Text 11. New Materials

Advancements in architecture throughout history have depended on the building materials at hand. As recently as American colonial times, builders had only wood, stone, and ceramic materials with which to work. Early American architecture reflects the use of these materials. But a great change came with the development of steel, aluminum, structural glass, prestressed concrete, wood laminates and plastics. Now, buildings can be designed in sizes and shapes never before possible.

Many new materials are really old materials used in new ways or in new forms. Sometimes, they are old materials manufactured in a different way. For example, glass is not a new material. But the development of structural glass, glass blocks, corrugated glass, thermal glass, and plate glass in larger sizes has given the architect much greater freedom in the use of this material.

Wood is also one of the oldest materials used in construction. Yet, the development of new structural wood forms, plywoods, and laminates has revolutionized the use of wood in building. The manufacture of stressed-skin panels, boxed beams, curved panels, folded roof plates, and laminated beams has given builders new ways to use wood.

Among the truly new architectural materials is plastic. The development of vinyl and laminated plastic has provided the architect with a wide range of new materials.

But the material that has contributed most to architectural change is steel. Without the use of steel, construction of most of our large high-rise buildings would be impossible. Even smaller structures can now be built on locations and in shapes that were impossible without the structural stability of steel.

The manufacture of aluminum into lightweight, durable sheets and structural shapes has also given greater variety to design. But an old material, concrete, actually changed the basic nature of structural design. New uses of concrete are found in factory-made reinforced and prestressed structural shapes. These shapes are used for floors, roofs, and walls. They have provided the architect with still other tools for structural design.

Today's architects have the opportunity to design the framework of a building of steel, but use a variety of other materials as well. They can use large glass sheets for walls, prestressed concrete for floors, aluminum for casements, plastics for skylights, and wood for cabinets. A wide variety of still other material makes possible different combinations.

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Text 10. Prestressed Concrete	\|	Text 12. Plan of the Modern British Town

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