Hello and welcome to the November issue of the Materials for Architecture Newsletter

In this issue, we bring you news on the 2019 Brick Award winners, a guitar-shaped hotel, a spiral cafe, and more...

2019 Brick Award Winners

The night of Wednesday 13th November saw the crowning of the 2019 Brick Awards winners, a ceremony that for 43 years has celebrated the best use of brick in the built environment. Projects of the highest calibre are routinely entered by architects, contractors and developers and, this year was no exception. This year’s title of Supreme Winner... Read more...
Published 14/11/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Hard Rock's guitar-shaped hotel designed by Klai Juba wald opens in Florida

Rising 400 feet (122 meters) above the ground and covered in a facade of neon lights, the world’s first guitar-shaped hotel has its grand debut in Hollywood, Florida. Designed by Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors, the ‘Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’ is part of a wider development estimated at $1.5 billion. The new intervention combines luxury... Read more...
Published 12/11/2019 via designboom.com

London cafe in spiral concrete shell has retractable windows

A spiral cafe with a rooftop garden in Chelsea, London, by architecture studio NEX has curved windows that can retract fully when the weather is good. The windows of the the Cadogan Cafe can retreat into the ground, allowing the dining area to to spill out into the surrounding square. Wrapped in a slender arcade of 15-centimetre-thick concrete panels... Read more...
Published 18/11/2019 via dezeen.com

Fast and fabulous

The Jaffreys wanted a home that would look good, be energy efficient, was future-proofed and importantly, could be built quickly, and a timber kit was the answer. When the Jaffrey family set about building their own home near the village of Insch, Aberdeenshire, there were a few items on their wish list. They wanted a home that would look modern... Read more...
Published 15/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Zinc’s lasting sustainable appeal

Jonathan Lowy of VMZinc looks at the lasting appeal of zinc as a sustainable solution for the building envelope, as shown on projects from the 19th century to the present day. The Parisienne rooftops adorning Hausmann’s famous 19th century buildings helped to define a cityscape that attracts millions of tourists every year. What these buildings have in common... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

The enduring appeal of metal ceilings

Here Peter Symons of Knauf AMF explores why metal ceilings are seeing a renaissance, encompassing robustness and efficiency as well as aesthetics. The mainstream use of metal ceilings originated in the late 19th century when they were more commonly known as ‘tin ceilings’ and were promoted as being a durable, ‘handsome’, fireproof... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Extending design perspectives with aluminium

Richard Besant of Powdertech Corby discusses why powder coating on aluminium presents a convincing alternative for creating a wide variety of architectural features and designs. Recent advances in powder technology and application now mean that aluminium and steel can be powder coated as a credible alternative to natural elements... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Sustainable and diverse: architectural copper

The last few decades have seen copper and its alloys grow in popularity as modern architectural materials, but the sustainability and performance characteristics of copper should also not be forgotten. Graeme Bell of Aurubis explains more. Copper’s unique architectural qualities are defined by its naturally developing patina, determined by the local environment... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

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