Architect Magazine: Building Materials

Uses Abound for Newly Discovered Silicone Type

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:51:26 EST

Scientists at Rice University have found a new form of toughened silicone, which they anticipate will be applied to a wide variety of products, ranging from electronic displays to self-healing polymers.

New Material Changes Properties When Stretched

Tue, 7 May 2013 10:31:33 EST

A new tear-inspired material developed by scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute could help architects with stormwater management in buildings.

German Scientists Design Earthquake-Resistant Wallpaper

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:35:31 EST

The new Intelligent Composite Seismic Wallpaper is a textile made of of glass fibers that helps hold masonry up during earthquakes.

Four Architects Pick Their Favorite New-Old Products

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:41:50 EST

If sustainable design had an attractive spokesmodel, it would be reclaimed materials. Besides conserving resources and reducing waste, they give projects the patina of a past life.

Metal Theft from Buildings Inspires New Tracking Method

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:06:06 EST

The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) in London has developed a new engraving technique to track the metal components of buildings that are at risk of theft.

Construction Systems That Fix Themselves, For Better or Worse

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 11:37:20 EST

Self-repairing materials can lead to lighter, longer-lasting building components. But does less always mean more?

Revolutionary Building Products Made from Rubber

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 11:15:17 EST

About 80 percent of the 300 million tires discarded in the U.S. each year is diverted from landfills and turned into everything from fuel to backfill. But the potential of scrap rubber can stretch even further.

Traditional Brick Makes a Renaissance

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:39:50 EST

The more wired our society becomes, the more we seem to cherish the opposite: handmade, locally sourced items to fill our homes and clad our buildings.

Reaching Across Disciplines for Product Innovations

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:16:18 EST

What may seem commonplace in one industry can find new life in another, Blaine Brownell reports.

Product: Xeripave Super Pervious Pavers

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:08:53 EST

To help manage stormwater, this surfacing product allows a large volume of water to permeate quickly.

Product: Las Vegas Rock

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 05:50:28 EST

Sin City is known for many things, including a colorful and durable stone that is sourced from a local quarry.

Product: Surfaces Murano

Mon, 1 Oct 2012 04:24:46 EST

Using traditional techniques from its product's namesake, a Miami-based studio hand cuts and hand fuses glass tiles.

Four Architects Choose Their Favorite Cladding Products

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:27:07 EST

For centuries, building walls had one basic purpose: to hold up a roof. The invention of the curtainwall enabled a façade to accomplish much more. Four architects share their go-to cladding products.

Product: Boston Valley Terra Cotta Hunter Street Bridge Restoration

Fri, 7 Sep 2012 03:40:50 EST

Historic masonry can be restored and resurrected through meticulous craftsmanship.

Concrete Becomes an Unlikely Ally in Reducing Carbon Emissions

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:06:06 EST

Manufacturers and researchers are pursuing three viable tactics to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry’s most widely used material, Blaine Brownell reports.

New Perkins+Will Report Links Common Building Materials to Asthma

Thu, 9 Aug 2012 04:50:47 EST

Perkins+Will released a white paper citing hundreds of everyday building materials as driving causes of asthma. The report is a part of the firm’s healthy living and building campaign, “Transparency.”

Product: McNichols Co. Entrance Mat Grating

Thu, 2 Aug 2012 08:46:14 EST

The family-owned company offers a perforarted, stainless steel product that is suitable for high-traffic areas, high-end commercial buildings, and high heels.

Product: Tandus Flooring DV8

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:40:31 EST

The shifting of a needle in the tufting process can result in serendipitous beauty as well as a colorful carpet pattern.

Product: Richlite Co. Cascade

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:25:57 EST

FSC-certified and post-consumer paper find new life as surfacing products for shelving and countertops.

Product: Seves Glassblock VetroPieno

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:36:52 EST

Glass masonry blocks with a high-end aesthetic can be used in applications beyond bathrooms and basement windows.