smart and nano materials in architecture -...

58 ACADIA05: Smart Architecture

J. Daveiga, P. Ferreira / Smart and Nano Materials in Architecture

Smart and Nano Materials in Architecture

José Daveiga1, Paulo Ferreira2

1 University of California, Los Angeles2 University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

We describe and analyze the fields of Smart and Nano Materials and their potential impact on architecturaldesign and building fabrication. Distinguishing Smart and Nano materials, Smart Materials perform bothsensing and actuating operations, whereas many Nano materials are capable of self-assembly. In general,Smart and Nano materials can perform like living systems, simulating human skin, the body’s muscles, aleaf’s chlorophyll and self-regeneration. Recognizing that the traditional partition between Materials Scienceand Architecture is obsolete, our intent is to show how these two fields are intrinsically connected, whilegrowing evermore symbiotic as we progress into the future.Keeping the designer in mind, our paper begins with the question: “What Nano and Smart materials can beused in future architectural designs?” Outlining what such materials might mean for architectural fabricationand design, we claim that Smart and Nano Materials can imitate living organisms. Effective implementationof these materials will therefore allow designed spaces to operate as active organs within a larger dynamicorganism, synthesizing both expressive intent and pragmatic considerations.This paper is a collaboration between an architect and a materials scientist on the future of materials and theirinfluence in architecture. By giving examples of work already underway we intend to illustrate and suggestdirections ranging from the functional to the expressive, from tectonics to morphology. We conclude with areflection on the importance of future research between our two areas of knowledge.

ACADIA05: Smart Architecture 59


Introduction

“Architecture should strive to imitate theprinciples of nature without imitating its forms.”Frank Lloyd Wright

Writing in the first half of the twentieth century,Wright couldn’t predict what potentials lie in waitfor current designers willing to imitate both theprinciples and forms of nature. If contemporaryfield experts in materials science are correct, thenear future of science and technology will offerproducts and procedures which follow theprinciples of plant and animal growth andregeneration in extraordinary ways. Oddly enough,these large scale changes will rise from the “I.Q.”of smart materials and by new uses of the tiniestof forms, such as nano materials. Imitating theprinciples of the abalone, which self-assembletheir own shells atom by atom, scientists andtechnologists are in the process of creating systemssuch as minute machines (nano-assemblers) andcoding mechanisms, which will imitate thegenerative processes of nature following nature’sgrowth and manufacturing methods. As the fieldof materials science predicts, the “I.Q.” of smartmaterials will be determined by the degree of thematerial’s response to environmental stimulus,whereas advanced nano materials will befabricated by self-assembly. The ramifications ofthis work will reach out from laboratories intovarious fields, promising large scale re-inventionsto rival the industrial revolution in impact andscope.

Health care, building methods and materials,fashion, technology, transportation, food and drugcomposition and distribution, and materialprocessing: all of these fields will be changed bythe import of smart materials concomitant withnanotechnology and its resultant advancements.Architecture will feel the impact as well, viainnovation in materials and construction, but alsothrough the resultant cultural changes that willemerge in the face of new technology. At thisimportant juncture between science, technologyand culture, the architectural community will havethe opportunity to embrace, question and rejectnanotechnological advancements. Withoutgrounded knowledge to do so, however, the importof nanotechnology to the field of architecture willbe superficial at best, and at worst, just anotherinundation of mediatic tricks and flashy painterlybuilding skins. Herein, drawing on the expertise

of an architect and a materials scientist, we proposethat the interplay between smart materials andnanotechnology can be more than buzzwords inthe latest design review: with real knowledge, realimpact is possible.

When we consider smart and nano materials intheir particular and peculiar characteristics, theirdesign and construction potentials are easilyunderstood. Yet we would be remiss to leave youwithout a word of caution regarding that sameapparent facility. Many times, when seeking newideas and approaching new concepts, one canmake strides in speculative and metaphoricalthought while reality lags further and furtherbehind. Eager to embrace new, cutting edgetechnology, we as designers often let ourselvesdream into the future, forgetting the work towardimplementation which true creativity entails. Toapply many of the ideas discussed here, sometechnical barriers between scientific discovery andarchitectural application must be overcome beforerealizations are complete. To prevent lags betweenpractice and theory, investment in realization mustkeep pace with the hours invested in writtenspeculation. Second, interdisciplinary research,utilizing the best minds of both architecture andmaterials science must be encouraged andsupported institutionally and professionally. Whenthese objectives are most nearly achieved, we asdesigners will be best able to ground ourdiscussion in possibilities, not theoretical musings.We hope this paper is a primary step in thatgrounded direction.

Smart Materials and Nano Materials

What are Smart and Nano Materials?

To critically engage the world of leading science,the architectural community should understand thetechnological innovations that smart and nanomaterials are capable of producing. To best do so,we need a working definition for both smartmaterials and nano materials.

Beginning with “Smart:” Smart Materials arematerials with the ability to perform sensing andactuating functions, similar to those in livingsystems, upon the application of an externalstimulus [Newman 1997] . This stimulus can bein the form of light, sound, temperature, electricfield, magnetic field and stress. The term “smartmaterials” gained relevance after the 1960’s Naval



Ordonnance Laboratory discovery of Ni-Ti alloys(Nitinol) which were first used for the constructionof junction components in F14 aircrafts [Purdy1961]. If deformed, Nitinol will recover its originalshape when subsequently heated above a specifictemperature. Since its discovery, this material hasbeen used in many different applications, such asmedical implants, dental fixtures and electricalswitches.

Over the last 35 years, smart materials have furtherdeveloped and diversified to include piezoelectric,electrostrictive, magnetostrictive, and shapememory alloys, which have both sensing andactuating functions. Additional materials, such aselectrochromic, electroluminscent andphotoluminescent, pH-sensitive and photovoltaicare capable of sensing functions. These smartmaterials also carry the potential to becomeintelligent materials, i.e., besides their sensing andactuating properties, such materials will able tolearn and adapt with time [Newman 1997] andmay ultimately simulate living systems.

As for “Nano:” Technically, nano materials arematerials with a nanometer scale substructure. Theterm “nano” derives from the Greek word for“dwarf”. It is used as a prefix for any unit like asecond, or a meter, and it means a billionth of thatunit. Hence, a nanometer is a billionth of a meter,which is 1000 times smaller than the thickness ofa human hair. The eventual objective ofnanotechnology is to manipulate and controlmaterials at the atomic level. In other words, weexpect to build things the way nature does it, atomby atom and molecule by molecule, i.e., by self-assembly.

In 1959, Physics Nobel Laureate Richard Feynmanchallenged the scientific community by asking ifwe could write the 24 volumes of the EncyclopediaBrittanica on the head of a pin [Feynman 1960].Although Feynman could not predict it, this lecturewas a defining moment in the field of“nanotechnology”. The phrase “nano-technology”was first used in print in 1974 by Norio Taniguchi[Taniguchi 1974] to refer to the increasinglyprecise machining and finishing of materials. Inthe 1980’s, K.E. Drexler, described a new “bottom-up” approach, involving the molecularmanipulation and molecular engineering in thecontext of building molecular machines andmolecular devices with atomic precision [Drexler1981, 1986], which eventually popularized the

term “nanotechnology”.

Types of Smart Materials

Piezoelectric MaterialsPiezoelectric materials produce electrical chargewhen mechanically stressed, and undergo somemechanical deformation when subjected to anelectric field. Among the natural materials withthis property are human skin and quartz. Whenused in computers and watches, quartz is subjectedto an electric field which causes it to vibrate at aparticular frequency, hence sending a signal atprecise time intervals.

Piezoelectrics can also be used as resonators initems like watches, and in active noise controlsystems such as headphones, to detect noisethrough the generation of electrical signals uponvibrating due to the sound waves. Piezoelectricsare also used in mechanical vibration dampingsystems, such as high competition skis and tennisrackets. More recently, piezoelectric paints havebeen studied to detect fissures in walls.Conductive paint is doped with piezoelectricparticles that will react to stress/strain byproducing an electric current. In this way,piezoelectric materials can also be used as sensorsto test material stress/strain in construction.

Electrostrictive MaterialsElectrostrictive materials, like piezoelectrics,produce electrical charge when mechanicallystressed and generate strain when subjected to anelectric field. However, while the strain producedis proportional to the applied electric field inpiezoelectric materials, in electrostrictivematerials, the strain generated is proportional tothe square of the applied electric field. As a result,for the same applied voltage, electrostrictivematerials are capable of generating strains that farexceed those of conventional piezoelectricmaterials. The disadvantage is that the deformationat low applied electric fields is small.Electrostrictive materials have been used as wiperblades, artificial muscles, landing gear hydraulics,and for correcting surface deviations caused bythermal fluctuations.

Magnetostrictive MaterialsMagnetostrictive materials change shape whensubjected to a magnetic field. Pure elements withhigh magnetostrictive properties at roomtemperature are Cobalt and Iron. By adding other



elements one can achieve “giant” magnetostrictionunder relatively small fields [Hathaway and Clark1993]; this is the case of Terfenol-D.Magnetostrictive materials were first used intelephone receivers and hydrophones. With thediscovery of “giant” magnetostrictives furtherapplications have developed, such as ultrasoniccleaners, high force linear motors, medical andindustrial ultrasonics for surgical tools andunderwater sonar. Magnetostrictive devices arerather robust in terms of wear, and thus maypotentially replace piezoelectric materials.

Electrochromic MaterialsElectrochromic materials change color uponapplication of an electrical voltage. An appliedvoltage initiates a chemical reaction which changeshow the material reflects and absorbs light[Hardaker and Gregory 2003]. In someelectrochromic materials, the change is betweendifferent colors, such as those used inelectrochromic windows wherein the materialchanges between colored (reflecting light of somecolor) and transparent (not reflecting any light).As a result, electrochromic windows darken whena voltage is applied and become transparent whenthe voltage is removed. Reflective mirrors areelectrochromic as well, reflecting light upon theapplication of an electrical voltage, instead ofabsorbing it. Additional potential uses of thistechnology include rechargeable lithium batteries,sensors, privacy/security glazing areas and highcontrast displays.

Shape Memory AlloysShape memory alloys are of two types: thermallyand/or stress driven (SMA), and magneticallydriven (MSM). Thermally/stress driven shapememory alloys, such as Nitinol, undergo a phasechange under stress, from a high temperature phaseto a low temperature phase, and return to theoriginal high temperature phase when reheated[Newman 1997, Wayman 1993, Schetky 2000] .Magnetically driven shape memory alloys suchNi2MnGa, on the other hand, undergo areorientation of the low temperature crystalstructure upon the application of a magnetic field[Ullakko 1996, Ullakko et al. 1996]. When theorientation of the magnetic field is reversed, thestructure returns to its original shape. MSM alloysshow larger strains than traditional SMAs, andseem to be the most promising for futureapplications. Additionally, MSM alloys canalready obtain 50 times greater frequencies (250

Hz) than SMA materials, without a reduction inthe output strain, and are capable of attainingseveral kHz with lower output strains.

Current applications for the thermally drivenSMAs include coffeepots, thermostats, vascularstents, hydraulic fittings or airplanes. MSM alloyswill be used in loudspeakers, joysticks, ink-jets,robots and air foils to control drag and turbulence.

Biomimetic MaterialsThe term “biomimetic” has origin in the Greekwords “bios” and “mimetikos”, which mean “life”and “imitate”, respectively [Newman 1997].Hence, “biomimetic” means “to imitate life”.Biomimetic biosensors are used to convert abiological response into an electrical signal. Innature there is a wide spectrum of cases wheresmart bio systems are utilized. Fish, for example,contain a number of fibers that vibrate as theyswim and act as sensors for flow noise. Simulatedtransducers can then be used to talk to fish. Frogscommunicate by emitting a low-frequency and ahigh frequency tone through dual-tone transduceras well.

Types of Nanoscale Materials

Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles, also called “zero dimensional nanomaterials”, do not possess any dimension outsidethe 1-100 nm range. Although nanoparticles canhave different shapes, crystal structures andcompositions, their small scale induces a changein fundamental properties. A good illustration ofthis phenomenon can be found in the propertiesof quantum dots, such as CdSe, which arenanocrystalline particles containing only a fewhundred atoms. Because electrons in a quantumdot are confined to widely separated energy levels,as particle size decreases, the dots emit only onewavelength of light when excited. Thus, CdSenanocrystals in solution, and exposed to incidentlight, emit radiation of a particular color [Dabbousiet al. 1997]. Accordingly, quantum dots can beused in the design of road reflectors and any otherreflective surface that will be exposed to incidentlight.

Magnetic nanoparticles can be used to detectparticular biological entities, such asmicroorganisms that cause disease. In theseapplications, magnetic nanoparticles are attached



to antibodies which bind to a target. When bindingoccurs, the magnetization vector of eachnanoparticle is parallel, thus inducing a strongmagnetic signal. On the other hand, antibodieswhich do not recognize the target do not bind anddisplay randomly oriented magnetization vectors,with no strong net magnetic signal [Reed and Tour2000].

Nanowires and Nanotubes

Nanowires and nanotubes are materials createdwith one non-nano dimension. These materialstend to have one long axis (above 100 nm), and across-section that is within the 1-100 nm range.The best examples of these structures are thewidely publicized carbon nanotubes [Iijima 1991,1994]. These nanostructures are composed ofcarbon atoms that assemble into cylinders a mere1.4 nm in diameter, and a few micron in length(Figure 1). A single-wall carbon nanotube hasextremely good electrical properties (conductingelectricity better than copper) and very goodmechanical properties (its tensile strength is muchhigher than steel). A multi-wall carbon nanotube,on the other hand, has semiconductor properties,such as nanowires of ZnO, GaN and SnO2 [Yang2005], which are attractive to the microelectronicindustry.

In 1998, the idea of using carbon nanotubes tofabricate simple minute gears evolved by bondingrigid chemical ligands onto the external surfacesof carbon nanotubes to produce ‘gear teeth’. Eachgear is made of a 1.1 nm diameter nanotube withseven benzyne teeth. Computer simulation resultsshow that the gears can operate up to 70 GHz (70billion times a second) in vacuum at roomtemperature without overheating or slipping [Hanet al. 1997].

There are many applications for which nanotubesand nanowires may become important, inparticular electronic and opto-electronic devices,magnetic storage, and composite materials withvery high strength-to-weight ratios.

Nano Films

Nano films are materials that have two non-nanodimensions. Typically, nanofilms are used as asurface treatment when composition or/andmechanical properties need to be altered, or ascoatings when a different material is deposited to

create a new surface. In some cases, thin coatingswith a nanocrystalline structure are formed inselected substrates, through a dispersion ofnanoparticles. In other cases, the films are so thinthat their thickness is within the 1-100nm range.The most recent nanofilms are just a few moleculesthick, having been built up by self-assembly, i.e.,atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule [Kotov2001].

Nanofilms are stable and able to cover larger areas.Once applied, they are easy to manipulate usingstandard processes and tools. Potentialapplications of nanofilms include the developmentof scratch-resistant plastic coatings, low frictioncoatings, and materials with a very low or negativerefractive index. Nanofilms are useful in themicroelectronic industry, data storage industry,solar energy area, optical devices and medicalequipment.

Figure 1. Single-wall carbon nanotube with a diameter of1.4nm. These carbon nanotubes can be thought as wrappedsheets of graphite

Bulk Nanomaterials

Bulk nanomaterials are materials that havemacrodimensions in 3-D, but exhibit a nanoscalesubstructure. Currently, there are two mainprocesses used to achieve bulk nanomaterials : 1)production of nanoparticles in powder form,followed by high-pressure compaction and



subsequent high temperature sintering toconsolidate the powder, and 2) high angularextrusion or high pressure torsion, where relativelysmall metal work pieces (of the order of cm) arehighly deformed to produce a nanoscalesubstructure. Current research in field ofmechanical behavior demonstrates a broad rangeof fascinating properties for bulk nanomaterials,namely a significant increase in hardness [Sanderset al. 1997], yield stress (up to five times higher)[Chokshi et al. 1989] and, in some cases, ductility[Kock et al. 1999]. The disadvantage of thesematerials thus far is that they are difficult toproduce in large scales.

Bulk nanomaterials have potential for applicationswhere high strength-to-weight ratios, high strainrate and low temperature superplasticity andductility in usually brittle ceramics. These fantasticmechanical and physical properties make bulknanomaterials attractive for advanced applicationsin medical, construction, space, sporting goods,and transportation industries.

Smart Materials and Nano Materials inArchitecture

An architect seeking new and better ways ofbuilding is often driven by a thirst to develop newforms and express new ideas of space.Architectural history is built of such developmentsas the ‘newest’ and the ‘boldest’ of building formsand construction advancements illustrate. Webelieve that new smart and nano materials havethe potential to open a new era in architecturaldesign and construction, enabling architects ahigher level of intricacy which will span from thesmaller scales of a molecule to the larger conceptsof society.

In this vein, advancing scientific areas are now,as they have often been, the ideal scavenge sitefor designers eager for new solutions to theirtechnical problems, and looking for better waysto express emerging design concepts. As novelSmart and Nano materials research is no exception,architects must look ahead for the impact thesenovel cutting edge materials will have in theconstructible world. New concepts of materialityemerging from Nano and Smart materials canallow architects to further respond and engage ourpresent – connected, fast paced, organic, plastic,responsive, consumable, volatile, media-centric,and tech-centric. In response Nano and Smart

materials can further point architecture towardsthe ideal of a systemic organism; wherein amaterial or construction can respond in action andreaction to its environment. Furthermore,emboldened by these new material technologiesarchitects may find new ways to questionAristotelian notions of separation and causality,expressive necessity and the demands of function.[Kalay 1999]. These dichotomies, epitomized inthe famous statement by Louis Sullivan that “formfollows function” [Sullivan 1934], may dissolveas technological innovation and expression reachtoward new unities. Resulting new concepts ofmateriality can then allow designers to break from‘function or form’ into a new cyclic concept, anda new paradigm, that creates one body of ‘functionand form’.

Below we discuss the impact that both Smart andNano materials can procure in the realms ofarchitecture, construction and design. It is our goalto describe how these materials will not only allowfor new and better responses to the performanceneeds of today’s most efficient buildings but willalso allow for the shift in architectural thoughtregarding materiality and the qualities of materialsin architecture.

Intergraded Functionalities

“Making familiar products from improvedmaterials will increase their safety, performance,and usefulness. It will also present the simplestengineering task. A greater change, though, willresult from unfamiliar products made possible bynew manufacturing methods.”(Drexler)

Drexler’s vision was strong though his urgency isonly now reaching the world of architecture.Alluding to layered structures and manufacturingprocesses with multiple capabilities, Drexler’svision was to push science and society towardgreater efficiency, with amplified results at lowercosts. In line with Drexler’s vision, materialscientists are now drawing inspiration and datafrom the bat biosonar, shark-skin denticles andwhale songs to develop Smart materials. Inparallel, a wide effort has been invested inemulating mitochondrias in plant cells, sea shells,spider webs, protein synthesis, as well as otherliving nanoscale machine-like matter to createnano materials. Strains of molecular manufacturersare working to create nanoscale machines (nano-assemblers) and structures which will be able to



build, program, record and transmit information,and ultimately self-replicate to produce identicalstructures to carry out the same tasks. Building atthese levels can lead to materials with greaterstrength-to-weight ratios, multi-tasking materialsthat reduce material and labor costs, ultimatelymaking architecture more affordable, sustainable,and more accessible.

In the past few years we have witnessed anexponential increase in building designs that canperform in an environmentally responsive manner.In regards to performance of the building we havewhat is many times termed green design, orsustainable architectural design. These designapproaches focus on the creation of highperformance sustainable buildings – wherein high-performance is defined as an economic sound,efficient, and conscious employment of resourcesin the creation of living, working and playingenvironments [Hawkes et al 2001]. NormanForster’s recent buildings strive far toward thesestandards as he works to seamlessly intertwinedesign integrity with sustainability andenvironmental performance issues throughout hisbuildings’ envelopes [Foster 2003]. Thus, while‘material smartness’ is already in play, (i.e., inmaterials wired to sensors can be found throughoutnewly constructed buildings relaying security,temperature data, and accomplishing manydisparate environmental task), truly Smartmaterials are only now reaching points of possibleemployment.

Through the use of Smart materials, as defined inthe previous section, new processes of integratingmultiple functions into one material will offeralternative construction methods allowing for adecrease in material and construction costs whileoffering state of the art technology and its securedbenefits. For example, novel structuralconstruction materials which are light-weight butexhibit higher strength can reduce the total massbuilt and offer the possibility of higher, larger, andultimately safer structures. The events of 9/11,the collapse of the Charles de Gaulle 2E terminal,recurrent natural disasters and simple economicprinciples of material efficiency have made highstrength-to-weight ratios a pressing concern. Yet,while architecture continues to employ the so-called modern materials of concrete, steel andglass, current materials science research has madegreat strides toward improving the strength-to-

weight ratio through the use of composite materialsand more recently nano materials. For example,aluminum alloys with nanocrystalline grain sizesare expected to exhibit yield strengths close to1GPa. Yet in the face of these and other materialsdiscoveries, the work of A.G. Evans [Evans et al.2001] confirms, by plotting the strength versusdensity of common materials, that the strongestbuilding materials are, to date, also the heaviest.In this regard, novel nano materials with highstrength-to-weight ratios could, when properlyintroduced, be in high demand.

While improving one existing materialcharacteristic is a notable achievement,manufacturing composites with nanostructuredcomponents and integrating these composites asbuilding materials can go further still toconceivably surpass many existing buildingproperties. For example, acoustic and thermalinsulation and strength could be incorporated inone sole material: composite materials made fromcork dust reinforced with carbon nanotubes couldbe capable of achieving high tensile strengths andsignificant ductility, while acting as acoustic andthermal insulators: cork and carbon nanotubes,melded into one single material will help reducingman hours by eliminating construction layers dueto functional integration within one singlematerial.

As shown in Figure 2, material layering can oftenincrease efficiency. For example, the abovepictured envelope could also be coated with aphotosensitive color layer, such as anelectrochromic material. This material could beengineered to change color as a function oftemperature, shifting from one color to another tobetter reflect or absorb heat as required (figure 2).In addition, multi-layered smart materials couldcombine to create a wall that can ‘breathe’ inresponse to interior and exterior temperatures. Thissystem could be engineered to react at certaintemperatures, opening or closing microporescontrolled by smart shape memory alloysembedded in the overall wall structure. In this‘breathing’ wall assembly the smart material itselfpossesses functional capabilities; much like humanskin porosity is not controlled by the brain butrather by its intrinsic functional characteristics(Figure 3).



From the examples above we can see how, whenmaterials contain several functional capabilities,current construction methods will benefit fromincreased simplicity. Though these are simply afew relevant scenarios, they are based on realmaterial capabilities, waiting only for architectsand materials scientists to invent the means toexpress their inherent potential. Designers, inorder to keep pace and create standards, must beinformed about such material processes anddevelop expert knowledge concerning theirapplications.

Advancements in Manufacturing

“Nanotechnology is fundamentally changing theway materials and devices will be produced in thefuture. The ability to synthesize nanoscalebuilding blocks with precisely controlled size and

composition and then to assemble them into largerstructures with unique properties and functionswill revolutionize materials and manufacturing.”

Using smart materials concomitant withnanotechnology, the future of material selectionand manufacturing will be both custom anddynamic. As aforementioned, the incorporation ofnano materials will prove a new and innovativeengineering, construction, and architectural tool.Materials can now be manufactured in ways thatpermit the dynamic manipulation of characteristicssuch as texture, color, and duress. Materials whichshift their properties can be applied for aestheticor functional purposes. For example, a wallcovering made of a smart material couldconceivably change its surface texture dependingon temperature, electric current and other actuating

Figure 2. Simulation of a building surface with color changing paint. (8:am, 12pm, and 4pm) [DaVeiga and LaRoche 2002]

Figure 3. Smart shape memory alloy membranes at micropores for air circulationthrough wall



elements. These chameleon-like properties canalso be explored in functional areas such as theduress of a material; in which case a material couldchange its strength or flexibility in response tocontact depending on the amount of force applied.If and when these materials can be grown on-site,like plants by self-assembly, architecture must beprepared for the ramifications of such innovation.

Scientific processes have now located the potentialfor Nano controllers as well as assemblers to self-replicate and, once again imitating nature’sprocesses. As these potentials leave the lab andenter the living room, contractors must learn to‘grow’ foundation structures rather than buildthem. In such a scenario, atomic sized controllerscan be programmed, under an architect’s guidanceand specifications, to grow walls and foundations,in much the same way as genetic materialprograms the growth of mammals. As in theabalone, with which we started this paper, proteinswhich fill and expand like water balloons in placecan be stacked like bricks. A complex procedureof nourishing rather than constructing theseprotein walls can lead to structures that grow toreach pre-programmed specifications. Throughgrowth, rather than construction, Eric Drexlerlooked to a day when the self-assembly and self-growth of residential and office structures woulddrastically reduce labor costs, enabling botharchitect and client further creative freedoms thatare currently bound by bottom line restraints.

While Drexler wrote out dreams in line with theabove fusion of materials research and architecturein the 1970’s, the direct usage of novel materials,specifically designed for architecture has not yetoccurred. Historically new materials have playedan important role in the reformulating of newideas. For example, Corbusier would have notbeen as successful in questioning the idea oflightness and heaviness at Ronchamp if it werenot for the use of a material perceived as heavy(reinforced concrete). With this paper, a step hasbeen taken in that direction, and we hope that inthe present and the near future, architects willbegin to employ the knowledge and skills ofmaterials development, through the help ofmaterial engineers, in order to custom makematerials according to their needs and predicteduses.

Conclusion

Materials performing multiple functionalitiesembedded in the ‘skin’ of the building will reduceman hours by eliminating construction layers andcomplex building control systems. This willhappen as novel Smart and Nano materials canact without the assistance of computationalmethods of sensing and actuating and becausewhen the material is placed in-situ it will beoperative in the environment. However, theexamples herewith outlined, if embraced andemployed, will bring about a new designparadigm. The material capabilities now offeredby the forefront of materials science will requirea new kind of understanding and cooperationbetween disciplines. Whilst a computationallymanipulated system (i.e. HVAC) can be adjustedto fit most building designs as a unit independentfrom the design; the use of smart and nanomaterials will require a deeper understanding indesign and material science. As explained the newpossibilities require collaboration betweenarchitects and material scientists to solve designspecific demands on materials. In a sense, theprocess of creating new buildings will come closerto that of advanced systems in which every partof the building has an operative nature dependenton more than mere aesthetic purpose.



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