Assembled at
UC Berkeley, Bloom pavilion, by California make-tank Emerging Objects, is composed from 3D-printed concrete polymer blocks.
Architectural materials experience reputational changes. A century ago, wood was a cheap and expedient way to build tracts of North American workers? housing; now, it?s a sustainable solution for ever-larger and taller buildings. Since the beginning of its mass production in the nineteenth century, steel has supported soaring train halls and skyscrapers. Its predecessors, forged iron trusses, were far more ornate than standardized metal members, its character shifting from delicate to muscular.
Then we come to the fallen hero: concrete. Fifty years ago, Canada proudly celebrated its centennial by erecting concrete concert halls, civic plazas and museums from coast to coast. Megastructures built from massive concrete were the future?and with ambitious structures such as Zeidler?s McMaster Health Science Centre and Arcop?s Place Bonaventure, Canada was a global leader. Now, those same buildings are falling into disrepair, and with them, concrete?s reputation. Concrete is often cast as the villain?synonymous with mean, polluted cities that are gobbling resources and have snuffed out nature.
But if the recent past of concrete looks grey, the future could be green. Last fall, I had the privilege to moderate an architectural round-table at Construct Canada that examined new technologies in concrete. According to the panelists, there may be a tim...