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.

Translucent Building Skins explores the design of innovative building enclosure systems (or skins) in contemporary architecture and their precedents in earlier 20th century modern architecture. The book explores the tectonics, the history and the influence of translucency as a defining characteristic in architecture. Highly illustrated, the book analyzes works by renowned contemporary architects such as Steven Holl, Renzo Piano and Kengo Kuma, situating their designs within a trajectory that includes earlier work by such modern masters as Frank Lloyd Wright, Gordon Bunshaft, and Pierre Chareau.

Both professionals and students are increasingly committed to achieving high-performance metrics in the design, construction and operation of residential buildings. This book responds to this demand by offering a comprehensive guide which features: architectural innovations in building skin technologies which make lighter more transparent buildings high performing; energy-free architectural design principles and advances in building-integrated photovoltaics; essential engineering principles, controls and approaches to simulation for achieving net zero; the advantages of integrated design in residential construction and the challenges and opportunities it engenders; detailed case studies of innovative homes which have incorporated low-energy design solutions, new materials, alternative building assemblies, digital fabrication, integrated engineering systems and operational controls. Divided into four parts, the book discusses the requisite AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) knowledge needed when building a high-performance home. It also communicates this information across four case studies, which provide the reader with a thorough overview of all aspects to be considered in the design and construction of sustainable homes. With contributions from experts in the field, the book provides a well-rounded and multi-faceted approach. This book is essential reading for students and professionals in design, architecture, engineering (civil, mechanical and electrical), construction and energy management.

"In Contemporary Curtain Wall Architecture, building-technology historian and architect Scott Murray traces the evolution of the curtain wall, from early skeleton-frame structures of the past to today's complex and technologically advanced configurations. Presenting twenty-four detailed case studies of exemplary structures completed in the last decade, he reveals the curtain wall as one of the most enduring and malleable concepts of contemporary architecture, capable of adapting intelligently to site constraints, utilizing resources efficiently, and offering unprecedented opportunities for innovations in digital design and fabrication, material detailing, and aesthetic expression." --Book Jacket.

This book argues that we are living in an era of deep mutation, and the anthropocentric model no longer fits our way of living and behaving on Earth. Climate change is upsetting our relationship with nature and the environment, while artificial intelligence scenarios undermine the foundations of human life. As the pressure to re-align based on new modes of living and consuming increases, the first priority should be to address the way we imagine, design, produce and construct our built environment. The highly original book explores how the relation between design technology and material cultures can underpin and drive this change. It discusses the need for a new “material balance” to develop our design practice, not only from an energy and environmental perspective, but also from a physiological, cultural and semantic one, in order to re-balance the impact of material design on society. This publication is an excellent guide to understanding in detail the theoretical framing of several crucial topics in material balance design, from computational knitting to material agency, and from new acoustic ecology to future façade technologies, bio-based design and ultimately non-anthropocentric habitats, offering insights into preferable future scenarios.

The book examines the typological and technological constitution of the principal advanced façade systems in the contemporary design and experimental scenario, proposing itself as a knowledge and operational tool currently lacking in the technical literature of the sector at an international level. It considers the field of advanced façade systems in a scientific way, constituting a support for the study and the executive design. The book investigates in detail, in an analytical form, the constitution of the components on a typological and geometrical, functional and constructive level, on the basis of the documents and knowledges acquired from the essential contemporary production and construction references. At the same time, the book is configured in a handbook form as a reference for understanding and application with respect to traditional and complex façade systems. For each main type of façade, the book provides explanations and scientific information for investigating and designing the advanced façades according to the characteristics of the mullions and transoms façade system (stick system), of the structural sealant glazing façade system, of the unit façade system, of the suspended façade system and of the double-skin façade system.

This book contains more than 70 articles and presents international trends in structural glazing and facade construction. Renowned authors from all over the world report on current research results and innovative construction projects.

Constructing Building Enclosures investigates and interrogates tensions that arose between the disciplines of architecture and engineering as they wrestled with technology and building cultures that evolved to deliver structures in the modern era. At the center of this history are inventive architects, engineers and projects that did not settle for conventional solutions, technologies and methods. Comprised of thirteen original essays by interdisciplinary scholars, this collection offers a critical look at the development and the purpose of building technology within a design framework. Through two distinct sections, the contributions first challenge notions of the boundaries between architecture, engineering and construction. The authors then investigate twentieth-century building projects, exploring technological and aesthetic boundaries of postwar modernism and uncovering lessons relevant to enclosure design that are typically overlooked. Projects include Louis Kahn’s Weiss House, Minoru Yamasaki’s Science Center, Sigurd Lewerentz’s Chapel of Hope and more. An important read for students, educators and researchers within architectural history, construction history, building technology and design, this volume sets out to disrupt common assumptions of how we understand this history.

Materials for Architects and Builders provides a clear and concise introduction to the broad range of materials used within the construction industry and covers the essential details of their manufacture, key physical properties, specification and uses. Understanding the basics of materials is a crucial part of undergraduate and diploma construction or architecture-related courses, and this established textbook helps the reader to do just that with the help of colour photographs and clear diagrams throughout. This new sixth edition has been completely revised and updated to include the latest developments in materials research, new images, appropriate technologies and relevant legislation. The ecological effects of building construction and lifetime use remain an important focus, and this new edition includes a wide range of energy-saving building components.