Material Strategies

Innovative Applications in Architecture

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Author Archives: kaisalmela

Placing Prefab

December 14, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

The Loblolly House by Kierantimberlake  provocatively rethinks the pre-fabricated home in a way that attempts to reconcile the mass-customization capabilities of 21st century fabrication with more elemental aspects of place. […]

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Uncategorized

Architecture as Scaffolding

Featuredby kaisalmela Leave a comment

The idea of architecture as a neutral framework or scaffolding has emerged at various time throughout history, particularly at times of significant technological or social change. The Crystal Palace, built […]

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Glass, Metal

Cellophane House: Materials and Processes

November 30, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

While technology seems to be growing at an exponential rate while becoming increasingly inexpensive, the architecture and construction industries appear to be in a slow but steady decline. While overall […]

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Uncategorized

Built Into Bedrock

November 23, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Architecture is often viewed as an art of permanence. Through the use of durable materials like stone, civilizations throughout history have produced works of architecture that have far outlived the […]

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Uncategorized

Fog: Architecture and Environment

November 17, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Although not typically considered an architectural material, fog has the almost magical ability to alter our understanding of space and place, as well as call attention to the relationship between […]

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Light, Uncategorized

Concrete Masonry Units

November 10, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Pre-cast concrete blocks have been around since ancient Rome and survive today as perhaps the only remaining structural use of masonry in the globalized economies of the world. Concrete masonry […]

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Concrete

From Smartphone to Smarthouse

November 4, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

How can ever evolving digital technologies, which typically become outdated or obsolete within a matter of years or even months, be integrated effectively into architecture, a discipline known for its […]

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Light, Plastic, Uncategorized

Clothing and Architecture

October 26, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

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 […]

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Fabric, Metal, Uncategorized

Zinc: Cradle to Cradle

October 19, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Metal has increasingly become the architectural material of choice for cladding institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings alike, due largely to its durability and functionality as a weather envelop, not to […]

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Metal, Uncategorized

Three Shades of Green

October 12, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

The Simma House, located in Egg, Austria and designed by the architect George Bechter, marries three approaches to sustainable design: the adaptive reuse of an existing structure, the nearly exclusive […]

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Biomaterials, Wood

Just Wood: Thermally Modified Timber

October 5, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Wood as a building material has many virtues including its impressive strength to weigh ratio, relatively high insulating value, beautiful grain patterns, warm color, and soft tactility. However, despite these […]

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Wood

Industry Focus: Steel

September 28, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Steel has been one of the most widely used and celebrated architectural material for over 150 years. From the steel frame of the earliest skyscrapers, to the rebar that reenforces […]

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Metal

The Ultimate Renewable Resource

September 21, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

No architectural material has been more widely used throughout history as straw. From African huts, to thatched roofs in Asia and Europe, to its use as insulation in Native American […]

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Biomaterials

Local Strategies in a Global World

September 21, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

This past Wednesday the UMN School of Architecture had the honor of hosting Mumbai based architect Rahul Mehrotra for a lecture on his architectural work and ideas. A major theme […]

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Living, Metal

Material Focus: Shou-sugi-ban

September 14, 2012by kaisalmela Leave a comment

Shou-sugi-ban is the ancient Japanese technique of charring wood for use in building cladding. Paper is bound between two cedar planks which is set on-fire for several minutes before being […]

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Wood

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Course

ARCH 5541
Material Strategies
University of Minnesota School of Architecture
Fall 2012

Location and Time

35 Rapson Hall
Mondays 9:45 am—12:30 pm

Instructor

Blaine Brownell
Assistant Professor
Rapson Hall 151P
612.626.1040
brownell@umn.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays
11:00 am­—12:00 pm
or by appointment

Source Text

Blaine Brownell, Material Strategies: Innovative Applications in Architecture (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2012)

Syllabus

Download the complete course syllabus for print here.

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