In this brief a variety of observation methods are used to examine
the existing school buildings and spaces. Research is an essential
part of the design process, used by architects to understand a place
thoroughly before creating ideas for change.

You are the expert on the environment you use every day.
The Investigation exercises are an opportunity to
record that knowledge as a basis for your design project.
Follow the guidelines in your  Student Design Journal, adding
notes, sketches, photographs and rubbings.

 

Building materials are any material which is used for construction purposes. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, and wood, even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use. The manufacture of building materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these materials is typically segmented into specialised trades, such as carpentry, insulation, plumbing, and roofing work.

Stone:

• Stone structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest lasting building material available, and is usually readily available.
• There are many types of rock throughout the world, all with differing attributes that make them better or worse for particular uses.
• Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too; its main drawback as a material is its weight and awkwardness.
• Its energy density is also considered a big drawback, as stone is hard to keep warm without using large amounts of heating resources.
• Dry-stone walls have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of another. Eventually, different forms of mortar were used to hold the stones together, cement being the most commonplace now.
• The granite-strewn uplands of Dartmoor National Park, United Kingdom, for example, provided ample resources for early settlers. Circular huts were constructed from loose granite rocks throughout the Neolithic and early Bronze Age, and the remains of an estimated 5,000 can still be seen today. Granite continued to be used throughout the Medieval period and into modern times.
• Slate is another stone type, commonly used as roofing material in the Ireland and other parts of the world where it is found.
• Stone buildings can be seen in most major cities; some civilizations built entirely with stone such as the Egyptian and Aztec pyramids and the remains of the Inca civilization.

 

 

Fact Sheet:

Maintenance: easy to maintain

Cost: dependent on choice of stone and where it will be used

Durability: extremely durable

Sustainability: low embodied energy, ready availability as a

naturally occurring material – often locally, no off-gases to impair

indoor air quality, high thermal capacitance, reclaimed stone also

readily available

Strength: high structural performance

Use: internal and external

Attractiveness: unique character, stability, and grandeur

 

 

Wood/Timber:

• Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years in its natural state. Today, engineered wood is becoming very common in industrialized countries.
• Wood becomes timber when the wood has been “converted” (sawn, hewn, split) into planks,  sheets and other forms for  timber frame construction, and light-frame construction.
• The main problems with timber structures are fire risk and moisture-related problems.
• Softwood is often used for main structures , whereas hardwood is usually used for finishings and furniture.

 

 

Fact Sheet:
Maintenance: usually requires yearly treatment

Cost: type of wood product, timber boards- high cost, plywood

fiberboard-low cost

Durability: dependent on location and use of timber, maintenance 

Sustainability: highly sustainable, can be sourced locally and

reclaimed timber readily available

Strength: high structural performance

Use: Internally or externally

Attractiveness: warm, holistic, natural

 

 

Concrete:

• Concrete is a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate (gravel-like materials) and a binder such as cement.
• The most common form of concrete is Portland cement concrete, which consists of mineral aggregate (generally gravel and sand), portland cement and water.
• After mixing, the cement eventually hardens into a stone-like material. When used in the generic sense, this is the material referred to by the term “concrete”.
• For a concrete construction of any size, as concrete has a rather low tensile strength, it is generally strengthened using steel rods or bars (known as rebars). This strengthened concrete is then referred to as reinforced concrete.
• In order to minimise any air bubbles, that would weaken the structure, a vibrator is used to eliminate any air that has been entrained when the liquid concrete mix is poured around the ironwork.
• Concrete has been the predominant building material in the modern age due to its longevity, formability, and ease of transport.
• Concrete has been used for centuries – it was popular with Roman builders.

 

 

Fact Sheet:
Maintenance: minimal maintenance

Cost: economical in cost, comparatively low in

comparison to other materials

Durability: very durable, long life span

Sustainability: produces large amounts of CO2 both

during construction

Strength: strong in compression

Use: foundation, superstructure, roofs

Attractiveness: concrete can be finished with many surface textures, but it is often regarded as a cold material.

 

 

Fabric:

• The tent is the home of choice among nomadic peoples all over the world. Two well-known types include the conical teepee and the circular yurt.
• The tent has been revived as a major construction technique with the development of tensile architecture and synthetic fabrics.
• Modern buildings can be made of flexible material such as fabric membranes, and supported by a system of steel cables, rigid or internal, or by air pressure.

 

 

Fact Sheet:

Maintenance: regular maintenance required

Cost: relatively expensive

Durability: high level of durability

Sustainability: energy efficiency once installed

Strength: extremely strong

Use: roofing, canopy

Attractiveness: translucent canopy material allows light in. Flexible structure can allow for playful or extreme shapes.

 

 

Glass:

• Clear windows have been used since the invention of glass to cover small openings in a building. Glass panes provided humans with the ability to both let light into rooms while at the same time keeping inclement weather outside.
• Glass is generally made from mixtures of sand and silicates, in a very hot fire stove called a kiln, and is very brittle. Additives are often included the mixture used to produce glass with shades of colors or various characteristics (such as bulletproof glass or light emittance).
• The use of architectural glass in buildings has become very popular in the modern culture. Glass “curtain walls” can be used to cover the entire facade of a building, or it can be used to span over a wide roof structure in a “space frame”.
• These uses though require some sort of frame to hold sections of glass together, as glass by itself is too brittle to support itself in large areas and would require an enormous to create it.

 

 

Fact Sheet:
Maintenance: constant maintenance required, cleaning

Cost: high cost

Durability: dependent on chosen type of glass used, example

reinforced glass

Sustainability: high use of energy in its creation, but leads to

building energy efficiency due to its use

Strength: dependent on chosen type of glass used, example

reinforced glass

Use: building envelope, including windows, internal partitions, and architectural features

Attractiveness: can be used to highlight architectural details and features.

 

 

Metal:

• Metal is used as structural framework for larger buildings such as skyscrapers, or as an external surface covering. There are many types of metals used for building.
• Metal figures quite prominently in prefabricated structures, and can be seen used in most cosmopolitan cities.
• It requires a great deal of human labor to produce metal, especially in the large amounts needed for the building industries.
• Corrosion is metal’s prime enemy when it comes to longevity.
• Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, and is the usual choice for metal structural building materials. It is strong, flexible, and if refined well and/or treated lasts a long time.
• The lower density and better corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys and tin sometimes overcome their greater cost.
• Copper is a valued building material because of its advantageous properties. These include corrosion resistance, durability, low thermal movement, light weight, radio frequency shielding, lightning protection, sustainability, recyclability, and a wide range of finishes.
• Copper is incorporated into roofing, flashing, gutters, downspouts, domes, spires, vaults, wall cladding, building expansion joints, and indoor design elements.
• Other metals used include chrome, gold, silver, and titanium.
• Titanium can be used for structural purposes, but it is much more expensive than steel.
• Chrome, gold, and silver are used as decoration, because these materials are expensive and lack structural qualities such as tensile strength or hardness.

 

 

Fact Sheet:
Maintenance: dependent on its location

Cost: high in cost

Durability: Extremely durable

Sustainability: Not at all sustainable

Strength: Very strong

Use: structure, façade/external envelope, details

Attractiveness: allows for creation of cantilevered architectural details. Reflects light and comes in a variety of finishes or patinas.

 

Brick:

• A brick is a block or a single unit of a ceramic material used in masonry construction.

• Typically bricks are stacked together or laid as brickwork using various kinds of mortar to hold the bricks together and make a permanent structure.

• Bricks are typically produced in common or standard sizes in bulk quantities.

• They have been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.

• In the general sense, a “brick” is a standard-sized weight-bearing building unit.

• Bricks are laid in horizontal courses, sometimes dry and sometimes with mortar. When the term is used in this sense, the brick might be made from clay, lime-and-sand, concrete, or shaped stone.

• In a less clinical and more colloquial sense, bricks are made from dried earth, usually from clay-bearing subsoil.

• In some cases, such as adobe, the brick is merely dried.

• More commonly it is fired in a kiln of some sort to form a true ceramic.

 

 

Fact Sheet:

Maintenance: easy to maintain

Cost: economical in cost

Durability: extremely durable

Sustainability: made from naturally abundant materials, many facilities use fuels from bio-based materials, natural gas, methane gas or saw dust, a long life cycle. Extra sustainability factor if locally made.

Strength: high structural performance

Use: internally and externally

Attractiveness: warmth, colour, texture, long lasting