10 Jenuary 2019

The spiky modules used to build this curving pavilion in Stuttgart, Germany, are made from a bioplastic containing over 90 percent renewable materials. Students and professors from Stuttgart University's ITKE  (Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design) designed the freeform facade to demonstrate the structural properties of a new bioplastic developed specially for use in the construction industry.

Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable biomass sources such as starches, cellulose or other biopolymers, that offer sustainable alternatives to plastics derived from fossil fuels. The bioplastic used in the ArboSkin project is called Arboblend and is produced by German firm, Tecnaro, by combining different biopolymers such as lignin – a by-product of the wood pulping process – with natural reinforcing fibres.

"Thermoformable sheets of bioplastics will represent a resource-efficient alternative [to oil-based plastics, glass, or metal] in the future, as they combine the high malleability and recyclability of plastics with the environmental benefits of materials consisting primarily of renewable resources," explained the project team.

The pyramidal modules are made by extruding bioplastic granules into sheets before thermoforming them to create the faceted shapes and trimming off the excess material. The double-curved skin is formed by linking the pyramids together, with bracing rings and joists helping to create load-bearing walls. CNC-milling was used to remove sections from some of the modules, creating apertures in the facade. The waste material from this process can be re-granulated and fed back into the production process, while the plastic sheets can be composted at the end of their life.

Mock-Up: The bioplastics facade mock-up was created within the framework of the Bioplastic Facade Research Project, a project supported by EFRE (Europäischer Fonds für Regionale Entwicklung / European Fund for Regional Development). It demonstrates one of the possible architectural and constructional applications of bioplastic materials developed during the course of the project. The blueprint is based on a triangular net composed by mesh elements of varying sizes. Bioplastic Façade Research Project: The ITKE has many years of experience in teaching and research in the fields of computer based design, simulation, and production of cladding for buildings with complex geometries. Currently, materials made from oil-based plastics, glass, or metal are mainly used to encase these structures. Thermoformable sheets of bioplastics will represent a resource-efficient alternative in the future, as they combine the high malleability and recyclability of plastics with the environmental benefits of materials consisting primarily of renewable resources. The interdisciplinary group of material scientists, architects, product designers, manufacturing technicians, and environmental experts was able to develop a new thermoformable material for facade cladding made primarily from renewable resources (>90%). Developed by project partner TECNARO within the framework of the research project ARBOBLEND®, a special type of bioplastic granules was employed, which can be extruded into sheets and further processed as required: the sheets can be drilled, printed, laminated, laser cut, CNC-milled, or thermoformed to achieve different surface qualities and structures and eventually produce various moulded components. The semi-finished products serve as cladding for flat or free-formed interior and exterior walls. The material can be recycled and meets the high durability and flammability standards for building materials. The goal of the project was to develop a maximally sustainable yet durable building material while keeping the oil-based components and additives to a minimum. The ecological audit was completed by project partner ISWA (Institute for Water Engineering, Water Quality, and Waste Management). Furthermore, the material’s resistance to microbial degradation was also determined.

Innovative Character of the Research Project: This research project marks the first occasion for the development of bioplastic sheets primarily based on renewable resources. The sheets can be freely formed, are designed for applications in the building industry and are specifically meant for building exteriors and cladding. At the beginning of the project such product was not available on the market. The conception of this material as flame-retardant sheet material also aims at applications for building interiors. With this new development, we can therefore soon offer a product that addresses two trends: - the increasing demand for resource-efficient and sustainable building materials - the increasing development of buildings featuring double-curved geometries and planar facade components with 3D effects (relief). (Fabiana Cambiaso Università La Sapienza) www.itke.uni-stuttgart.de © ITKE; © Roland Halbe   Exhibition Pavilion, Stuttgart, Germany Campus Stadtmitte,ITKE (Institute for Building Construction and Structural Design), Faculty of Architecture, Stuttgart University Area of facade: 145 mq Completed: October 2013 Material:  Biobased Thermoplast Bioplastic Applications: Envelope  

Carlo Bardelli

28 October 2018

The AquiliAlberg architecture studio has finished a new residential project in Cremona. The typology is that of tract housing, but it has been manipulated and reinterpreted by the Milan-based studio to respond to the characteristics of the site and the context, a nature park on the Serio River. The project is located on an area of about 1000 sq meters and contains six apartments with two above-ground levels. The first level is raised to guarantee privacy and to provide better views of the beautiful natural setting. The design idea took form as a result of careful study of the residential typology and the general quality of space, orientation and relation to the surroundings. The fundamental goal of the research – to establish a dialogue between architecture and landscape – implies a combination of artificial and natural elements to achieve high levels of habitat quality. Large private external loggias add otherwise precluded space to the units, while at the same time enhancing the indoor-outdoor relationship, taking maximum advantage of the splendid views of the nature park.

Carlo Bardelli

Ultra _ Extra is an event which took place during Made Expo to highlight the qualities of an ultrathin slab! It took place far from fair, in a more intimate and private atmosphere in the Centre of Milan, in Laminam showroom; it was a good chance to look closely at how the materials will involve us in concrete terms, through their features, lightweight and texture. The future, as it appears to us, is asking to reconsider how to build things and houses, places to work, where to live. So, companies are investing in this sense, to make room for a sustainable and economically viable future. In this period we are talking about investment, projects and products that evolve to find new applications, we are making reflections on materials as "Tools". We listened with interest to the technical-scientific stories about lightweight construction by Alessandra Zanelli, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, BEST Department. Textiles applied to the construction, advanced materials for membranous applications and film fluoropolymeric for applications in intelligent systems, intelligent packaging to rethink the exterior. Later we listened to Micol Costi, Director of Library & Research Material, Material ConneXion ® Italy, with his poetic stories about the search for innovative materials, characterized by a significant decrease in weight, without affecting the property. Materials are developing to make spaces be more functional, design be more comfortable, materials distant and cold once be more appealing now. So we realize finally that ceramic plates represent a real skin for contemporary architecture, a multi-purpose area with many possibilities of use.   www.laminam.it/ultra_extra

15 February 2019

An asymmetrical wood volume. A building with irregular profiles, made up of several panels that characterize the facades. This is the new home of Perathoner, a company that manufactures wood sculptors, in the heart of the Dolomites. And right here, in an area that preserves nature and that makes local traditions an excellence, the Bergmeister Wolf Architekten architecture firm has designed a building in harmony with the context and the nature of the place.

Despite being an architecture that fits quite strongly in the landscape thanks to the asymmetrical profile, the new Perathoner headquarters fully respects the values of the place and reflects the company's activities. From the outside, the building looks like a large sculpture, and the different shades of color dictated by wood recall the different stages that characterize the processes of artistic production and craftsmanship.

The structure is made of wood, consisting of stacked triangular panels. Instead, the cover is constructed from larch shingles treated with different types of aging, treatments that cause the color to change. In this game, made of panels, there are some openings from which natural light filters. And right here, at night, artificial light is diffused with a strong visual effect.

The materials that complement the architecture are steel and glass.   www.bergmeisterwolf.it

Edoardo Croci

Wood, through metal, explores new design expressions that address the theme of the reflection of light: this is the approach behind Silver Rail, the latest proposal from ALPI, the first company in the world to industrialize the process of reconstituted wood, and now an unchallenged technological reference point in the wood sector. Silver Rail is the result of intensive R&D activity – a true characteristic of the company’s DNA – that has allowed ALPI to develop materials conceived to interact with light, confirming its role as a professional partner and its outstanding ability to interpret and foresee market trends with solutions that are increasingly sophisticated in both aesthetic and technological terms, capable of giving concrete form to any idea from its spheres of reference: large luxury brands, giants in the automotive and nautical sectors, prestigious furniture makers, and the fields of product design, interior architecture and contract. Decorative wooden surfaces crossed by metal lines that reflect light: Silver Rail is a material with a modern design - applicable to finished products or horizontal and vertical surfaces - combining the softness and warmth of wood with the glow and rigor of metal. An innovative offering, the result of sophisticated technology and the careful, tailor-made workmanship typical of ALPI; a synthesis of two apparently antithetical materials, conceived to respond to the emerging trend towards luminosity in interior decorating, in the year UNESCO has proclaimed as that of light and light-based technologies.   Silver Rail lends itself to infinite possibilities of personalization: from the choice of color and design from the vast range of ALPI woods to the indication of the number and the spaces between the metal lines, which can be governed by regular, precise geometric patterns or designed with more sinuous shapes. With proper lighting, the material offers intriguing luminous effects that add character to rooms and enhance the design of objects and furnishings. Silver Rail is available in the ALPIlignum and ALPIkord versions:   ALPIlignum This product is the company’s cornerstone: the true symbol of the ALPI universe, the finest expression of its R&D activities and the perfect blend of technological innovation and artisan know-how. A line of woods that offers unlimited aesthetic variety and personalization: reproducing the colors and grain of natural materials (over 120 types in the catalogue) or creating Design Wood with unusual chromatic effects, allowing for maximum creativity. ALPIlignum is a sliced wood that can be applied to any surface and produced in different thicknesses depending on the application. It is therefore an extremely versatile product, capable of responding to all project needs in functional and aesthetic terms. Its particular production process involves peeling logs (of Poplar, Lime Wood or Ayous), always of certified origin, to make sheets that are immersion dyed and "reassembled" by stacking the layers of dyed wood to make a “new log”. The absence of the typical defects of traditional wood, the uniformity and reproducibility of colors and sizes make it ideal for rapid implementation of single production runs or series. ALPIkord The line of prefinished woods treated with state-of-the-art products and varnishes to bring out the natural beauty of the entire ALPIlignum range, applied on a surface and then varnished. The result is a large wooden panel ready for application to any surface, to reduce the time needed for working, varnishing and installation. The practicality of ALPIkord finishes is joined by high levels of quality, unique design and customization, as well as the environmental certifications pertaining to ALPIlignum. By request, FSC certification, the most important international guarantee of its kind of the sustainable origin of our wood, is also available for ALPIkord. ALPI, wood&more: Italian roots for international excellence An absolute leader in the production of decorative surfaces in multilaminar wood, ALPI was the first company in the world to industrialize the manufacturing process for reconstituted wood, setting new qualitative standards. The perfect balance between manual skills and high technology make the firm unique. On the one hand, ALPI is pure innovation, ahead of the demands of the market; on the other, it represents painstaking craftsmanship. An example of excellence that thanks to the depth of its collections – applicable to finished products and horizontal or vertical surfaces – combined with the ability to design bespoke solutions, is an unchallenged technological reference point for the wood sector. A professional partner of leading luxury brands and major manufacturers of automobiles and yachts, as well as prestigious names in furniture, product design, interior architecture and 360° contract, ranging from hôtellerie to multi-apartment developments, retailing to offices to public spaces. What sets ALPI apart on the worldwide scene is its direct control of the entire process, from the log to the finished product, starting with forest management using chain-of-custody certification to guarantee the legal and sustainable sourcing of the wood and total product traceability. ALPI is therefore a guarantee of an eco-responsible, versatile design product, made possible by major investments in R&D, raw materials of the highest quality, avant-garde technology and the finest tailor-made craftsmanship. Other important features of the firm are its vast range of offerings and great ability to respond to the specific requirements of a highly diversified client base, also through the design and development of custom lines and one-off collections. Today ALPI – helmed by Vittorio Alpi, the founder’s grandson – has industrial facilities of 180,000 sq. meters (52,000 indoors) in Italy, and 346,500 sq. meters (over 67,000 indoors) in Africa, for a production capacity of over 30 million square meters per year, with capillary distribution networks in over 60 countries. The firm stands out for reliability and solidity, based on sales growth that surpassed the level of 130 million euros in 2014.     www.alpi.it

 

Requalification, recovery of buildings and cutting-edge technology to design the home of the future: this is what was presented at 51° Edition of the SAIE, international building exhibition in Italy.

At the heart of the new SALT SMART HOUSE, in the Services area of Bologna fair (held like the interior of a great intelligent and sustainable house), SMART HOUSE LIVING has been presented. This project consists of 4 souls: an exhibition – Smart House Solution – on which was represented a new culture of sustainable living, which allowed visitors to ' touch ' practical applications and innovative technological solutions; a playful and participatory path – the Wheel of Sustainability – to bring the public to the culture to "triple zero" (zero consumption, zero emissions, zero waste); the Forums on the themes of designing, building and inhabiting the houses of tomorrow; the BIG Energy Idea — a ' emotional room ' of innovation told through videos and sounds: a project to push for change through knowledge.

In SMART HOUSE LIVING area, energy has been the main topic thanks to the forum "Building & Innovation". In the Digital Smart Building technology how this innovation can revive the construction industry has been the main topic. Many laid optical fiber is still unused. Since last July with the Decree Unlock Italy, "all new buildings must be equipped with a passive multiservice physical infrastructure inside the building, consisting of adequate space and installation of high-speed communications to the fiber optic network termination points". The legislation makes the provision in new homes be mandatory. SAIE #Idrogeo has been the main new of this edition: it is an informative area and exhibition dedicated to the theme of recovery and securing of the territory from the hydrogeological point of view, that this year 2015 focused on the theme of urban land preservation thanks to the work of engineers and geotechnical in particular. 'Green' has been the guest star in new edition of SAIE, too. Inside the 'Live' path, #Landmaking group has organized ‘To build green’, an area where some of Italian excellences in the field of green have been gathered. The construction industry's interest is directed towards the energy efficiency of existing buildings, as well as through the performance improvement with the aid of new and more modern systems and engineering solutions.