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Technology and Environment
Research in Technology and Environment is generally concerned with the relationship that technology and environmental issues have with design.
The research ranges across a number of areas and addresses questions such as.
In what ways can new and innovative technologies find use in new approaches to building design and architecture?
How do we develop a language of design that is both sustainable and contextual whilst simultaneously engaging in the broader architectural agenda?
There is a great deal of activity towards innovative technology, developed through a combination of practical study often using full-scale prototypes and detailed engineering based research.
In this way we seek both a detailed understanding of the technology, which can be explained using contemporary engineering principles, and an exploration of the application in pragmatic and expressive construction.
Cross-disciplinary research
Research is cross-disciplinary, involving both architecture and engineering students, as well as close collaboration with the construction industry. The Architectural Research Workshop provides a resource for the exploration of construction at full-scale and performance testing.
Examples of recent projects include:
- The use of fabric formwork for concrete structures
- Innovative lightweight building systems
- Use of mechanical clinching
- Development of stone and concrete cladding systems
The relationship between design and technology forms the basis of a more didatic series of studies encompassed by studies into the relationship between architecture and engineering, resulting in the book series The Engineer's Contribution to Contemporary Architecture.
This article was published on Jul 14, 2011