Architecture Commons^™

Wood Masonry, Michael Halls

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Cordwood masonry.

Material used: Cordwood Masonry is a traditional construction method where cordwood logs are laid sideways in a bed of mortar. The process is said to be low in carbon and highly insulating, due to the thickness of the walls

Properties of material: One of cordwood masonry’s biggest advantage for local builders is the easy accessibility of the materials. Wood does not need to be highly processed, and simple firewood is usually sufficient. Mortar mixes are also easily accessible to the general public, which is why cordwood masonry is popular in rural, self-built homes. It is …

The Cola-Bow, Penda Architects

Building Case Studies

Canopy was made up of more than 17,000 bottles were collected from the citizen. Surrounded by increased pollution every, the sculputure can also be seen as a reminder for creating awareness to recycle plastic waste.

Messe Basel New Hall, Herzog & De Meuron

Building Case Studies

Homogeneous material (aluminum) is the over all exterior surfaces. The facade of articulated twisting bands strategically modulates and reduces the scale of the large exhibition volumes to its surroundings.

Kulturbau And Mall, Benthem Crouwel Architects

Building Case Studies

The volume has an double façade with a Structural-Glazing construction of white silk-screened glass, which embraces the building like a second skin.

Bapagrama Stone House, Pragrup

Building Case Studies

The strong straight lines of stone emerge into a homogenity that harmonizes with the surroundings. stone slabs spanning 14 ft in height, 2 ft in width, and 4" thick protect the wall from the storms and humid climate.

Kanagawa Institute Of Technology Workshop, Junya Ishigami And Associates

Building Case Studies

The floor-to-ceiling glass makes the building appear weightless and elegant, and the open plan preserves the building’s sense of transparency as the viewer’s eye can shoot directly across the uninterrupted space.

Vertical Glass House, Atelier Fcjz

Building Case Studies

All the floor slabs for the Vertical Glass House, which consists of 7cm thick composite tempered glass slabs, cantilevers beyond the concrete shell through the horizontal slivers on the façade. The perimeter of each glass slab is lit from within the house; therefore, light transmits through the glass at night to give a sense of mystic for the pedestrians passing by.

Jianamani Visitor Centre, Atelier Teamminus

Building Case Studies

The Janamani Visitor Center is mainly built by local construction techniques. The stone masonry is done by local masons, using the same kind of local rock from which Mani stones are carved. The railings around the roof terrace and the observation decks are made of wood, with some parts recycled from earthquake debris.

Seasonless House, Casos De Casas, Irene Castrillo Carreira, Mauro Gil-Fournier Esquerra

Building Case Studies

double walls made from cellular polycarbonate, simple filters of undulated polycarbonate, interlocked metallic tiles, different glasses according to the contiguity of the climate on either of its sides.

Cidade Das Artes, Christian De Portzamparc

Building Case Studies

Between the two horizontal plates of the roof and the terrace are set the large curved concrete walls that contain the halls in an interplay of volumes and voids.

The Glass Farm, Mvrdv

Building Case Studies

The exterior glass has an image of a collage of hitsoric farms printed on it. The architects used a fritted procedure to apply the image onto the the glass. There is varying transparency throughout the building, responding to views and necessary light.

Arcus Center For Social Justice Leadership, Studio Gang Architects

Building Case Studies

Properties of material: The gently curving walls connecting these façades are constructed with wood masonry – a regional, traditional building method that incorporates local, sustainably harvested white cedar. This is the first instance that this building technique, which is both low-carbon and highly insulating,

Blue Planet Aquarium, 3xn

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Aluminum plates

Properties of material: Durable, and after renovation the Blue Planet will be one of Denmark’s five most prominent tourist attractions.