Review: Construction Materials Manual

Construction Materials Manual -- spread

Architecture-Page rating

8.5/10

Reviewed by: Suprio Bhattacharjee

Should I buy it?

Most Definitely yes. Simply because no other such book exists as of today.

Construction Materials Manual -- front cover

The Review

Construction Materials Manual could be used as a valuable design tool, rather than just another book to illustrate the use of building materials through seductive imagery, and will prove more than useful to any practitioner in the long run.

No other book available in the market can match the depth and spread of its contents, research and illustration.

Books on building materials, their use and detailing are often hard to come by. Even if they do, they are generally overtly technical, and are represented in uninteresting ways that fail to engage most readers.

This is coupled with the fact that even if they are technically sound, these books often fail to provide a broader historic, cultural and phenomenological point of view.

In this regard, Birkhauser's 'In Detail' series and its 'Construction Manuals' have filled up a considerable void.

The Construction Materials Manual featured here is the latest in a series that has included seminal volumes on roofs, glass, steel and stone.

What sets this book apart, as the introduction clearly states, is the attempt to, for once, combine the three formats that dominate building materials-related publication today -- the technical, the sensual as well as the ignored but increasingly important aspect of the ecological.

The book also focuses on the increasing importance of surface and materiality in contemporary architecture, and how newer materials or traditional materials used in new ways are changing the face of architecture today.

Construction Materials Manual -- spread

All this is laid out clearly in a non-confusing format. The first section on critical and informative essays provides the reader with an intense understanding and overview of the use of materials in contemporary architecture, the role of the architect in evolving new building materials and using long-forgotten ones and traditional ones in newer ways, the issues regarding sustainability and selection criteria of materials, as well as the experiential and sensory aspects of their use.

These essays are written by internationally renowned authors such as Christian Schittich and Marc Esslinger amongst others, who have contributed substantially to their respective fields over the past years.

After this initial introduction, the book engages the reader in the properties and availability of building materials ranging from mud, ceramics, glass, metal or wood.

This is followed by an exhaustive analysis of the diversity of application of each building material, with respect to their use in the building envelope, insulation, services, walls, floors and surface coatings.

The book concludes with 25 case-studies to illustrate the use and application of the aforementioned materials in recent buildings of various scales and typologies.

The book communicates its contents in a lively, easy-to-read-and-refer manner -- suitably illustrated with tables, charts, graphics, stunning as well as informative photographs and crisp drawings clearly illustrating detailing and joinery.

This book will prove handy for any professional interested in making informed and sensitive choices when it comes to materials.

This is aided by the fact that the book clearly illustrates and importantly, evaluates each material by providing examples of their use and diversity of application, technical performance criteria, sustainability criteria and issues of ecological concern, haptic and experiential aspects, as well as comparative charts to weigh the use of one against the other when it comes to specific applications.

Thanks to Martin Hoffmann, Birkhauser; for communicating with us and providing the book for review.

Book Details

Title

Construction Materials Manual

Authors

Hegger, Auch-Scwelk, Fuchs, Rosenkranz

Publisher

Birkhauser -- Publishers for Architecture

Year

2006

Format

Hardcover

Dimensions

9.5 x 12 x 1 inches

Content pages

250+

Language

English

ISBN-10

3764375701

ISBN-13

978-3764375706