Architecture Commons^™

2014 Winter Olympic Stadium, Populous

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Crystalline skin

The crystalline skin engages with its surroundings by day, and provides iconic representation of the color and spectacle of the games when illuminated at night. It is also a lightweight material.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center, Weiss/Manfredi

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Green roof.

Material used: Architectural cast-in-place concrete; curtain wall of custom-fritted insulated glass and aluminum; canopy of custom-fritted laminated glass and stainless steel, architectural exposed structural steel, custom copper roof, green roof, wood paneling milled from ginkgo trees harvested on-site; specialty acoustic ceiling and wall panels

Properties of material: The green roof will change throughout the year, literally transforming the nature of the architecture each season.

Parrish Art Museum, Herzog & De Meuron

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Concrete. Material used: Glass and Glazing: Westhampton Architectural Glass; Tile: Lido Stone Works; Wood Flooring: Bayshore Wood Flooring

Properties of material: The reserved design is respectful of the landscape and channels the natural beauty through crisp forms and simple materials, while preserving the artistic legacy of the museum.

Para Eco House, Tongji University Team

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Green walls. Material used: Wood plates, vegetation

Propertiesof material: Perforated walls, the concept of creating a multi-layer skin emerges from a combination of Dao theory in eastern philosophy and the theories of Michel Foucault in western thought, especially the ideas of autonomy in architecture.

House Of Stone For Interni Thank Tank In Milan, Italy, John Pawson

Building Case Studies

Material of Interest: Stone

Material Used: Lithoverde

Properties of Material: The material is composed of 99% recycled granite and 1% natural soy resin. This material reuses a material (granite) that is otherwise dif- ficult to dispose of properly. It has a beautiful aesthetic and creates a sense of strength and serenity.

Dee And Charles Wyly Theatre, Rex + Oma

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Tubular aluminum.

Properties of material: Unlike a typical theatre, the Wyly accommodates back-of-house and front-of-house areas above and beneath the auditorium rather than wrapped around it, liberating its perimeter – a glass façade with optional blackout blinds – for direct contact with the urban surroundings.

Cooper Union Building, Morphosis

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Perforated stainless steel

Properties of material: The steel skin is separated from an inner wall of glass and aluminum to permit light and views for people inside the space. The steel panels act to reduce heat gains in summer and insulate the interior in winter. The panels are also operable, allowing people to open them for additional ventilation and lighting.

Ningbo History Museum, Wang Shu

Building Case Studies

The building's façade is made out of recycled building materials from local houses that were demolished. The building was assembled by using a traditional technique, wapan, which involves layering multiple elements in varying size, packing them together to create a stable structure.

Gucci Ginza, James Carpenter

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Bronze and silvery glass panels.

Properties of material: The bronze and silvery glass panels provided an illuminated glow effect at different times of the day. It also provides the necessary shading for the building front elevation.

Museum Of Arts And Design, Allied Works Architecture

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Custom-glazed terracotta tiles.

Properties of material:The terracotta material provides a ventilated and pressure-equalized enclosure that helps keep the building dry to reduce maintenance while also saving energy.

Pope John Paul Ii Hall For The Franciscan Monastery Trsat In Riejeka, Croatia, Randić & Turato, Saša Randić, Idis Turato

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Masonry.

Material Used: Terracotta Brick.

Properties of Material: The brick is not fully flush in portions of the exterior allowing light to pass between bricks and create an effect that the brick is being stretched apart in places. Color goes well with existing construction at the monastery and imitates a simple hip roofed barn.

Residence In Garrison, Ny, Toshiko Mori Architect

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Aluminum panel siding. Material used: Alucobond compost panel; The house is made up of two distinct volumes clad in concrete, masonry, and glass to differentiate public space from private space in this steel-framed residence. The material of interest is ‘Aluminum Composite Material’ (ACM) containing two sheets of .02” aluminum thermo bonded to a polyethylene core in a continuous process

Properties of material: Durable, water resistant, structural

New Museum Of Contemporary Art, Sanaa

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Expanded aluminum mesh.

Material used: Custom fabrication.

Properties of material: Allows diffused light into the building to create a soft glow

Chokkura Plaza, Kengo Kuma And Associates

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Ooya stone.

Material used: Ooya stone, steel, glass.

Properties of material: Unlike other stones, the Ooya stone is soft to touch with its softest portion- the ‘miso’- formed of soil trapped within it. It also has holes similar to a sponge with the ‘miso’ being the largest of these. Owing to these openings, the stone surface is rather broken up in its texture.

Ssm / Kanno Museum Of Art, Atelier Hitoshi Abe

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Weathering steel.

Material used: Corten Steel Sandwich Panel (t=68) all welded, no paint finish.

Properties of material: Develops patina

Alberici Corporate Headquarters, Mackey Mitchell Associates

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Plywood.

Properties of material: Made from 100% rapidly renewable bamboo, this plywood can be cut and sanded using conventional woodworking equipment and offers excellent dimensional stability. It can also be glued or mechanically fastened using the same materials and fasteners commonly used with wood. (Note: building is LEED Platinum.)

Spry House, Durbach Block Architects

Building Case Studies

Material of interest:Cedar slats / vertical bands of glass.

Properties of material: Local material

Unilever Head Offices, Solano Benitez

Building Case Studies

The brick is produced locally out of native clay.

American Folk Art Museum, Tod Williams, Billie Tsien

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Tombasil.

Material used: Commercially produced white bronze alloy (57% copper content) used for boat propellers, fire hose nozzles, and grave markers Manufactured and fabricated at the Tallix foundry in Beacon, NY with Peter Sylvester, Vinnie Nardone, and Peter Holmstead Initially tried pouring directly onto concrete and steel plates, however, heat caused water entrapped in the concrete to explode and the steel plates to warp and buckle Developed sand molds taken from concrete and steel.

Properties of material: Warm and silvery

Prada New York Epicenter, Office Of Metropolitan Architecture

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Plastic glazing.

Properties of material: The translucent wall panels allow light and silhouettes of surrounding buildings to filter into the store.

Keenan Tower House, Marlon Blackwell

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: White oak

Properties of material: The Tower House was proposed as “a house among the trees”. The structure and exterior facade is clearly defined against the sky and surrounding landscape.

Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center, Rpbw Architects

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Iroko wood

Material used: Laminated wood and natural wood, concrete, coral, aluminum castings, glass panels, tree bark and stainless steel

Properties of material: The iroko (Clorophora excelsa) timber used extensively was imported from Africa (native to tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone to Tanzania); it was decided to use iroko because it was durable, and mostly resistant to attack by insects, fungi and mould.

Paper House, Shigeru Ban Architects

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Reusable light materials Material used: Paper roof & Paper tube Properties of material: Lightweight

Horyuji Temple For Prince Shotoku In Kansai, Japan, Prince Shotoku

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Wood

Properties of material: This is the oldest wooden structure. It was constructed with natural materials using traditional methods of construction.