Public Activation
A major component of our day is spent interacting with public spaces. The problem I see is that public space has become repetitive. On our walk to work, lunch, or […]
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Smog-eating Cement?
Photocatalytic concrete is a new hybrid material that is being used to significantly reduce air pollution and is able to maintain a clean surface. The Portland cement mixture incorporates titanium […]
Clothing and Architecture
Perhaps the most important performative function of a building, especially those in cold climates, is its insulation value. More often than not this important function is achieved through the most […]
New Aesthetic: The Digital / Physical Threshold
What would it look like if our digital world began to cross over into our physical world? What form would it take and what would it do? How would we […]
Carbon Fiber
The question as to why carbon fiber hadn’t been included into the material repertoire of our class was broached night. The answer may lie in the fact that carbon is […]
Candyland for Vampires
In the popular game Candyland, Hasbro presents children with a wonderful world constructed entirely of Gumdrop Mountains, Lollipop Forests, and Molasses Swamps. This project theorizes a different type of material […]
Glass Bearing Walls: The Dairy House
Located on an 850-acre estate in Somerset, England, The Dairy House is an adaptive re-use project turning a series of old run-down barn buildings and sheds into a five-bedroom home. […]
The Role of the Fold
There is something so beautiful and so intriguing about a fold. For the last month or so my studio partner, Alex, and I have been studying the honeypot ant in […]
Foamed Memories
Shape memory alloys such as nitinol (muscle wire) are gradually moving into public nomenclature. While the novelty of such materials is ripe for exploration, application has proven difficult as the […]
A Case for Bamboo in the US
Bamboo is typically associated with tropical climates. It has been used by indigenous people as for both its inexpensive and renewable nature as well as to […]
Pattern or Purity: Organized Chaos in Material Application
The bio-inspired studio I’m currently in is providing much food for thought in terms of materials in architecture. The more I learn, the more it is clear that nature has […]
The Flexi’ Nature of Wood
As you can see below, there have been many examples over time of people bending wood into seemingly unnatural forms. All of the above examples were made with the intention […]
ELECTRODYNAMIC FRAGMENTATION [W/_a purpose: CONCRETE]
ELECTRODYNAMIC FRAGMENTATION [W/_a purpose: CONCRETE] Project: Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP – Viable concrete recycling Scientist: Dr. Volker Thome Source: http://www.ibp.fraunhofer.de/en/ Featured material: CONCRETE [aggregate, cement, chemical admixtures, and […]
Popomo: that’s where I want to go
With the planet’s impending doom slowly approaching, the trendy appeal of sustainability has become irresistible. Which is great, because “sustainable” means “able to be sustained”, and most people would agree that’s […]
Cité du Design – Skin as Program
The Cité du Design, by LIN Architects, is located on the National Arms Manufacture site in St. Etienne, France. This historic location is home to several buildings incorporating research, communication and […]
Material Strategies 
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