Statement of Intent: Plastics contain many variables and allow for an innovative alternative material. There is not only one type of plastic that can be used but a combination of two or more. The integration of other plastics can generate a design assembly that simultaneously considers strength, lightweight, fire resistant, effects of light, flexibility, rigidity, etc. The goal is to integrate both construction methods and the plastic to form anything from louvers, windows, walls, roofs, vertical corridors, etc.
Proposed process of investigation: 1. Create a nominal brick size mold. 2. Place the Foam within the brick size mold. 3. Pour Polyurethane in order to encapsulate the Foam as it begins to expand and cure. 4. Cover the brick size mold so that Foam does not overflow. 5. Allow to cure. 6. We will take advantage specifically of the CURING PROPERTIES of these two components. In which case the Polyurethane temperature increases in heat which will affect anything being encapsulated within it. The Foams curing properties tell us that it expands rapidly within the first few minutes and then cures. SO it will expand rapidly within the hot temperature of the curing polyurethane and at the same time the Polyurethanes heat will force the Foam to reshape it and slightly melt.
The Foam is porous and has been reshaped/melted/encapsulated within the Polyurethane brick. Each brick will have a small circular hole drilled or hopefully naturally formed during curing into its sides. The bond that will connect them will be determined after the prototypes are formed. Other materials will be encapsulated within the brick to allow for further experimentation.
QUESTIONS after final firebrick experimentation (images above)
What are the questions being posed by your material/site?
How does this allow for structure and space to emerge/boundary?
How does it act as a threshold or an enclosure?
What are the limitations of your explorations?
What are the experiential qualities of your material and where can it be applied?
What kind of form does your material suggest?
Module---How does that affect the form that your generating from part to whole?
What are its affects of light?
How may it begin to engage a corner condition?
How can it be used as a unit of construction?
What is the BOND?
Construction method of investigation: Cavity walls contain many parts and pieces that assemble together to form the whole. I am curious in reinventing the cavity wall through a new material composition. Essentially, I hope to fit all the components and variables that make up a cavity wall into a brick wall. The wall is made up of the nominal size brick which means not mortar in between the reinvented bricks. All components will happen within the brick size.Questions left:
Invented UNIT, but what about assembly?
Bond can be a series of things and can lead to other structural systems?
Catalogue joining methods and construction types or for instance catalogue—deploying material?
Can you make the bond the structure? Other data may give insight.
Can it be an exterior application? Find frames to indicate potential.
Advantages of plastics suitable for structural application:
1. Structural plastics have higher strength/weight ratios than most other engineering materials
2. They are attractive in appearance and can contribute substantially to the architectural beauty of the structure. They can easily be made translucent or pigmented to give desired tints or colors to the structure.3. Many plastics have exceedingly good corrosion resistance superior to that of many conventional engineering materials.
4. Plastics are very amenable to prefabrication. This property, together with their light weight, makes them very useful materials in systems of industrialized building and low cost housing. 5.A high degree of built in thermal insulation can be obtained by the use of suitable plastics.
interior application
rendered brick with foam capsul within