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Seeing Through Layers: Translucent Materials in Architecture

ArchDaily

Translucency, at its essence, is an optical property that enables the total or partial passage of light through materials, without providing a clear view of the objects behind them. Traditionally, glass sheets have been the symbolic material associated with transparency, commonly used in the fabrication of doors and windows.

Materials 363
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Taming Exterior Greenery: Landscape Design for Houses in Natural Environments

ArchDaily

The art of landscaping is the arrangement of nature’s raw material elements, like vegetation and planting, combined with nonliving elements, such as exterior structures, paving, and decking, in order to create site-specific solutions that enhance the exterior spaces of a project. Read more »

Exterior 364
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A Glimpse into the Evolution of Insulation Materials in Architecture

ArchDaily

As an example, beginning with the primitive huts used in the earliest forms of domestic architecture, furs were employed as an exterior covering to restrict the flow of air and, consequently, regulate the interior environment.

Materials 286
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Pushing Boundaries: 11 Exteriors That Use Fabric For Protection, Shape, and Longevity

ArchDaily

Advanced and durable materials have turned fabric into a facade and roof alternative that has sparked a highly specialized sector within the construction industry and created some of the most intriguing exteriors around the globe. Read more »

Exterior 268
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Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama debuts 'Purple Hibiscus' at the Barbican, a reference to the site's material history

Archinect

It uses approximately 21,500 square feet of fuschia-hued cloth that contrasts dramatically with the rough concrete exterior and overcast London sky. His site-specific piece Purple Hibiscus, named in reference to the 2003 novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is installed on the facade of the Barbican’s central Lakeside Terrace.

Site 339
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Brick Houses in Spain: Modern Masonry Design for Home Interiors and Exteriors

ArchDaily

© Adria Goula The ample supply, durability, and affordability of brick makes it one of the most widely used and iconic materials in Spanish architecture, especially within the Mudejar tradition. Read more »

Exterior 339
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Swatchbox Offers Design Professionals Free Next-Day Delivery of Material Samples

ArchDaily

To solve this, Swatchbox is out on a mission to help design professionals around the world, by offering a curated selection of interior and exterior samples from global brands in one place, at no cost.

Materials 246