Sunday 27 October 2013
Reflection on week 9 lecture
This weeks lecture was titled "forensic architecture" and looked into the uses of different materials and construction systems and how they might fail over time. The lecture included some short videos showing the step by step process of a building being made using pre-cast panels and steel frames stacked on top of each other (Hemeroscopium house). Another one was a time lapse video of the new world trade centre being built. Slides of the devastation caused by the Christchurch earthquake were shown.
Research into materials
Marble:
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms through the metamorphism of limestone. Very durable hard stone. The lifespan of marble is exceptional, thanks to its durability. Marble is one of the oldest building materials, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Used in floors, sculptures and other architecture.
Concrete:
Concrete is a mixture of aggregates (sand, gravel, and crushed stone), other additives, cement and water. It is a stable durable material with high compressive strength, withstanding inward pressures but low in tensile strength (stretching forces). Reinforced steel (rebar) is added to the concrete to give slabs tensile load (keeping it tense). Concrete can be used for slabs walls and roofs.
It is a highly durable material and will not rust, rot or burn. Typical life expectancy of concrete is approximately 100 years. Limestone, used for cement, is one of the most
abundant minerals on earth.
Glass:
Glass is made from a mixture of sand and silicates, and fired in a kiln. Glass is a very sustainable material, made from abundant raw materials and can be recycled over and over. Glass can last indefinitely.
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms through the metamorphism of limestone. Very durable hard stone. The lifespan of marble is exceptional, thanks to its durability. Marble is one of the oldest building materials, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Used in floors, sculptures and other architecture.
Concrete:
Concrete is a mixture of aggregates (sand, gravel, and crushed stone), other additives, cement and water. It is a stable durable material with high compressive strength, withstanding inward pressures but low in tensile strength (stretching forces). Reinforced steel (rebar) is added to the concrete to give slabs tensile load (keeping it tense). Concrete can be used for slabs walls and roofs.
Glass is made from a mixture of sand and silicates, and fired in a kiln. Glass is a very sustainable material, made from abundant raw materials and can be recycled over and over. Glass can last indefinitely.
Reflection on week 8 lecture
The week 8 lecture was on "life after people", looking at what would happen to the human built environment 100 years after humans cease to exist. The brief for experiment 2 was outlined and the three buildings we will be using introduced. We will be looking at how different materials collapse, breakdown and decay. Some interesting slides were shown of Priyat, the town that was abandoned after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 and also of Hashima Island, Japan a coal mining facility, which has now been abandoned for 40 years.
House in Bordeaux
Designed by Rem Koolhass and constructed 1994-1998 in Bordeaux, France. Specifically built for a family and someone who has a disability. Built over three levels with the lower level built into the rocky hillside. Materials consist of cement, glass and aluminium.
Rudin House
Designed by Herzog & de Meuron in 1996 and located in a village in France. House is primarily made of concrete, sitting on a suspended slab. Has a gable roof and large windows.
Barcelona Pavilion
Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and opened in 1929. Important building in modern architecture, uses exotic materials such as marble, red onyx (type of stone), sits on a travertine (form of limestone) base, uses cruciform steel columns, and also glass.
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