Traditional Building Materials

Although steel and glass dominate modern cities, Britain boasts innumerable beautiful examples of more traditional construction methods. Many date from the period before easy nationwide transportation, when materials were usually grown or extracted locally, and as a result Britain has a varied legacy of vernacular buildings that reflects its multitude of different landscapes. They display a rich and colorful palette of materials, from the honey-colored stone of the Cotswolds to the red earth of Devon and grey granite of Aberdeen. In this book, buildings historian Matthew Slocombe looks at the range of materials used for walls and roof coverings, explores the processes involved in their extraction, production and manufacture, and outlines the diverse range of skills required for their use in construction.

Based on a lifelong professional and personal interest, "Traditional Buildings" presents a unique survey of vernacular architecture across the globe. The reader is taken on a fascinating tour of traditional building around the world, which includes the loess cave homes of central China, the stilt houses on the shores of Dahomey, the housebarns of Europe and North America, the wind towers of Iran, the Bohio houses of the Arawak Indians of the Caribbean, and much more. Professor's Noble's extensive travels have allowed him to examine many of the building at close quarters and the richly illustrated text includes photographs from his personal collection. With its comprehensive and detailed bibliography, the work will be welcomed by experts and non-specialists alike.

NEXT GENERATION BUILDING MATERIALS The 21st century faces a radical change in how we produce construction materials – a shift towards cultivating, breeding, raising, farming, or growing future resources. This book presents innovative industrialized production methods for cultivated building materials, like cement grown by bacteria, bricks made of mushroom mycelium, or bamboo fibers as reinforcement for concrete. Spanning from scientific research to product development and architectural application, this book builds a bridge between the academic and the professional world of architecture. The book describes the challenges, strategies, and goals in the first part, followed by a second part on bamboo, A cultivated building material and a number of examples in the third part which form the bridge from cultivated materials to building products.

Each essay, written by a contributing expert, offers insights into the material's history, manufacturing process, and uses, as well as information about many of the trade names associated with each material. Readers will discover a wealth of information about how these materials deteriorate and how to diagnose their condition, as well as valuable techniques and tips on repair and restoration, bibliographies, and sources for historical and conservation research.

A single, detailed reference source for new innovations in building materials, including sealants, wall materials, single ply roofing, and glass. Offers architects and engineers guidance in specifying, assessing, and selecting materials for various construction jobs. Also examines deterioration, degradation, and failure of materials. Features outstanding architectural-quality illustrations, photographs, tables, plus a comprehensive bibliography.

Composed of a series of essays, this book deals with the broad issues affecting the nature of architectural materials and provides a focused review of the state of the art materials. It also provides designers with the tools they need to evaluate and select from the thousands of different materials that are available to them. The book is organized into three sections; ‘Time’ looks at how the materials used in architectural design have changed over the years showing how we have come to use the materials we do in contemporary design. ‘Materials’ covers all five material families; metals, polymers, ceramics, composites and natural materials giving in depth information on their properties, behavior, origins and uses in design. It also introduces a review of the cutting edge research for each family. ‘Systems’ outlines the technical design-orientated research that uncovers how new architectural assemblies can be designed and engineered. All of this practical advice is given along with many real case examples illustrating how this knowledge and information has been, and can be, used in architectural design.

Resource added for the Architectural Technology program 106141.

"First published in Great Britain in 2003 by Laurence King Publishing Ltd, London."--T.p. verso.