Papers by Blaine Brownell
Technology, Architecture and Design, 2021
This material review considers a brief background of 3D-printed cellulose and related composites ... more This material review considers a brief background of 3D-printed cellulose and related composites and evaluates their environmental, technical, and sensory performance. These appraisals are followed by a critical assessment of the intrinsic capacities and limitations, as well as speculation concerning future architectural applications. In summary, this review argues that 3D-printed wood may be interpreted in two contrasting ways: as the next advancement in engineered wood technology (control), and as an intentional departure from this technological trajectory (affect).
Architect, 2022
Conducted by researchers in New Zealand, a recently published study on airborne microplastic poll... more Conducted by researchers in New Zealand, a recently published study on airborne microplastic pollution brings heightened alarm.
Architect, 2022
Exploring new products and processes aimed at boosting insulation capacity.
Architect, 2022
Many common insulating materials reduce operational carbon, but increase other environmental haza... more Many common insulating materials reduce operational carbon, but increase other environmental hazards. Thankfully, scientists and product manufacturers are on the hunt for alternatives.
Architect, 2022
Looking to centuries-old Indo-Islamic architecture for lessons on how simple, passive strategies ... more Looking to centuries-old Indo-Islamic architecture for lessons on how simple, passive strategies can make a big difference in confronting a warming climate.
Architect, 2022
Exploring the influence of user experience design in architecture.
Architect, 2022
Exploring innovations in indoor landscapes, which boost air quality and well-being.
Architect, 2022
Illegal timber harvesting has an annual economic impact of $1 billion nationwide. However, the ca... more Illegal timber harvesting has an annual economic impact of $1 billion nationwide. However, the causes, effects, and solutions—like DNA analysis—are far from clearcut.
Architect, 2022
Virus transmission depends on interactions between surfaces and environmental factors, a design c... more Virus transmission depends on interactions between surfaces and environmental factors, a design concern that invites a closer collaboration between architects, designers, and mechanical engineers to mitigate the spread of disease.
Architect, 2022
A visit to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama reveals a pro... more A visit to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama reveals a profoundly designed space dedicated to the unjust treatment of Black bodies, from enslavement to mass incarceration.
Architect, 2022
Exploring some of the latest innovations in mineral- and bio-based building products.
Architect, 2022
While the built environment has always played a role in the emergence and spread of illness, with... more While the built environment has always played a role in the emergence and spread of illness, with the rising urgency of climate change, designers must now swiftly adapt their practice to safeguard resilience and health as well as prevent zoonotic spillover.
Architect, 2022
Exploring the ramifications and possibilities of parallel architecture worlds—the real and the vi... more Exploring the ramifications and possibilities of parallel architecture worlds—the real and the virtual—in the firm's 'Meta-Horizons: The Future Now' exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in South Korea.
Architect, 2022
As researchers further understand the material that is 200 times stronger than steel, graphene wi... more As researchers further understand the material that is 200 times stronger than steel, graphene will be used for glass, steel, concrete, textiles, and many other building products.
Architect, 2022
A unique approach to preservation in Turkey's first Modernist building
Architect, 2022
On a trip to the city's new Gasworks Museum—from the renovated Hasanpaşa Gazhanesi—it is evident ... more On a trip to the city's new Gasworks Museum—from the renovated Hasanpaşa Gazhanesi—it is evident that subtraction is a powerful architectural tool.
Architect, 2022
The new disruptive technology in building construction inspired by the pointillist techniques of ... more The new disruptive technology in building construction inspired by the pointillist techniques of Georges Seurat
Architect, 2022
An interview with L & M Instruments co-founder John Waszak about wireless building sensors and UV... more An interview with L & M Instruments co-founder John Waszak about wireless building sensors and UV-C light to eliminate infectious disease
Architect, 2022
At the Expo 2020 Dubai and beyond, investments in renewable and solar energy, from solar farms to... more At the Expo 2020 Dubai and beyond, investments in renewable and solar energy, from solar farms to E-Trees
Architect, 2022
Exploring international innovations in sustainable food production from vertical farming and “agr... more Exploring international innovations in sustainable food production from vertical farming and “agritecture” to saltwater-tolerant desert crops and food-fuel investigations
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Papers by Blaine Brownell
Safety and sustainability in buildings and cities have taken on new meaning during the COVID -19 pandemic. Buildings became magnifiers of contagion instead of shelters for protection. In this essential resource for both practitioners and students of architecture, interior design, and urban design, 90 of the world’s leading experts investigate a variety of approaches to future-proof architecture and buildings against widespread disease.
These inoculation strategies are organized into five chapters: “Histories” offers an overview of past pandemics and prior architectural approaches; “Inside / Outside” addresses the roles of building envelopes and mechanical systems in improving indoor environmental quality; “Interventions” consists of contemporary methods for direct prevention and control; “New Strategies” consists of various architectural analyses and proposals for design changes; and “The Public Realm” considers the urban landscape and related social questions. This broad collection of perspectives explores the transformations underway in the built environment—and offers design strategies to limit the severity of subsequent pandemics.
Materials expert Blaine Brownell, author of our bestselling Transmaterial series, reveals emerging trends and applications that are transforming the technological capacity, environmental performance, and design potential of architecture in Transmaterial Next. This book is an essential compendium for thinking architects, designers, and other creative professionals passionate about materials and looking for their bleeding edge and practical implementation.
In Hypernatural architecture and material experts Blaine Brownell and Marc Swackhamer present an international collection of forty-two case studies that illustrate astonishing new applications possible in this rapidly growing field, from Echoviren, a botanical pavilion that was designed to wilt into its surrounding redwood forest in Northern California, to the MIT Media Lab's Silk Pavilion, constructed by the threads of silkworms as they passed over scaffolding. Together, these projects show that by looking to nature, design can be a tool that makes our built environment more efficient, sustainable, and, most of all, livable.
Based on a compilation of Blaine Brownell's ""product of the week"" electronic journal, Transmaterial 2includes more than two hundred materials and is indexed in multiple ways for maximum convenience. An excellent ideas generator, Transmaterial 2 is an indispensable tool for any architect or designer looking to keep up with the current trends in the field of materials."
Transmaterial is indexed in multiple ways for the sake of maximum convenience, and utilizes the new CSI Master-Format 2004 product categorization system. With more than 200 materials, organized by category, described, pictured, and annotated with technical and sourcing information, this catalog is an essential tool for any architect or designer interested in keeping up with the rapid developments in the field of materials, looking for a source of inspiration for their designs, or just eager to get their hands on real materials in an effort to understand the incredibly innovative palette now available to us."