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Mass to Membrane

Architect Nic Goldsmith traces the development of building design and technology in this well-illustrated volume, from the solid mass of Egyptian pyramids to the ETFE foil skin used for the Eden Project. He then takes a closer look at the properties of lightweight and flexible modern materials, exploring their environmental credentials and how they can be used to adjust the quality of light and sound in interior spaces.
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RRP £35.00

£17.99

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Product information:
  • Publisher: Oro Editions
  • Year: 2018
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 208pp
  • Illustrated: Yes
  • Dimensions: 274x235mm
  • ISBN: 9781940743899
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 1.3kg
Product code:
517495
Category tags:
Product information
Full publisher description
In Western culture, from an early age we are ingrained with the notion that weight in building construction equals strength as evinced even in children's stories such as the 'The Three Little Pigs'. This idea of the relative strength of mass pervades our culture as a fundamental truth, but heavy materials are not intrinsically stronger than lighter ones. While time will be needed to remove the biases that we carry in our cultural DNA, our perception of strength has begun to shift. If we look at the historical evolution of architecture - from the massive pyramids of Egypt to the framed structures of Greek and Roman construction, to the lighter Gothic vaulting and eventually modern architecture of the twentieth century - we see a continuous, almost linear progression from solid mass construction to diaphanous skins of glass and steel. This is our historic journey from mass to membrane.
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