Architecture Commons^™

House With One Wall, Christian Kerez

Building Case Studies

The one concrete bearing wall contains all the installations that are needed for the apartment, which makes it possible to work with only one folded wall. The main idea in his works is to simplify the structure as much as possible, without designing the façade. The façade is a consequence of the necessary structure of the building.

House In Somosaguas Ii, A-Cero, Joaquin Torres

Building Case Studies

The exterior walls are made of travertine Roman marble. In most of the interior spaces the floors are finished in black granite, while in some points in the first floor the travertine marble is used too in order to give unit to the housing set.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum Of Art, Steven Hall Architects

Building Case Studies

The double-glass cavities of the lenses gather sun-heated air in winter or exhaust it in summer. Optimum light levels for all types of art or media installations and seasonal flexibility requirements are ensured through the use of computer-controlled screens and of special translucent insulating material embedded in the glass cavities.

Guru Bar, Klab Architects

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Rusted steel

Properties of material: The rusting material of the façade is a metaphor for the transformation in a deteriorating phase . The building is also transformational with the kinetic movement of steel plates that open to form window shutters and doors.

National Parc Hohe Tauern Mittersill, Forsthuber & Scheithauer Salzburg

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: fibreC Facade 13 mm

Properties of material: FibreC, which is also known as “concrete skin - is a concrete panel reinforced with glass fibers which combines the advantages of concrete and glass fibers in one product: it is as solid, moldable and durable as concrete, but thanks to the glass fibers also thin-walled, fireproof and light-weight.

Nelson-Atkins Museum Of Art, Steven Holl

Building Case Studies

No abstract provided.

Sos Children's Villages Lavezzorio Community Center, Studio Gang Architects

Building Case Studies

Leftover concrete from neighboring projects were donated to this low budget project, were poured in horizontal layers that undulate as it moves along the building. The final layering of the different concrete mixes reveal the fluid nature of concrete before its curing while telling a story of how the building was financed.

Grand Rapids Art Museum, Why Architecture

Building Case Studies

Local sand and gravel, cast in place, carefully crafted with no patching allowed.

Caixa Forum, Herzog & De Meuron

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Cast iron panels, embossed metal mesh.

Material used: Iron panels.

Properties of material: Cast Iron Panels were digitally fabricated with a patterned cut out to let light into the top levels.

Carabanchel Housing, Foreign Office Architects, Elejandro Zaera-Polo, Farshid Moussavi

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Bamboo louver

Properties of material: It's eco-friendly and it's comfortingly cozy. Operating within a severely limited budget.The primary architectural effect of the building is not dependent on the architects vision, but as an effect of the inhabitants choice, as if the facade was a register at any given moment of a cumulative effect of individuals choices.

Casa Kiké, Gianni Botsford

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Corrugated steel, hard wood

Properties of material: Corrugated steel is a weather resistant steel siding manufactured in a wave pattern for strength and rigidity. It looks great when combined with natural or engineered wood products.

Miroiterie Flon, B+W Arechiture Sarl

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: PTFE coated glass fabric outer layer, 3 ply ETFE inner layers

Properties of material: Tensile structure; illumination

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

The Agora Theater, Office Of Metropolitan Architecture

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Aluminum mesh.

Properties of material: Durable, flexible/formable, lightweight

Oslo Opera House, Snohetta

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Timber for the ‘wave wall’ Material used: White stone for the ‘carpet’, timber for the ‘wave wall’, and metal for the ‘factory’

Properties of material: For the wave wall it has a light and varied surface. Oak is used throughout for the floors, walls and ceilings. The wave wall has a complex organic geometry made up of joined cone shapes. It is also an important acoustic attenuator within the foyer space. Inside the auditorium oak has been chosen for a number of reasons: It is dense, easily formed, stable and tactile.