GSD Materials Collection

Super Absorbent Polymers

2011-02-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Super Absorbent Polymers (SAPs) are a class of three-dimensionally linked polymers that absorb large amounts of liquid relative to their own weight. When exposed to water, aqueous solutions, or oils, the polymers absorb relatively large amounts of liquid, up to 500 times their initial volume, while increasing the total weight of the system by a relatively small percentage. Superabsorbent polymers were developed in the 1960s by the USDA as a way to increase water retention in soil. As the technology developed, SAPs found applications in disposable hygienic products, replacing cellulose- and fiber-based products that absorbed up to only 20 times their weight.

SAPs are manufactured synthetically through polymerization, the process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form three-dimensional polymer chains. They require the addition of small molecules to cross-link polymers together and the neutralization of the carboxyl acid groups along the polymer 'back bone'. These changes allow SAPs to function by drawing liquid in through osmosis along the neutralized 'back bone' of the polymer and forcing the SAP to expand, rather than separate, due to the cross-linking of the polymers that holds them together. With this basic structure, SAPs can be uniquely formed for specific purposes. For example, SAPs used for hazardous waste remediation are often sodium-based and non-biodegradable. SAPs for this application do not release solutions once they are absorbed, lending themselves to hazardous waste remediation and disposal. SAPs used for agricultural applications are often potassium-based and releast water over time to plants. These SAPs will eventually biodegrade into non-toxic elements. Sodium-based SAPs are less suited for agricultural applications as they have a shorter effective live span and created unwanted salinity levels in the soil.

SAPs used for hazardous waste remediation and disposal present an alternative to the conventional method of using mineral-based absorbents. These SAPs have proven to be more effective at stabilizing the waste, fixing it within the polymers, and resulting in only a small increase in the total weight of the system compared to conventional methods. M2Polymers, Inc., a company that specializes in SAPs for applications like low-level radioactive waste stabilization and disposal, has used their products succesfully in the field. One example is the use of their WasteLock SAP to stabilize Cadmium, Chromium, and other soluble metals from sludge found on a former nuclear component manufacturer's site in order to pass the Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) required for acceptance to a disposal facility. The SAP was added to the waste through a series of troughs and mixing paddles. The stabilized mixture was then transferred to shipping containers to be transported to the disposal site, where all containers passed the TCLP and Paint Filter test. The estimated cost savings due to the neglible weight increase yielded by the SAPs compared to the conventional mineral-based absorbents is $2-3 Million. In other cases, this client had used mineral-based absorbents and the waste did not pass TCLP and was refused by waste facilities. Implementing the use of SAPs allowed the client's waste to pass TCLP and and to be transported at a much lower cost due to neglible weight increase from SAPs. For more information about this application of SAPs, visit: http://www.M2Polymer.com. For more information about SAPs for agricultural applications visit: http://www.watersorb.com.

BioHaven Floating Islands

2010-03-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Summer Lake, OR)

BioHaven® Floating Islands are constructed floating treatment wetlands composed of a buoyant mat planted with wetland or garden plants . They are used to filter nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, and other run-off contaminants while creating a micro-habitat for surrounding species, enhancing the ecology of the water body. These buoyant mats are constructed with a matrix of fibers in which one could describe as a “pot-scrub” or “loofah”. This matrix is composed of 100% recycled plastic from drinking bottles whose layers are bonded together using marine foam, another factor in providing the mats’ buoyancy. Floating Islands may be customized to any form or size. Larger islands are built using a modular system, reinforced for extra buoyancy, yet still maintaining flexibility of movement in water. Floating Islands may be installed in ponds, lakes, rivers, or streams; they are typically anchored or tethered in place however, they sometimes are left to float freely across the water’s surface.

In February 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed an experimental application of a Floating Island in the Summer Lake Wildlife Area at Dutch Lake, Oregon, to address an endangered salmon population. Caspian terns annually feast on over 4 million juvenile salmon in the Columbia River estuary. The floating island was launched in order to deter the Caspian terns from the estuary and to create a new habitat and nesting location. This island is the largest of its kind, 22,000 square-fee, and was launched without any vegetation, as it was prohibited.

A crew of 13 installers assembled the modular 22,000-square-foot island on a ramp adjacent to the lake. Each of the 328 modules measured 5 feet by 14 feet, using 200 pounds of polypropylene from recycled carpet and 125 pounds of polyester from recycled plastic drinking bottles. With only a 5-week window between the waterfowl hunting and bird migrating seasons, the island had to be quickly constructed upon the arrival of its parts. As pieces were assembled, they were partially slid into the lake, leaving one side afloat in water and the other still on dry territory to connect to the next group of modules. The crew stapled tree fabric along the top of modules in several groupings to prevent plant growth, over which they spread a 7-inch layer of pumice as the tern’s nesting material. Once completed, the island was brought to the middle of the water by boats and was anchored in place. In mid-May, researchers had counted a range of individuals from 8-33, while some were digging in preparation for egg-laying. On May 17, the first tern egg was spotted on the floating island, followed by an additional eight tern nests with eggs. The Army Corps is currently designing a 30,000-square-foot floating island for Sheepy Lake in Northern California, part of a plan to build eight more islands.

Other applications of BioHaven® Floating Islands include the Chicago River in the Diversey Park area, Zoo Montana’s Otter Enclosure, and the Lake Simcoe Watershed Project in Barrie, Ontario, while Floating Island International, the creators of the floating islands, continuously do their own research and record their findings in Montana.

-- Catherine De Almeida

References and Images:
Bird Research Northwest
Floating Island International
U.S. Army Environmental Command

Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

2009-06-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Bio Tray™ is the first biodegradable modular green roof system in the U.S. market. Highlighted and developed for Renzo Piano’s green roof for The Academy of Sciences, it achieved the conceptual vision Piano had of integrating the landscape with the building by achieving a curvaceous form not usually associated with green roofs. The roof is planted with four perennials and five colorful annuals creating a habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects while also meeting the aesthetic requirements for the conceptual vision of Renzo Piano. The team at Rana Creek, headed by Paul Kephart, experimented with 29 different plants before arriving at that combination. At 2.5 acres, the roof is the largest swath of native plants in San Francisco. It is the work of a collaborative effort by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), Rana Creek, Green Roof Solutions and SWA Group; it would not have been possible without 48,000 Bio Trays.

The Bio Tray was developed specifically for The Academy of Sciences project and was led by the innovations of Paul Kephart of Rana Creek and Kurt Horvath of Intrinsic Landscaping. The two met at an International Green Roof Conference in Switzerland where they started discussing the possibilities of a green roof modular system that is not dependent on plastic. The Bio Tray is an organic, biodegradable modular system that acts as a carrier for green roof media eventually degrading away to leave behind a carpet of vegetation. It is the only modular system in the United States that does not use any plastic. The standard size is 17” by 17” and has three depth options: 3”, 4”, 5” and 6”. Originally, they were 2’ x 2’ and it was found to be too large to handle. The average planted indoor life span is two to three years and only one to two when exposed to outdoor landscape conditions, the coconut fiber begins degrading when it starts to retain moisture. The raw materials required are coconut fiber (coir), a wood frame at the top for stability and natural latex. Lining each tray are 36 strains of fungi, which supply vital nutrients for the plants while also inoculating the soil to start the long-term work of creating a vibrant mychorrizal network. This network is an organic approach to managing landscapes and will ensure the development of a healthy soil profile for the long-term maintenance of the roof.The main challenge with any green roof system, especially in the United States, is to dispel the myth that they will eventually leak. While many are beginning to realize the benefits of green roofs regarding the urban heat island effect, increased biodiversity in cities, reduction of impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff, energy efficiency and an extension in roof life; the main inhibition to more green roofs being installed is the fear of the roof leaking. All waterproofing for a roof lies beneath a green roof system. The green roof system placed on top of it will insulate the roofing membrane from water pressure during storm events, UV radiation from direct sunlight and thermal flexation during season changes extending the life of the roof and minimizing the chance of that roof ever leaking.

-- Vanessa Lindley Palmer

40 Bond Street, New York

2009-03-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

Distinguished by a dark blue-green— "coke bottle green"— glass facade with extruded round tubes that reference the 19th century cast-iron facades of many low-rise buildings in Manhattan’s SoHo & NoHo neighborhoods, 40 Bond Street presents yet another set of unconventional material explorations for architects Herzog & de Meuron. Designed for Ian Schrager & Aby Rosen, 40 Bond is H&deM’s first residential job in the US. Located on a former parking lot, this mid-block 10-story development has fostered much controversy for its unconventional materiality.

The green glass features a self-cleaning hydrophobic nano-coating that repels water and dirt. The material, developed by Diamon-Fusion International Nanotechnology, involves a two-stage manufacturing process. First, the coarse surface of glass is smoothed. Then a hydrophobic layer is deposited to repel dirt and water. The non-structural coating keeps the surface clean, effectively reducing long-term maintenance costs.

The entire façade is an aggregate of curved glass panels, manufactured in Barcelona by DFI Licensee, and highly specialized architectural glass producer, CRICURSA. The specific coating chosen by the architects to protect the curved glass surface is the CRICURSA SHIELD (DFI) nano-coating. Joan Tarrus, Marketing Director of CRICURSA, stated that this glass treatment can be applied on “any glass built-up (laminated, IGU, tempered, flat and curved, up to almost 20’x9’).” A special advantage this material offers is that it is not incompatible with silicones, unlike the so-called ‘self-cleaning’ coated glass. Tarrus explained that the DFI treatment not only filled in the micro-flaws of the glass, making the surface water repellant, but it also makes the glass much easier and faster to clean when required. The treatment might also have given the glass the slick surface effect.

Glass sample with DFI Nanocoating (left) and without (right).

Clad with unconventional materials and fabricated with unconventional methods, this façade is essentially a conventional window wall system. By slumping the glass sections over a bell-shaped mold, the desired effect of reflecting light off the façade’s stainless-steel ribs is achieved. The glass was laminated with a ceramic frit to control translucency. This fritting grows denser as it curves toward the window wall to obscure the joints of its sections.

40 Bond also features a facade-long stretch of sand-cast aluminum fencing that separates the entry courts of the building's units from the street. The metal fence features an abstract and intricate lace-like design derived from graffiti letterforms with no two sections alike. This functional ornament is also intended to serve as a work of public art.

The fence measures 22 ft high and 140 ft long. It is created using a two-dimensional, non-repeating algorithm. The fence is self-supporting by having heights and thicknesses adjusted by structural engineers. 20-foot sections of the aluminum fence are cast off-site, and welded together on-site. The fences’ gates, which open to the entries of the townhouses, are mounted on pivot hinges to create a seamless-looking barrier.

Other projects that employ nanotechnology include the Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in Braga, Portugal, the Misericordia Church in Rome, by Richard Meier, and the pavings in the streets of Segrate, near Milan.

-- Clara Wong

References and Images:
-Architektur, Innenarchitektur, Technischer Ausbau, 2008, n.3, p.92-103
-Archithese, 2008 Jan.-Feb., v.38, n.1, p.12-17
-Diamond-Fusion International. http://www.diamonfusion.com/en/default.aspx
-Metropolis, 2007 Dec., v.27, n.5, p.78,80,82
-Glass on Web. http://www.glassonweb.com/news/index/5279/
-Fulcrum. http://fulcrummag.com/2008/06/analysis/
-Canadian Architect.
http://www.canadianarchitect.com/issues/ViewPhoto.asp?pid=103648&stype=archive
-“40 Bond Mock-up” A Daily Dose of Architecture.
http://archidose.blogspot.com/2006/08/40-bond-mock-up.html
-Iwan Baan. http://www.iwan.com/photo_40Bond_Herzog_&_de_Meuron.php

Materials Collection

2009-02-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

Revolutionary new materials and methods of fabrication are having a profound impact on the continuing evolution of design thinking. The impact is felt in many areas, including design methods, the conception of form, and modes of production. Explorations in material research at Harvard's Graduate School of Design find expression through publications, exhibitions, colloquia, and course offerings that explore the research interests of members of the faculty. Examples of materials from commercial vendors and materials resulting from faculty/student research are gathered in the Materials Collection, housed in room L33, Gund Hall, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA. The collection database can be searched to discover material examples and vendor contacts.

Address

Graduate School of Design
Materials Collection
Frances Loeb Library
L33 Gund Hall
48 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

materials@gsd.harvard.edu

Open Hours

M: 9AM-12PM
T: 8AM-12PM
W: 12PM-2PM
Th: 1:30PM-3:30PM
F: 10AM-12PM

Collaborators

Jane Hutton, Research Consultant
Liat Margolis, Research Consultant
Sara Carrier, Researcher
Catherine De Almeida, Researcher
Anthony Dimari, Researcher
Sophia Lau, Researcher, Blog Design
Vanessa Lindley Palmer, Researcher
Saverio Panata, Researcher
Rooshad Shroff, Researcher
Anna Szybowski, Researcher
Clara Wong, Researcher

The National Aquatics Center, Beijing

2008-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Swimming Center, the National Aquatics Center also known as the Water Cube, was the collaborative effort between Arup, PTW Architects, and the China State Construction & Engineering Co. The competition-winning consortium was awarded the design commission in July 2003. The “bubble” structure intended to combine the lightweight, insulating and light-diffusing qualities of a greenhouse. Thus, for the skin of the building, Ethylene Tetrafluoro-ethylene (ETFE) cladding was specified to promote de-materialization - an efficient and lightweight membrane pillow-panel construction that does not require a secondary structure, yet provides improved insulation over conventional glazing.

The Water Cube, which housed the swimming center facilities, was sited next to the iconic Bird’s Nest - the Olympic Stadium designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Its geometry is based on the interface between soap bubbles, researched by Belgian scientist Joseph Plateau as well as Professor Denis Weaire & Dr Robert Phelan of Trinity College in Dublin. Mimicking the soup bubble structure, the swimming center’s pattern is composed of sets of four lines coming to a point at 104.9 degrees, which is the tetrahedral angle.

Tristram Carfrae, structural engineer of Arup, explored the structure by using the Fablon software for non-linear analysis. An accurate physical model would consist of 22,000 structural elements and 4,000 ETFE cladding pillow-panels. The sizes of all the structural elements were made of simple circular tubes. Those were automatically selected by the engineering software, and then welded to the spherical nodes at each end to form the bubble structure frame. The structure was designed to be energy absorbent for seismically active Beijing. The proposed ETFE pillows provides for a continuous and insulting skin for the walls and roof.

Some of the bubble cladding are as large as 9 meters across. The roof is made of 7 different bubble-types, the walls of 15, which are repeated throughout. Despite this repetition, a random pattern is created. Each pillow is permanently inflated by a pump, and this internal air pressure transforms a 0.2-mm-thick plastic into a cladding panel capable of spanning relatively long distances. In pillow form, ETFE is also a better insulator than glass and, when equipped with frit patterns for shading, achieves the desired light-diffusing effect. While the material is translucent blue during the day, at night it is lit by an LED system.

ETFE is a tough, durable plastic closely related to PTFE, commonly known as Teflon. It transmits more UV light than glass and, like Teflon, is non-stick, non-staining and therefore requires no cleaning. An estimated 20,000 people are expected to use the Water Cube at any one time. And although ETFE is combustible, it is fired-rated and complies with China's prescriptive building code with its performance in fire safety. It is non-flammable, self-venting (it melts itself) and lets the smoke out of the building.

The ETFE cushions allow a high level of natural daylight into the building, which passively heats up the building and pool water and thus maximizing energy efficiency. The variation in shading of the facades is achieved by screening the membrane with translucent fritting. The material allows for ventilation of heat out of the cavity in summer and containment of heat in winter to help further reduce energy consumption. Furthermore, in order to protect the membrane façade from corrosion due to condensation and evaporative chlorine, air nozzles have been placed around the perimeter of the building spraying air up the walls to regulate temperature and provide constant air movement.

-- Clara Wong

References and Images:
-LeCuyer, Annette. ETFE: Technology and Design. Basel; Boston; Berlin: Birkhauser, 2008.
-Carfrae, Tristram. “Engineering the Water Cube” Architecture Australia. V. 95, n. 4, July-Aug 2006: 102-5.
-Merrick, Jay. “The new star in the brilliant Arup firmament is structural engineer Tristram Carfrae, whose exploration of structures deserves great acclaim” Blueprint (London, England). N. 252, Mar 2007: 31.
-Pohl, Ethel Baraona. Watercube: the book. Beijing National Aquatics Centre, People’s Republic of China. Barcelona, Spain: Actar, 2008.

Thermoplastics Shape Zaha Hadid’s Fluid Space

2008-07-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

by Anna Szybowski

The interior of Hotel Puerto Americana in Madrid was designed by 19 architects. Each was mandated by the client to design a unique set of rooms on each floor, but work within an existing floor plan with a standard layout of 30 rooms that line the central hallway.

Zaha Hadid designed the first floor as a fluid 3D landscape with no hard edges. Within the rooms, the furniture, including the bed, desk, armchair and wardrobe, appears to extend out of the fluid interior, either white or black in color. The bathtub and the wash basin are extensions of the walls and ceiling in the bathroom.

The fluidity of the interior is constructed with a thermoformable material called LG HI MACS. This synthetic material is two-thirds mineral (aluminium-trihydrate in this project) and one-third acrylic resin. Thus, its main properties include fire-resistance, scratch- and impact- resistance, as well as ease of cleaning. Typically, LG HI MACS is used in applications such as kitchen counters.

The fabrication of the fluid forms was executed by Rosskopf & Partner, a German firm that specializes in working with mineral-based materials. A digital 3D model, supplied by the architects was divided into segments. CNC machines then milled the 3D data into a set of moulds. The mould parts were made out of medium-density fiber (MDF), which is a wood fiber and resin board. Pre-cut sections of LG HI MACS were then thermoformed onto the mould parts. To achieve tighter radii and larger curved sections, the fabricators used higher thermoforming temperatures and a longer forming period. The molded sections shipped to the site, where they were glued and sanded to make the joints invisible and the surface appear continuous.

In total, each room with a bathroom contains approximately 250 molded sections. There are 4 types of rooms and 2 unique suites, all of which are painted black or white. Irrespective of variation, the spaces appear created out of continuous frozen fluid that has englufed the space.

References:

“Floor of a Hotel in Madrid.” Detail 2006 No. 4. P. 378-379 (English Ed.)

Funck, Martin. “Moulded Room Shells for a Hotel Floor by Zaha Hadid” Detail 2006. No. 4. P. 428 (English Ed.)

The Envirogrid Pergola

2008-03-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

by Tomas Janka
This pergola project examines the possibilities of the alternative use of the Envirogrid as a structural skeleton for an irregular surface of an exterior canopy.
Envirogrid’s common uses include soil confinement, slope stream channel and shoreline erosion protection, as well as ground and vertical walls stabilization. The strips of perforated polyethylene plastic are thermo-welded together into a rectangular panel. When the panel is expanded it forms a honeycomb structure. The soil-filled structure can support heavy loads such as tanks and trucks.
The material has inherent structural properties, however those did not in order to achieve an irregular surface, which was the main objective of this project, the project expanded to investigate the combination of Envirogrid with foam as a composite element, introducing increased rigidity, while maintaining its lightness.

The idea of the use of the foam inside the honeycomb structure stems out of another material discovered in the Materials Collection: Mikor is a foam filled honeycomb, which combines the physical properties of foam and honeycomb to yield a material with high-strength-to-weight ratio properties.
The foam would be sprayed into the cellular structure of the Envirogrid. This would form a rigid and walkable surface.. The other areas would be left open to allow for shift in elevation as well as light transmission.
Since Envirogrid is used for erosion control and soil confinement, a green layer can potentially be planted into the honeycomb cells.While the Envirogrid system is based on strips of perforated polyethylene plastic that are thermo-welded together into a rectangular panel. However, a different type of joint is possible - a highly resistant staple system for extreme slopes or structural requirements. The perforation of the strips then allow for drainage.

Expanded Metal Facade: An Interview with Florian Idenburg

2008-03-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

by Clara Wong

The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York by SANAA

C: For a museum, the facade does not only filter light but also creates an iconic image for the institution. It’s functional and acts as artwork onto itself. As the designer of the New Museum, could you tell us the story of the metal mesh façade?

F: First we wanted a flat metal façade. We wanted the façade to be light, flexible and strong, to protect the art collection against the tough elements of the street. We didn’t want the effect of a heavy building, unlike the Folk Art Museum (Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects) and its heavy metal façade. We were considering a galvanized façade, but that was not durable enough for the climate. Due to a lot of trucks traffic through the Bowery, the lead content in the air is high. Also the climate is semi-salty since the site is close to the water. A galvanized façade is not sufficient for the Museum, so we explored 5 other kinds of metal facades.Another concern was how to do away with seams or make them invisible. We wanted the effect of single boxes. In fact we were looking at a single sheet of façade prefabricated for each side of the building. The panels would have been 30’ to 70’ long. We researched the truck routes and road dimensions, and how you can transport these panels to the site. There’s actually a way to get it through by boat at the end of Houston Street. All this would be very costly. So we explore how to get rid of or camouflage visible secondary systems and joints. Stainless steel has the least thermal expansion, which would help us to get the tightest joints, and have every façade read like one single surface. But that would be an extremely difficult and expensive installation.

We considered 3 things when we deal with metal facades:
1. Thermal expansion,
2. Fabrication tolerances,
3. Installation tolerances.

One of the materials we explored was the standard industrial mesh often used for parking garages and airports. Expanded mesh companies make these meshes in a very straightforward way for industrial application. They are cheaper than perforated metal, just cut and rip sheets of metal, with no material lost, no punching. The aluminum is rolled up in a coil when it comes to the factory, and can be cut as long as we wanted, with a fixed width. The metal sheet is expanded by 30%. However it’s a rough material and the tolerance is not guaranteed. We need to make sure they were precise, and we have to make a reasonable size of panel so people can install it. On the other hand, we want to make as big a panel as possible to avoid joints.

We also had to look at the costs, which meant looking for standard sizes. In the end we divided the front façade (70’ long) into 18 panels (each around 4’ long). We made the mesh overlap, so the diamond pattern is cut at the middle, and hence leave tolerance for panels to overlap. It is basically a shingle installation. We asked for a big diamond size for the mesh, so that the strong graphic of the façade will help camouflage the joints. Finally there’re 6 diamonds per panel width (~4’). There is no frame for each panel, since we did not want an additional system. Of course, we had to test and figure out the stiffness of the mesh. We ended up using a very flexible mesh, with a thickness of around 4mm, manufactured by the Expanded Metal Company. The anodizing company is from UK, and also anodized the Selfridges Department Store by Future Systems.C: For such flexible panels without frames, how do you stiffen them and prevent bending?

F: We have little clips supporting the panels at every six rows of diamonds. The clips sit right behind the mesh, and have the same angle as the mesh, so they disappear behind it. The mesh has a 3-dimensional shape, which again helps create a strong graphic and to camouflage the joints. Some panels have no overlap and are butt-jointed. We are aware that the metal façade of e.g. Gehry’s Disney Hall was attacked for having too much reflection. The 3-dimensional quality of our mesh diffuses light— light is only reflected at the diamonds’ points and there’s no focal point of reflection. We want a light building, not one with hard reflection.

C: Was this light diffusion an initial goal, or a discovery through building?

F: We’ve always wanted the building to be like the armor of a knight—light and tough, flexible and strong.

C: How long are these panels supposed to last for?

F: They could be taken off and reinstalled.

C: You have been talking about effects on the exterior - did you look into the interior effects of the facade?

F: We designed the building from inside-out - providing well-proportioned gallery spaces with daylight but stacked in a tight New York lot. The Museum wanted a maximized envelope and a variety of gallery spaces…

C: So the façade is basically an image for the city, a dress for the exterior?

F: Yes, the Museum wanted walls to hang the artworks, and vertical openings will reduce surfac area for art. We had very little room to explore the window. The shifts of the building volume create skylights that have metal grating, since firefighters need to be able to jump on top of the gratings. It’s actually illegal to have skylights at the edge of the building, so we use deep industrial gratings to make walkable surfaces. The gratings are deep, cutting direct sunlight and doubling as louvers.The issue of the “wall” in the New Museum program is key. Whereas in Toledo, the collection is glass objects, with very little vertical hanging involved. But Toledo would be a terrible museum for contemporary art! The facade is very much designed for the program of each museum.

to be continued:
Art Glass Pavilion: An Interview with Florian Idenburg
Toledo Museum, Toledo OH, by SANAA

The MIT Chapel

2008-03-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

Introduction
Architectural acoustics emerged in 1900 with the inauguration of the Boston Symphony Hall, the first hall to be designed in accordance with scientifically derived acoustic principles. Wallace Clement Sabine, the acoustic consultant for the BSH and physics professor at Harvard University, discovered that the acoustic quality of a room depended on its dimensions and its absorptive surfaces.

Eero Saarinen, who practiced in the 1950’s, considered acoustics in his designs. For MIT, he worked with the acoustical consultant, Bolt, Beraneck and Newman, Inc. on the Kresge Auditorium (1935-1955). It is less obvious, but they also worked together on the MIT Chapel (1935-1955). While the Kresge Auditorium utilized acoustic clouds and wall paneling, which we all recognize today as part of the acoustic accoutrements of concert halls, the MIT Chapel boasts no similar features. Its acoustic strategy, instead, is built-in and completely integrated into the design so that there is no seam to be found between what satisfies acoustic needs and what satisfies the design concept; they are one and the same. Design strategies justifiably employed for other reasons, be it for concept, light, structure or material also take acoustics into account.

Brick
All materials are acoustic, as they all can play a different role in acoustic design depending on its ability to absorb, reflect, or transmit sound. Brick itself has qualities that allow it to be used in many different ways depending on its configuration, finish and quality.

Solid Brick wall
Brick used to isolate and reflect sound

Brick configured in a solid wall reflects and resists the transmission of sound at low frequencies. It is used in an exterior condition in the free-standing wall east of the chapel. These same qualities are also important for applications inside the chapel to enhance the music.
Organs were traditionally played in large cathedrals with many hard, reflective surfaces. The combination of volume and material gave the organ the “echoed” effect. To achieve the same effect, the upper area of the chapel, where the organ is located, was designed to be reverberant like churches. It is clad in reflective, solid brick wall. Like the exterior wall, this brick configuration makes the material reflective. Within the chapel, the upper space was designed to allow the organ music to “echo” like its predecessors.

Double Brick Walls
Bricks used in a configuration to isolate and absorb sound

Double wall constructions and separating the structure breaks the vibration path of sound. The air in between not only works well for thermal insulation and as a thermal break; it is also serves as acoustic break. This kind of construction, from an acoustic point of view, is called decoupling a wall. When a sound wave hits the brick wall, instead of traveling directly through to the interior, it is dissipated by the pocket of air between the walls. Air is actually the material doing the work, not the brick. If the brick wall was just doubled in thickness, it would help reduce the sound transmission, but not as much as doubling the wall. It is not what kind of material we use to build; it is how and in what configuration we use it. However, one should note that there are points where sound could bridge, where the two walls structurally meet.

Brick Acoustic Grilles
Brick as a sound-transparent material

Rectangular swathes of open-brick-work line the interior of the chapel where the undulating interior wall separates from the exterior cylindrical wall. They span from 3’-7’-6” in elevation. That is, around the head-height of a person sitting and standing. “Sound absorbing material behind brick grilles controls reverberation in the lower part of the room.”[1] Calibrated to the dimension of the human body, the acoustic material in the lower half of the room serves the purpose of absorbing sound that could disturb a service, performance or the meditative environment during unscheduled hours.

1 ½” insulation lines the inside of the cavity to absorb additional sound that is not absorbed by the 4” acoustic baffle.
The baffle is 4” of insulation wrapped in a loose-woven fabric. The photo above shows that fabric behind the grill. Loose-woven fabric was specified because it is transparent to sound; it allows sound waves to pass through and be absorbed by the insulation behind it. The fabric and insulation are sandwiched between steel bars and bolted through to a steel angle that is attached to the structure.

[1] The Technology Review, “Structures-Spherical and Cylindrical,” 57, no. 8 (June, 1955): 400.

Conclusion
The MIT Chapel is deceptive in its simple formal design. It is through this study that we are able to unpack the richness in such a compact design. Concept, aesthetics, structure, program and ephemeral effects materialize together in this building. The brick wall is structural and aids in reflecting and absorbing sound. The undulating walls allow a nuanced light (artificial and natural) effect and redirects sound to avoid focusing. Saarinnen was able satisfy many needs without sacrificing his concept and the overall effect of his project. Utilizing a single move to achieve many objectives keeps a project from loosing its essence either because of subjective tastes or from a more practical view, because of value engineering. Often, acoustic engineers complain that architects resolve acoustic issues by specifying surfacing materials which are just as easily taken out of the building budget. All in all, the acoustic intentions and ultimate measurements show that despite the humble size and quiet nature of this building, it is a powerful example of architecture at its best.

- Sophia Lau

Sources
Robert M. Randolph
Chaplain to the Institute
Phillip Walsh
Director, MIT Campus Activities Complex
Kate Smolley
Undergraduate Physics Student conducting individual research on architectural acoustics
Carl Rosenberg
Principal of Acentech, Architectural Acoustics Professor at MIT and Princeton
Renz van Luxemburg
Principal of LeVel Acoustics BV, visiting Architectural Acoustics Professor at University in Eindhoven (NL), Gent (B), Mendrisio (S) and Harvard (US)

Acoustic Bibliography
Ford, Edward R. Details of Modern Architecture Volume 2, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press 2003. p. 286-287.
Eero Saarinen Shaping the Future Edited by Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Donald Albrecht New Haven : Yale University Press; New York: In association with the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York; Helsinki : The Museum of Finnish Architecture; Washington D.C.: The National Building Museum; New Haven: Yale University School of Architecture, 2006.
Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961. Eero Saarinen on his work; a selection of buildings dating from 1947 to 1964 with statements by the architect, edited by Aline B. Saarinen, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1968.
Egan, M. David, Architectural Acoustics, New York: McGraw-Hill 1988.

Unless otherwise noted, photos are by Sophia Lau and Erwan Mazarico

Original Detail Drawings:
Thanks to Yale Manuscript Archive and to Anna Szybowski and Clara Wong for their help in taking photographs of the documents.

You have to think of building as a verb

2008-01-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

By Sarah Carrier

"you have to think of it as a process that includes materials, resources, and labor"
Daniel Arons, architect Payette Associates.

Payette originally specified clear oak for the panels, railings, baseboards, and wainscot for Bicentennial Hall the science center at Middlebury College built in 1999.
The specifications called for rotating the clear wood to create visual interest. The College was also committed to using sustainably-grown local wood but local sources produced smaller lower grade wood.

Bicentennial Hall - Payette Associates - Oak Veneer Panels

Payette modified the specifications to allow smaller pieces of wood to be combined so that the final proportions were unchanged. The revised specifications called for beech, ash, sugar maple, red maple, cherry and birch. Another change was to allow "character" wood - wood with variations in coloring or grain patter, or with sound knots - instead of requiring uniformly clear wood. Specifications for the architectural woodwork were changed from AWI Grade I to Grade III. This change allowed for variation in color, "natural growth variations" such as stains or different grain patterns, and sound knots as long as they were smaller than 3/8" and not on the edge of millwork.

Middlebury used wood from Forest Stewardship Council certified land which included their own land, purchased logs directly from landowners. The wood was tagged and tracked though out processing. Each processor who worked with the wood including the saw mill had to be certified.

The oak veneer featured in the great hall could not be fully produced locally from certified wood some wood was purchased and processed in Pennsylvania and Oregon and ultimately the sawing, trucking, drying and the veneer work were done by about 40 different companies.

Character wood has been well received by the Middlebury community and has been used in subsequent buildings including LaForce Hall by Tai Soo Kim Partners and the Environmental Protection agency has sited the schools purchasing practices as a Best Management Practice for Schools and Universities.

LaForce - Tai Soo Kim Partners - Cherry Panels

Digital Water Pavillion

2007-12-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

exterior render, originally uploaded by gsdmaterialscollection.

Few days ago. the TIME voted the DIGITAL WATER PAVILLION the best invention of the year for Architecture.
A great success for the team of the MIT's Senseable City Lab and for 'carlorattiassociati - Walter Nicolino adn Carlo Ratti with Claudio Bonicco' , encharged of developing the DD and CD for the pavillion.
The opening is planned for the 14th of June 200, day of the inauguration of the Zaragoza Expo 2008.
A brief description of the project from digitalwaterpavilion.com :

The city of Zaragoza is undergoing a period of sustained urban growth, with the concurrent presence of two significant projects - the Expo 2008 and La Milla Digital....The Expo’s theme is “Water and Sustainable Development”; La Milla Digital focuses on the knowledge economy and seeks to achieve a successful integration of digital and information technologies in the urban environment.
A connection between the two projects can be seen in the use of interactive “Digital Water,” as proposed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Digital Water can be described as a wall made with a digitally-controlled flow of water. It would be possible to display writings and patterns on it, as well as connecting sensors to create an interactive digital-physical environment....

The Pavilion consists of four main components: two “boxes” - a 12 m2 tourist information center and a 30 m2 café with upstairs terrace; a wet roof covering the remaining 330 m2; and several tables and benches.

The Pavilion is primarily a showcase for the future of Zaragoza. Traditional informational materials will be provided at the tourist information center, a 30 m2 glass box staffed by up to six people. Additional information will be available throughout the building, using interactive screens, projected videos, and ultimately text and lettering displayed on the Digital Water wall. The bar is another medium of information. Here, visitors can learn more about Zaragoza through a variety of means, including tablecloths and changeable walls.
We thought of a responsive environment to communicate the beauty and purity of water and the interactive potential of digital technologies.
The presence of water walls and digital technology allow the building to be reshaped. Water walls along the perimeter and additional internal ones create spaces that are reconfigurable through time. Furthermore, the roof is moveable thanks to hydraulic pistons that can raise and lower it. The result is a wide array of spatial configurations; the building can adapt according to visitor flow, time of day, weather conditions, or program needs.

The Materials Collection interviewed Matteo Lai, partner in charge, on the water curtains, one of the main material innovation used in the pavillion.

How did you come up with the idea of a water curtain and what has been the role of M.I.T in this research?
The water curtain technology has been invented by an American group of research almost ten years ago, but has been used in few occasions and always as a fountain in an interior setting.
An interactive version of the water curtain has been developed at the M.I.T. thanks to the efforts of Bill Mitchell, the Smart Cities Group and the Media Lab. During a class focused on the Digital Mile project for Saragoza, the water curtain was used as urban furniture in a central park.
Following this basic idea, during the year 2006, the Senseable City Lab developed a full version of the interactive water curtain as a proposal for the South gate of the Expo 2008.
From March 2007, the water curtain became the main concept for the design of a pavilion for the city of Zaragoza, near the South gate, one of the most busy point of the all Expo.
"carlorattiassociati - Walter Nicolino & Carlo Ratti" has been encharged for the design development and the construction details of what is now known as the Digital Water Pavillion.
In the final version of the DWP, the concept of the water curtain is fully deployed in all its potentialities: it's an interactive element, fully communicative and highly reconfigurable, embedding aesthetic and functional qualities. It is probably for the first time that the water curtain become a full architectural element, a flexible and interactive component serving the changing necessities of the building. This is probably the most noticeable result of this technology, and the one required most efforts in the design phase.

What are the possible uses for this technology in the future?
The water curtain is used in its most complex form in the DWP. Existing conditions (climate, theme of the expo, necessity for flexibility) created a perfect situation to consistently apply this technology to the building. This design possibility is not easy to replicate and you need to calibrate the use of the water curtain for the real necessities of each building.
I think you can use it in much more simple ways, by relying just on some of the multiple capabilities of the water curtain. I'm thinking also as a possible element of division in residential interiors or corporate offices and so on.

How do you feel to be nominated best invention of the year in the field of Architecture by the prestigious TIME?
First you are kind of confused, then you start to realize it and it's a great emotion. Whenever you go behind the academic and professional world, it means that the idea and the building have reached the interest of a broad public.

Lumisty & TMA for Pleats Please

2007-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

Lumisty is a view control film that changes its transparency based on the viewer's angle. As the viewer’s angle shifts, so does the transparency or translucency of the film. The optical experience may consist of walking past a window with Lumisty applied, a perfectly clear, transparent glass surface becomes, in a step or two, partially fogged. Two or three steps later, the same window is completely fogged. Walk backward or forward, and it’s clear again. This polyester-based film is available in three grades:
1. MFx-1515: Front translucent with a 15-degree angle shift,
2. MFy-2555: Uniangle-range translucent, with a 25 and 55-degree angle shift in one direction
3. MFz-2555: Biangle-range translucent, with a 25 and 55-degree angle shift in 2 directions.
It can be applied vertically and horizontally to glass, acrylic and polycarbonate sheets. Roll dimensions are 48 inch x 50 ft, however, any size glass can be filmed as the films can be seemed.

Technical link

TMA used Lumisty for the Issey Miyake Pleats Please boutique in SoHo New York.

Brad Pitt Studio in Santa Monica, designed by Graftlab, shows an interesting use of Lumisty in the usually most private room of the house.
The bathroom's walls are almost entirely in glass and the degree of privacy is left to the viewer's angle: "It's all family and friends", Pitt explains, "Nobody is embarrassed—or impressed."

Wood Composite for Nieto & Sobejano and Mateus

2007-10-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Parklex 1000 is a pre-finished exterior grade wood composite panel for applications such as cladding, fences, walls, etc. It consist of laminated wood veneers (Boak or Ayous - stained or grooved) coated phenolic resins, and inner core paper fibers treated with thermo-hardened bakelite resins. It is dimensionally stable and highly resistant to varying climatic conditions including freeze/thaw, salt spray, dry climate and UV ray exposure. It is non-toxic and resists mold, mildew, fungus and is impervious to termites.

Panel dimensions are:
1220mm (48") x 2440mm (96")
Thickness:
10mm (3/8" approx., standard thickness)
4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 13mm and 15mm (special order)
Weight:
13.5 kg/m2 or 2.8 lb/ft2 (10mm thick panel)
A 1220mm x 2440mm x 10mm panel weighs approximately 90 pounds.

Technical link

An interesting use of Parklex 1000 is in the Wood House in Chamartin (Madrid) by Nieto & Sobejano.
The two spanish architects, both graduated from the ETSAM and the GSAPP of Columbia University, have conceived wood as a the leitmotif for this small suburban house. The composition of various panel's sizes allows the articulation of the openings on the facade, without altering the perfect pureness of the volume.
The same type of panels have been extensively used by Manuel y Francisco Aires Mateus.
The two Portuguese brothers explored the quality of phenolic wood in the facades of the dorm of the University of Coimbra and in a residential building on the EXPO site in Lisbon.

Okalux (part 2) - OKATECH

2007-10-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

OKATECH is an insulating glass glazing system with a metal interlayer that can integrate many different designs of wire mesh (manufacturer: GKD), expanded metal, laser punched or perforated metal sheet between two glass panes. Depending on the metal design, the material and the manufacturing process, the interlayer determines the aesthetics and the function.

OKATECH is a hermetically sealed insulated glass sandwich with a standard build up of three panes:
1.outer pane
toughened glass
cavity 1
2-8 mm with metal interlayer, air filling
2.middle pane
toughened glass, coated on the interior
cavity 2
up to 12 mm without interlayer
3.inner pane

Technical link

Rem Koolhaas worked with Okalux in developing a particular Okatech panel with an expanded metal interlayer made of aluminium. This particular system has been used for almost two thirds of the 16.000 sqm of the Seattle Public Library glazed surface.

In Seattle, the insulating glass panel with aluminium creates an especially soft room light in the reading areas of the library and serves as protection against sunlight and glare. The aluminium interlayer also serves a climatic function. In conjunction with a solar and thermal control coating, it reduces the total solar energy transmittance of the glazing.
OMA also used the same type of panel for part of the Dutch Embassy facade in Berlin.

David Chipperfield developed with Okalux a particular version of Okatech with an expanded copper inlay for the Public Library in Des Moines.

The countless, asymmetrically arranged metal perforations on the copper act as shading elements in miniature, performing as a directionally selective daylight system.
From the exterior, when the sun shine over the facade, the copper gives a warm, metallic glow. From the interior instead, the expanded copper inlay produces soft light and provides protection against sunlight and glare while still being semi-transparent.
Most of the library was triple glazed:
6 mm single-pane security glass on the outside,
an expanded copper inlay in 2 mm cavity
6 mm single pane security glass with a sun and heat protective coating
14 mm air-filled space
6 mm single security glass pane

Okalux (part 1) - KAPILUX

2007-10-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

KAPILUX is a partially transparent glazing system that diffuses light evenly while maintaining a level of transparency at certain viewing angles.

KAPILUX is a hermetically sealed insulated glass sandwich with a standard build up of three panes:
1.outer pane
type and thickness of glass according to static requirements, solar or thermal control coating on the inside if required.
cavity 1
8 mm filled in with gas according to Ug-value requirements.
2.middle pane
float glass according to static requirements, but at least 4 mm
cavity 2
2 offset Kapipane slabs 10mm thick
3.inner pane
type and thickness of glass according to static requirements

There is also a 2-pane system consisting of a 20mm capillary slab with inner and outer panes and generally no coating.

The Kapipane is a capillary slab, meant to further reduce heat losses and maintain in-depth illumination of the room through forward-directed light diffusion.
It can be transparent (KAPILUX-T) or white-tinted (KAPILUX-W)

Technical link

Dominique Perrault used the KAPILUX-W for the M-Preis W1 in Wattens (Austria).

In this DETAIL's video, M-Preis manager describes the company philosophy during a tour of the two supermarkets designed by Dominique Perrault.

GKD Metal Fabrics

2007-10-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

GKD produces an extraordinary collection of woven metal fabrics. The fabrics are produced in various weights, weaves, and degrees of transparency and flexibility and suitable for both interior and exterior applications. The fabrics are manufactured with noncorroding, high-grade AISI Type 316 stainless steel, as well brass, bronze, copper and custom alloys. Design styles include 2 that are flexible in both direction; 17 designs that are flexible in one direction; and 14 designs that are rigid.
Standard applications include exterior facades, wall coverings, draped and suspended ceilings, column cladding, sunshades and canopies, gates, exhibit booths, retail displays, elevator cabs, stairs and balustrades, furniture and cabinetry, partition screens.

Technical link

GKD woven metal fabrics have been used in the Commes des Garcons shop in New York by Donato Savoie & Studio Morsa and in the MoMA Store by 1100 Architects.
Dominique Perrault has used the GKD woven metal fabrics in several projects including the Bibliothèque nationale de France (François-Mitterrand site) in Paris
and the Velodrome and Olympic Swimming Pool in Berlin.

Panelite & OMA

2007-10-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Panelite panels use a sandwich construction typically exploited in the aerospace industry for its high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent resistance to deflection. The structural honeycomb core provides strength and consistent rigidity at a very low density. With translucent facings the honeycomb panel becomes a versatile building material: a lightweight, self-structural panel, offering a novel palette of aesthetic, textural, and light effects. Panelite panels can be used to provide varying degrees of visual privacy and to transmit, pixelate, color or diffuse light. They can be cut, drilled and machined using standard wood-working methods and tools. Panelite panels require minimal framing supports due to their inherent honeycomb structure. It is preferable to bolt through the panel and use it in compression rather than screwing into it as with solid core materials.

Technical link

The Panelite (Clear Shade Insulating Glass series) has been used by OMA in the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the IIT in Chicago.

Parabeam

2007-09-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Parabeam is a 3 dimensional textile woven from 100% E-glass yarn. Borrowing from velvet weaving technology, two deck-layers (woven warp and weft) are connected by vertical piles to form an integral sandwich structure. Once the fabric is wetted out with thermoset resin, the vertical piles, via capillary action, force the decklayers apart until reaching their pre-engineered height.

Technical link

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