the marble sculptures of Attica

Combine functional with symbolic and decorative

Combination is perhaps most obvious in architecture. the Coliseum of Rome, the Empire State Building of

New York, and the Pompidou Centre of Paris; each an example of combination the technical and aesthetic.

1

2

3

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Technical functionality

The forms of these structures are directed by the brittleness of the stone, making it strong in

compression but weaker in tension and bending. Brick like stone is strong only in compression.

Stone

The role of materials in architecture11


High tensile steel cables with truss-like compression members supporting a glass reinforced (PTFE)

room membranes. A rubberized nylon membrane supported by internal pressure.

Steel cable & Nylon membrane



Here the forms reflect the high strength to weight ratio of wood, and its ability to carry both

tensile and compressive loads almost equally well.

Wood



Reinforced, and pre-stressed, concrete allows great freedom of shape delicacy of form. The materials, a

composite of steel and concrete, carry tensile, bending, and compressive forces equally well.

Reinforced concrete



1 2 3 4

Compression

Click to add

Tension Bending


Combination

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Aesthetic functionality

1 2 3 4

Touch

Optically clear - Transparent -

Translucent - Opaque

Reflective - Glossy- Matte- Textured

Sight Hearing

Bitter - Sweet

Test&Smell

Muffled - Dull - Sharp

Resonant - Ringing

Low pitched – High pitched

Warm – Cold

Soft – Hard

Flexible - Stiff

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The tactile

attributes


Steel and Glass-Not scratch easily -Accept high polish

-Resist distortion -Durable

Rubber and Polymer foam-Defect when handle – Squashy but when it is released it returned to its original

shapeDesign processHard materials can be made soft by forming

them into shapes in which they bend or twist: hard steels shaped into soft spring: glass drawn

into fibres and woven into cloth

Hard

Soft

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The tactile

attributes


Ceramics, stone and metals are cold and hard; so is glass

Cold

WarmPolymer foams and low density wood are

warm and soft; so are balsa and cork

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The visual attributes


Opaque and transparentMetals are opaque. Most ceramics are either opaque or translucent, because they are poly crystalline and the crystals scatter light. Glasses, and single crystals of some ceramics, are transparent.

ColourA more effective method is one of colour charts such as those provided by Pantone, which provide detailed advice on colour

selection, including colour matching charts and good descriptions of the associations of colour.

Reflectivity

Reflectivity is depending partly on material and partly on surface detail. Like transparency, it is

commonly described by ranking: dead matt, eggshell, semi gloss, gloss, mirror.

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Reflectivity

Diffuse Mirror Retro

light strikes rough surfaces, such as pavement, foliage,

and clothing. These surfaces cause the light beams to

scatter in all directions. Only a small amount of the light is

reflected back toward the source

light strikes surfaces that are smooth or glossy.

The light reflects off the surfaces at an equal, but

opposite angle to the source

surfaces return a portion of directed light to its

source. This is why retro reflective materials appear brightest to

observers located near the light source

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Conclusions

Conclusion

Functionalitydepends on the choice of proper material to

meet the technical requirements of the design safely and economically.

Aestheticinfluenced by the visual and tactile

properties of the materials to convey information and respond to user action

Design process

In the three design processes materials play crucial role to formalize the final design

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2

3

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Conclusion

As a result, recently the designers consider the materials as a part of the design process from which materials can

be chosen and applied as compositional and visual surfaces. The impact of a design solution may be

enhanced or destroyed through the manner by which the architect uses materials in the composition.

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Form, you may say, follows materials.

Conclusion23

References• R. Thomas, Environmental design; An introduction for architects and engineers, 3rd ed., London: Taylor & Francis, p.67, (2006).• V. Bell, and P. Rand, Materials for architectural design, London: Laurance King, (2006).• M. Addington, and D.L. Schodek, Smart materials and new technologies; for the architecture and design professions, Oxford: Elsevier, (2005).• K. Dietrich, A design for architectural education, Canada, (2008).• Aseel Abdalhaleem Latif, and Hala S. M. Aldiwani, The imapact of materials' technology on sustainability of buildings. Journal of Engineering, 18(11) (2012), pp.233-254.• M. Shahinpoor, and H. J. Scneider, Intelligent materials, Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry, (2009).• A. J. Brookes, and D. Poole, Innovation in architecture, London: Spon Press, (2004).• W. Bugler, Radical nature art exhibition. Ecologist; Setting the Environmental Agenda Since 1970, Retrieved from http://www.theecologist.org/reviews/events/271315/radical_nature_art_exhibition.html, (2009).• M. Ashby, and K. Johnson, Materials and design: The art and science of material selection in product design, 2nd ed., United Kingdom; Elsevier Ltd, (2009).• M. Ashby, Materials and product design, Granta Mterial Inspiration, Retrieved from http://www.atilim.edu.tr/~ktur/mate410/Dosyalar/40-CES_Materials&Product_Design_Ashby.pdf , (2008).• E. Karana, P. Hekkert, and P. Kandachar, Material considerations in product design: A survey on crucial material aspects used by product designers, Material and Design, 29 (2008), pp. 1081-1089.• M. Ashby, Materials and Product Design, Detail Design and Manufacture, (2004).• D. L. Schodek, P. Ferreira, and M. Ashby, Nanomaterials, nanotechnologies and design: an introduction for engineers and architects, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, (2009).• J. Vitásek, P. Koudelka, J. Látal, F. Dostál, and K. Sokanský, Indoor optical free space networks-reflectivity of light on building materials, Przeglad Elektrotechniczny, 87(4) (2011), pp. 41-44.

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http://www.theecologist.org/reviews/events/271315/radical_nature_art_exhibition.html

http://www.atilim.edu.tr/~ktur/mate410/Dosyalar/40-CES_Materials&Product_Design_Ashby.pdf

Thank youThe 4th International Malaysia-Ireland Joint Symposium on

Engineering, Science and Business (IMiEJS) 2014

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