Exploring the design of innovative building enclosure systems (or skins) in contemporary architecture and their precedents in earlier twentieth century modern architecture, this book examines the tectonics, the history and the influence of translucency as a defining characteristic in architecture. Highly illustrated throughout with drawings and full colour photographs, the book shows that translucency has been and continues to be a fertile ground for architectural experimentation. Each chapter presents a comparative analysis of two primary buildings: a recent project, paired with a historical precedent, highlighting how architects in different eras have realized the distinctive effects of translucency. The included buildings span a variety of program types, ranging from a single-family residence, to a factory, to a synagogue. Whether it is Pierre Chareau’s glass-lens curtain wall at the Maison de Verre, Frank Lloyd Wright’s wall of stacked glass tubes at the Johnson Wax Research Tower, or Peter Zumthor’s use of acid-etched glass in a double-skin envelope at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, the included projects each offer an exemplary case study of innovations in materiality and fabrication techniques. Today, among many contemporary architects, there is an engagement with new technologies, new material assemblies, and new priorities such as sustainability and energy-efficiency. A resurgent interest in translucency as a defining quality in buildings has been an important part of this recent dialogue and this book makes essential reading for any architect looking to incorporate aspects of translucency into their buildings.

The external facades of a building are more than a protective mantle, or an intelligent skin regulating temperature and light, they also determine its very appearance. By unusual choices of materials and the use of complex technology, facades have become increasingly significant in recent years. External surfaces are being perceived as an integral part of the building and are therefore being designed as such. This volume focuses on the wide-ranging aspects of facade design, from the selection and use of materials to the advanced technical possibilities now open to the architect. A wide array of carefully selected international examples show the theory in the practice. All plans, details, and large scale sections of the facades have been researched with the high degree of competence typical of the editorial staff from the review Detail. Expert authors provide the essential information needed to plan and design facades and elucidate on the latest developments in technology and materials.

Rethinking Building Skins: Transformative Technologies and Research Trajectories provides a comprehensive collection of the most relevant and forward-looking research in the field of façade design and construction today, with a focus on both product and process innovation. The book brings together the expertise, creativity, and critical thinking of more than fifty global innovators from both academia and industry, to guide the reader in translating research into practice. It identifies new opportunities for the construction sector to respond to present challenges, towards a more sustainable, efficient, connected, and safe future. - Introduces the reader to the role of façades with respect to the main challenges ahead - Provides an overview of the major façade technological advancements throughout history and identifies prospective research trajectories - Includes interviews with key industry players from different backgrounds and expertise - Showcases a comprehensive range of leading research topics in the field, organised by product and process innovation - Covers major innovations across the value chain including façade design, fabrication, construction, operation and maintenance, and end-of-life - Contributes towards the definition of an international research agenda and identifies emerging market opportunities for the façade industry

This book provides a compendium of material properties, demonstrates several successful examples of bio-based materials’ application in building facades, and offers ideas for new designs and novel solutions. It features a state-of-the-art review, addresses the latest trends in material selection, assembling systems, and innovative functions of facades in detail. Selected case studies on buildings from diverse locations are subsequently presented to demonstrate the successful implementation of various biomaterial solutions, which defines unique architectural styles and building functions. The structures, morphologies and aesthetic impressions related to bio-based building facades are discussed from the perspective of art and innovation; essential factors influencing the performance of materials with respect to functionality and safety are also presented. Special emphasis is placed on assessing the performance of a given facade throughout the service life of a building, and after its end. The book not only provides an excellent source of technical and scientific information, but also contributes to public awareness by demonstrating the benefits to be gained from the proper use of bio-based materials in facades. As such, it will appeal to a broad audience including architects, engineers, designers and building contractors.

Visually enriched with over 250 photographs and drawings, Bioclimatic Double-Skin Façades is an essential reference guide for understanding the types and functions of double-skin façades. Author Mary Ben Bonham examines the history and continuing potential of double-skin architecture, informing on the variety of approaches possible and advising a rigorous integrated design process leading to application. Featuring a wide selection of architectural examples, the book will be of interest to professionals and students within the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction. Characterized by a buffer-like air space between two glazed building skins, double-skin windows and façades aim to improve building comfort and energy performance. Double skins introduce complexity and initial costs, yet significant buildings in locations around the globe continue to select this approach. In addition to exploring motivations, benefits, and cautions for designing with double skins, the book provides a primer on fundamental façade design concepts and strategies for control of thermal, luminous, and acoustic environments. Chapters also address alternative types of high-performance façades and implications for each phase of façade design and construction. Bioclimatic Double-Skin Façades promotes bioclimatic design that is inspired by nature, measured in performance, and uniquely adapted to climate and place. In-depth case studies illustrate how double-skin façades have been adapted to a range of climates and cultural settings: Marseille Library and Grenoble Courthouse in France, Cambridge Public Library in Massachusetts, Manitoba Hydro Place in Canada, and the Pearl River Tower in China.

Looking to the future, Intelligent Skins sets out the principles for the design of the intelligent building envelope. It highlights an exciting new approach to the area, where the fabric of the building responds to external changes and internal demands. The prime objective is to control internal environments through a responsive building fabric rather than by energy consuming building services systems. The authors examine the potential for integral intelligence within the fabric of the building and explore the evolution of information technology and smart materials which have allowed a whole new category of design principles to be created.

Three photographic essays offer a study of the neglected "nooks and crannies" between structures, from gates and fences to sidewalks, alleys, and parking lots. In his exploration of how spaces become places, geographer Ford invites readers to see anew the spaces they encounter every day and often take for granted. 52 halftones.

First published in 1996, The Eyes of the Skin has become a classic of architectural theory. It asks the far-reaching question why, when there are five senses, has one single sense – sight – become so predominant in architectural culture and design? With the ascendancy of the digital and the all-pervasive use of the image electronically, it is a subject that has become all the more pressing and topical since the first edition’s publication in the mid-1990s. Juhani Pallasmaa argues that the suppression of the other four sensory realms has led to the overall impoverishment of our built environment, often diminishing the emphasis on the spatial experience of a building and architecture’s ability to inspire, engage and be wholly life enhancing. For every student studying Pallasmaa’s classic text for the first time, The Eyes of the Skin is a revelation. It compellingly provides a totally fresh insight into architectural culture. This third edition meets readers’ desire for a further understanding of the context of Pallasmaa’s thinking by providing a new essay by architectural author and educator Peter MacKeith. This text combines both a biographical portrait of Pallasmaa and an outline of his architectural thinking, its origins and its relationship to the wider context of Nordic and European thought, past and present. The focus of the essay is on the fundamental humanity, insight and sensitivity of Pallasmaa’s approach to architecture, bringing him closer to the reader. This is illustrated by Pallasmaa’s sketches and photographs of his own work. The new edition also provides a foreword by the internationally renowned architect Steven Holl and a revised introduction by Pallasmaa himself.

This open access book focuses on the development of methods, interoperable and integrated ICT tools, and survey techniques for optimal management of the building process. The construction sector is facing an increasing demand for major innovations in terms of digital dematerialization and technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, advanced manufacturing, robotics, 3D printing, blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence. The demand for simplification and transparency in information management and for the rationalization and optimization of very fragmented and splintered processes is a key driver for digitization. The book describes the contribution of the ABC Department of the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano) to R&D activities regarding methods and ICT tools for the interoperable management of the different phases of the building process, including design, construction, and management. Informative case studies complement the theoretical discussion. The book will be of interest to all stakeholders in the building process – owners, designers, constructors, and faculty managers – as well as the research sector.