The buildings of the past were constructed with readily available and local materials, such as stone, wood, or handmade bricks. Architects in the modern era, however, can choose from an ever increasing number of new materials, each one allowing for different advances in design. And yet the traditional materials have never been entirely supplanted; they still form an important part of the architectural range and are still used by architects the world over. The humble brick, for example, has remained a constant throughout the history of architecture, as has timber with its flexibility and warm tones. But today such elements can be used in conjunction with newer materials to highlight their natural beauty in many different ways: creating a stunning metal facade, wrapping a building with a cool, sleek stone finish, designing a wall with an eye-catching interesting texture, or adding depth or warmth to an internal design. Traditional metals are also finding new use, being employed to coat a structure in a light metal skin that reflects the sunlight, or embedded onto a building to add interest and texture. This book journeys through a curated selection of stunning examples from across the world, showcasing how each material is creatively used over a diverse range of building types and styles, and illustrating the myriad possibilities and forms available to the modern architect who chooses to rework these age-old materials into a brand-new decorative yet functional form.

About the Author
RAW/deAbajoGarcia is an architecture office founded in 2013 in New York by Carlos Garcia Fernandez and Begona de Abajo Castrillo, though they are currently based in Madrid. Each holds a Master in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University where they both studied as Fulbright fellows. Carlos Garcia Fernandez holds a PhD in Architecture from the Madrid School of Architecture and has also studied at TU Delft in Holland. He has been fellow at the Spanish Academy in Rome and visiting researcher at Keio University in Tokyo, in the Sejima Laboratory. He is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Architectural Projects Department at ETSAM. Begona de Abajo Castrillo is the recipient of the National End of Studies Prize (Ministry of Education) and End of Studies Prize 2012 (UPM). She also studied at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and is currently developing her PhD as researcher in the Architectural Projects Department at ETSAM. She has worked with Alvaro Siza in Porto then became a member of the Foster and Partners Madrid team.


Book Information
ISBN 9781864708370
Author Carlos Garcia Fernandez
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd
Publisher Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd
Weight(grams) 1370g