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

In this issue, we bring you news on red glazing, heated glass igloos, a cork house, and more...

SIPs vs traditional construction

Ian Clay of SIPS@Clays offers a few points to consider when choosing the build method for your new home and why SIPs deliver the perfect solution compared with traditional brick and block construction. With so many decisions to be made when building your home, the build method and construction material you choose ultimately shapes the outcome... Read more...
Published 14/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Site Lines: Low impact, high materiality

Gavin Maloney of Arup looks at how a house made of expanded cork combines impeccable sustainability credentials with a high degree of tactile beauty. Never has public opinion been more interested in how we dispose of the things we produce – from a ban on plastic straws to the feeling of remorse when buying a disposable carrier bag at the local... Read more...
Published 08/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Domino effect

An addition to the University of Massachusetts displays a composition of staggered copper and glass elements to create a dramatic entranceway. Jack Wooler spoke to architects BIG about how and why this domino effect was created. The Business Innovation Hub is the latest addition to the University of Massachusetts Amherst... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Grand central viewing station

As part of creating a bespoke structure in the centre of a major New York development to offer unique public space, Heatherwick Studio utilised a revolutionary technique to create a copper finish in steel that wouldn’t degrade over time, as Roseanne Field reports. The neighbourhood of Chelsea on the west side of Manhattan, New York, is home to... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

A strong & secure story

Whether it’s building bridges or delivering homes, there’s plenty of scope for structural steel across the construction sector. Chris Holleron of Hadley Group details the material’s uses, from its invention to its current application in the offsite construction sector. The history of structural steel is long and storied. For many, the tale begins with Sir Henry... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

An internal monologue on copper

Copper has seen a dramatic change in use from its historic place roofing prestigious buildings to being a thoroughly modern external skin for contemporary architecture. But its role as an interior surfacing material is also growing, presenting new opportunities and challenges, explains architect Chris Hodson. Architectural copper is characterised... Read more...
Published 07/10/2019 via materialsforarchitecture.co.uk

Portable igloos designed to let holidaymakers sleep at the North Pole

Travel agency Luxury Action is planning to build the "northernmost hotel in the world" by placing a group of heated glass igloos at the North Pole. Named North Pole Igloos, the portable pods would each have glass walls and ceilings to allow guests to watch the northern lights play across the Arctic sky at night... Read more...
Published 23/09/2019 via dezeen.com

AL_A reveals images of proposed Paisley Museum transformation in Scotland

Amanda Levete and her practice AL_L have unveiled images for the transformation of the Paisley Museum in Scotland. With a fully accessible entrance courtyard and a dramatic red glazed entrance hall, the structure creates a dynamic and inviting presence on the high street and a contemporary face for the museum. The proposed plans for the... Read more...
Published 04/09/2019 via designboom.com

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