22123 Both brick and stone walls were originally built to support the load or weight of their building.However,developments in material manufacture and technology have changed the way both materials are used.Solid,brick or stone load-bearing walls are slow to construct and require a great deal of expensive materials.Though less 'true',cladding can give the impression of solid brick and stone walls but offers the architect more flexibility in terms of time and money.Thin layers of stone or brick are attached to a steel or concrete frame providing a system that looks effective but uses less material and can be built more efficiently. Rubble walls are traditionally built from found stones that are selected and organised so that they all complement one another.Usually larger stones create the base and smaller stones are used to fill gaps as the wall progresses-the higher the wall the smaller the stones used. A gabion wall is usually constructed by filling a wire- framed mesh with found rocks.These have been used as engineering structures that easily withstand lateral forces, such as a retaining wall that may be used to hold back large areas of earth.Latterly gabion walls are being used in contemporary building schemes as a variable external finish according to the size and type of stone used. Floors Stone and brick can be used as a floor covering to great effect.For exterior areas,stone surfaces are frequently used in cities to identify a particular space and brick laid as a floor is also considered a very urban finish.Both materials can also be used to frame floor surfaces such as pavements and pedestrian zones. In interior spaces a much thinner stone finish can be used. Traditionally flagstones (flat stones that are laid for paving surfaces)would have been used to produce a simple floor surface.Today,various types of stone are used to provide an interior floor finish,in particular limestone and marble
22 | 23 C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 10/4/08 11:10 AM Page 23 Cultural and material context › Application › Grand master: Antonio Gaudí Both brick and stone walls were originally built to support the load or weight of their building. However, developments in material manufacture and technology have changed the way both materials are used. Solid, brick or stone load-bearing walls are slow to construct and require a great deal of expensive materials. Though less ‘true’, cladding can give the impression of solid brick and stone walls but offers the architect more flexibility in terms of time and money. Thin layers of stone or brick are attached to a steel or concrete frame providing a system that looks effective but uses less material and can be built more efficiently. Rubble walls are traditionally built from found stones that are selected and organised so that they all complement one another. Usually larger stones create the base and smaller stones are used to fill gaps as the wall progresses – the higher the wall the smaller the stones used. A gabion wall is usually constructed by filling a wireframed mesh with found rocks. These have been used as engineering structures that easily withstand lateral forces, such as a retaining wall that may be used to hold back large areas of earth. Latterly gabion walls are being used in contemporary building schemes as a variable external finish according to the size and type of stone used. Floors Stone and brick can be used as a floor covering to great effect. For exterior areas, stone surfaces are frequently used in cities to identify a particular space and brick laid as a floor is also considered a very urban finish. Both materials can also be used to frame floor surfaces such as pavements and pedestrian zones. In interior spaces a much thinner stone finish can be used. Traditionally flagstones (flat stones that are laid for paving surfaces) would have been used to produce a simple floor surface. Today, various types of stone are used to provide an interior floor finish, in particular limestone and marble. TEXT BLACK (AVA): Basics Architecture C + M CD1008-10 / 3173 ~ 1st Proof C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 3/11/09 5:46 PM Page 23
Application Roofs Stone can be used as a roof finish.For temperate climates a roof material that can retain heat and is impervious to water is essential.Slate is traditionally used in the UK for this purpose and is also manufactured and used in countries such as China,Mexico and Spain. Terracotta tiles are used in many Mediterranean countries, where the traditions of both brick and pot making have been adapted and applied to roofing.Terracotta tiles can be glazed or left in their raw state. Finishes Stone can be left in its raw state or it can be polished to varying degrees depending on the application.Saw-cut stone has a rough finish and is most appropriate for exterior features in garden and landscape design.A honed finish is extremely smooth but not reflective,making it suitable for interior wall and floor applications.A polished finish enhances the colour of the stone and creates a smooth and reflective surface that is suitable for interior and exterior use. The colour of brick is affected by its raw material content, for example,yellow bricks have more lime content and redder ones a higher iron content.This can provide various aesthetic options for the architect.The pattern that bricks are laid in is referred to as a'bond'and there are many variations of these,each of which is based on context,tradition and location.The length of an exposed brick is referred to as the 'stretcher'and the shortest side of an exposed brick is a 'header'.The simplest bond,the running bond,is just continuous rows of stretcher bricks.The pattern of the bricks does not just serve a decorative function,the overlap of the bricks is essential to maintain stability in the wall
C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 10/4/08 11:10 AM Page 24 Application Brick and stone Roofs Stone can be used as a roof finish. For temperate climates a roof material that can retain heat and is impervious to water is essential. Slate is traditionally used in the UK for this purpose and is also manufactured and used in countries such as China, Mexico and Spain. Terracotta tiles are used in many Mediterranean countries, where the traditions of both brick and pot making have been adapted and applied to roofing. Terracotta tiles can be glazed or left in their raw state. Finishes Stone can be left in its raw state or it can be polished to varying degrees depending on the application. Saw-cut stone has a rough finish and is most appropriate for exterior features in garden and landscape design. A honed finish is extremely smooth but not reflective, making it suitable for interior wall and floor applications. A polished finish enhances the colour of the stone and creates a smooth and reflective surface that is suitable for interior and exterior use. The colour of brick is affected by its raw material content, for example, yellow bricks have more lime content and redder ones a higher iron content. This can provide various aesthetic options for the architect. The pattern that bricks are laid in is referred to as a ‘bond’ and there are many variations of these, each of which is based on context, tradition and location. The length of an exposed brick is referred to as the ‘stretcher’ and the shortest side of an exposed brick is a ‘header’. The simplest bond, the running bond, is just continuous rows of stretcher bricks. The pattern of the bricks does not just serve a decorative function, the overlap of the bricks is essential to maintain stability in the wall. TEXT BLACK (AVA): Basics Architecture C + M CD1008-10 / 3173 ~ 1st Proof C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 3/11/09 5:46 PM Page 24
24125 Project:Solstice Arts Centre Location:County Meath,Ireland Architect:Grafton Architects Date:2006 The Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, County Meath,incorporates a theatre space,exhibition areas and a cafe.Located on a sloping site. the main building is constructed from reinforced concrete and clad in ashlar stone blocks.The building has a transparent,glazed facade at ground level,which opens onto a public square. pue eing
24 | 25 C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 10/31/08 4:15 PM Page 25 Project: Solstice Arts Centre Location: County Meath, Ireland Architect: Grafton Architects Date: 2006 The Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, County Meath, incorporates a theatre space, exhibition areas and a café. Located on a sloping site, the main building is constructed from reinforced concrete and clad in ashlar stone blocks. The building has a transparent, glazed façade at ground level, which opens onto a public square. Cultural and material context › Application › Grand master TEXT BLACK (AVA): Basics Architecture C + M CD1008-172 / 3173 ~ 2nd Proof C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 3/11/09 5:46 PM Page 25
Grand master Antonio Gaudi Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi(1852-1926)was inspired by natural and Gothic forms,his sculptural building designs were both organic and dynamic in their expression and he was famously experimental with structural and physical forms. Both Gaudi's buildings and concepts challenged traditional Spanish architecture.His portfolio of work includes housing blocks in Barcelona with facades that interpret structure and walls that are sculpted architectural forms.Throughout his life,Gaudi studied nature's own angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs.The hyperboloids and Antonio Gaudi paraboloids he borrowed from nature were easily reinforced by steel rods and allowed his designs to resemble elements from the environment. At Parc Guell located to the north of Barcelona,Gaudi's shapes and forms in the landscape present playful lines and surface.His work is distinct.He uses traditional local craft and building skills(such as the mosaic work in Parc Guell), but reinterprets them,mixing references to nature and abstract ideas of animal and plant forms. La Sagrada Familia's distinctive towers
C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 10/4/08 11:10 AM Page 26 Brick and stone Antonio Gaudí Grand master Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí (1852–1926) was inspired by natural and Gothic forms, his sculptural building designs were both organic and dynamic in their expression and he was famously experimental with structural and physical forms. Both Gaudí’s buildings and concepts challenged traditional Spanish architecture. His portfolio of work includes housing blocks in Barcelona with façades that interpret structure and walls that are sculpted architectural forms. Throughout his life, Gaudí studied nature’s own angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs. The hyperboloids and paraboloids he borrowed from nature were easily reinforced by steel rods and allowed his designs to resemble elements from the environment. At Parc Güell located to the north of Barcelona, Gaudí’s shapes and forms in the landscape present playful lines and surface. His work is distinct. He uses traditional local craft and building skills (such as the mosaic work in Parc Güell), but reinterprets them, mixing references to nature and abstract ideas of animal and plant forms. Antonio Gaudí La Sagrada Familia’s distinctive towers TEXT BLACK (AVA): Basics Architecture C + M CD1008-10 / 3173 ~ 1st Proof C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 3/11/09 5:46 PM Page 26
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26 | 27 C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 10/31/08 4:19 PM Page 27 TEXT BLACK (AVA): Basics Architecture C + M CD1008-172 / 3173 ~ 2nd Proof C+M chapter 1 (12-39)_.qxd 3/11/09 5:46 PM Page 27