Plastic
Plastic is a tricky material. On one hand I reject it because of the tremendous negative impact it has on the environment and health. The production of plastic requires large […]
Author Archives: jennajohansson
Weathering Facades
Three weeks ago I wrote a post entitled “Weathered” in which I described ways that people deal with the weathering of typical cladding materials on their homes or other buildings. […]
Light
There have been several posts dealing with light in architecture on this Material Strategies site and tonight, while browsing Pinterest, I have decided that it is time I present my […]
Crochet
Crochet is a process of textile fabrication accomplished using a hook to navigate loops of thread through previously formed loops. Most everything made using a crocheted stitch is handmade and […]
Weathered
I’ve been researching weathering, aging, or degradation of exterior cladding materials over this semester because I’m working on a design project that deals with embracing patina rather than discarding worn […]
Vintage Wood
I come from small town America where farmland is of plenty and buildings are relatively few. While small town America does not offer too many pilgrimage sites for architects, I […]
Metal as Ornament
Metal gets a lot of credit as a material of strength in architecture. It was during the industrial revolution when building was introduced to the wonderful tensile strength of iron […]
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 […]
Movement in Architecture
At first glance this façade looks just as regular as any façade might look covering a typical box building on a corporate campus. This façade is special, however, in that […]
Material Interrogation: Sliding House
Charged with finding an innovative material detail to model, draw, and learn from for Material Strategies, I looked to the Sliding House by dRMM. I am interested in rethinking single-family […]
Wooden Skyscraper?
The Burj Khalifa is the structure to be beat when it comes to surpassing the tallest building in the world. Its 2716 feet are in fact being challenged from many […]
Material with Many Faces
The following images all have something in common. Take a guess. The category of this entry should have been a big hint that the commonality among all of the above […]
Dynamic Ceramics
Mood Tiles? The connection between these heat sensitive ceramic tiles and the reoccurring fad in jewelry is clear to make, but where is the innovation? The technology/know how of making […]
Found Object Architecture
One of the discussion topics in Material Strategies this week was the Ningbo Historical Museum designed by Wang Shu of Amateur Architecture Studio, pictured above. I described it, on first […]
Material Focus: MAS Museum
Glass is used in many buildings as a means of connecting visually with the inside to out and vice versa through fenestration and curtain wall systems. An innovative application of […]
