Smart materials respond to stimuli such as light or temperature by changing their form, color viscosity etc. These materials make it possible, for example, to develop self-acting, kinetic facades and wallpaper that changes its color and pattern based on temperature and light. The book presents the functions and uses of about twenty groups of smart materials

The use of smart materials in architecture is a dynamic and innovative area merging research, development, and use. Smart materials, with their reversible characteristics, respond to stimuli such as light, temperature, and electrical field by changing their form, color, viscosity, etc. One of the most fascinating developments is the advent of Phase Change Materials. These materials make it possible, for example, to develop self-acting, kinetic facades and wallpaper that changes its color and pattern based on temperature and light. The book presents the development of these materials and also describes their use in the contexts of architecture, design, and art. It offers a systematic overview with a detailed discussion of properties, technologies, products, and projects based on twenty groups of smart materials.

In this book, architects, interior designers and designers will find an introduction to the functions and use of nano materials, specifically tailored to their needs and illustrated by numerous international project examples.

This book considers the potential of new, smart materials and their use in architecture. It begins with an overview of current global tendencies (technological, demographic, and socio-anthropological) and their relevance for architectural design. Expanding upon approaches for flexible design solutions to address change and uncertainty, Dr. Kretzer begins by exploring adaptive architecture and proceeds to introduce the topic of “information materials,” which encompasses smart and functional materials, their current usage, and their potential for the creation of future spaces. The second chapter provides a comprehensive overview of architectural materials, past and present, split into the topics: natural, industrial, synthetic, digital, and information materials. Chapter three introduces an educational approach for the mediation of information material usage in design courses and student workshops. The final section provides detailed information on a range of emerging material phenomena, including aerogels, bioluminescence, bio plastics, dye-sensitized solar cells, electroluminescent displays, electroactive polymers, soft robotics, and thermochromics. Each section explains its respective history, working principles, fabrication and (potential) usage in architecture and design, and provides hands-on tutorials on how to self-produce these materials, and displays class-tested experimental installations. The book concludes with an outlook into the domain of synthetic biology and the prospects of a “living” architecture. It is ideal for students of structural materials engineering, architecture, and urban planning; professionals working these in areas, as well as materials science/engineering and architecture educators.

Today, architects and designers are beginning to look toward developments in new "smart" or "intelligent" materials and technologies for solutions to long-standing problems in building design. However, these new materials have so far been applied in a diverse but largely idiosyncratic nature, because relatively few architects have access to information about the types or properties of these new materials or technologies. Two of the leading experts in this field - Addington and Schodek - have solved this problem by incorporating all the relevant information of all the latest technologies available to architects and designers in this one volume. They present materials by describing their fundamental characteristics, and go on to identify and suggest how these same characteristics can be exploited by professionals to achieve their design goals. Here, the wealth of technical understanding already available in the materials science and engineering literature is at last made accessible to a design audience.

Whether luminous wallpaper, curtains that produce electricity, or self-cleaning windowpanes, more than ever before innovations in surface technologies are influencing and will continue to revolutionize the use of materials in architecture, interior design, and design. The new smart surfaces expand considerably design possibilities for architects and designers. Their use leads to new typologies and concepts that can also do justice to changes in expectations for buildings and design. The impression we have of a building or an object is increasingly determined by its surface qualities. Designers are thus confronted anew with the question of "appropriate materials" when dealing with smart surfaces. Smart Surfaces brings these design fields into the creative focus of planners and designers, and emphasizes concrete possibilities for applications. Planning fundamentals, including cost-benefit analyses, and questions related to building, including details of constructions, are presented in a clear and intelligible way. The various materials are introduced and their potentials assessed. Smart Surfaces not only offers a good overview of the themes but also provides inspiration for making use of these new surfaces. A book for everyone who wishes to be inspired by the possibilities for innovative surface technologies.

Designing interior spaces is a task that is equally relevant as architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design for those working professionally in the built environment. In this comprehensive work, an international and interdisciplinary team of authors presents the essential aspects of the various fields of contemporary interior architecture and design. The project examples are illustrated with brilliant photographs and plans. They have been selected according to consistent criteria for all chapters of the book and represent the essential building types, including exhibition stand design, as well as a broad range of today’s design approaches. The authors place the collaboration between the various design disciplines at the center of focus. The appendix contains information for further research. All in all, Designing Interior Architecture is a fundamental reference work for all those professionally engaged with the design.