Architecture Commons^™

Endesa Pavilion, Institute For Advanced Architecture Of Catalonia (Iaac)

Building Case Studies

Material of interest and material used: Timber, solar panels

Properties of material: Wood was chosen as the primary material for the project due its organic qualities as an exhaustible natural resource as well as its easy workability. Ultimately, the pavilion is shielded from solar radiation in the summer months and then consumes solar radiation throughout the winter. Indirect sunlight produces a subtle ambiance in the interior. Designed to be fabricated using CNC machines, mathematical equations determined the precise orientation of the panels for the most beneficial solar penetration.

El B Auditorium And Congress Hall, Selgas Cano

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Polycarbonate tubes, backed by screen

Material used: Steel frame; Transparent methacrylate; Transparent + translucent polycarbonate; Polycarbonate tubes, backed by screen

Properties of material: All the material, both aluminium and plastic, is manufactured from a single extruded section, varied in placement and colour to give the appearance of multiple pieces.

Moet Marquee / Espace Lumiere, Ptw Architects

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Tensioned lycra.

Material used: MakMax.

Properties of material: Lycra tent weighs 77 lbs and folds small enough to transport in a sports bag. Can be assembled in less than an hour and is fully reusable. Material can also transmit light.

Brittlebush, Simon De Aguero

Building Case Studies

Material of interest: Rammed earth

Material used: Steel, rammed earth, wood.

Properties of material: Approximately 90% of the steel in the project was salvaged from the school scrap yard; 100% of the rammed earth for the walls was from the school property; 100% of the wood used for the formwork was salvaged from onsite renovation waste.

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.

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.