[...]... In most fields, technologies undergo continuous cycles of evolution and obsolescence as the governing science matures; Materials in architecture and design 11 Smart Materials and New Technologies as a result, new materials and technologies can be easily assimilated In architecture, however, technologies have very long lifetimes, and many factors other than science determine their use and longevity There... extrinsic understanding of their properties and performance In essence, knowledge of materials was gained through experience and observation Master builders were 2 Materials in architecture and design Smart Materials and New Technologies those who had acquired that knowledge and the skills necessary for working with available materials, often through disastrous trial and error The role of materials changed... these materials will put us into the heady role of manipulating the principles of physics 12 Materials in architecture and design Smart Materials and New Technologies 1.6 Organization of the text The objectives of this book are thus three-fold The first is to provide a primer on smart materials, acquainting architects and designers with the fundamental features, properties, behaviors and uses of smart materials. .. louvers on the surface of the glazing, thus Materials in architecture and design 9 Smart Materials and New Technologies changing the net transparency Unwieldy, yes, but nevertheless feasible and possible to achieve with commonly used technology and materials (Indeed, many buildings currently use such a system.) So perhaps the most unique aspects of these materials and technologies are the underlying concepts... gives an indication as to how NASA intends to investigate and apply them A more sweeping definition comes from the Encyclopedia of Chemical 8 Materials in architecture and design Smart Materials and New Technologies Technology: smart materials and structures are those objects that sense environmental events, process that sensory information, and then act on the environment’.4 Even though these two... to possess some level of smartness The 18 Materials in architecture and design Smart Materials and New Technologies systems of concern here include normal environmental systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning; lighting; acoustical) and structural systems Historically, one of the first uses of the term smart was in connection with improved sensor-based monitoring and control systems for... building space that is ‘intelligent’ and one that is smart? ’ The engineering and computer science worlds often do not distinguish between the two, presuming that both represent Materials in architecture and design 19 Smart Materials and New Technologies the crowning culmination of technological development – that of the fully contained and controlled environment In Chapters 8 and 9, we begin to propose an... in location and in view the physical components of a building One often designs with the intention of establishing an image or multiple sequential images With a smart material, however, we should be focusing on what we want it do, not on how we want it to look The understanding of smart materials must then reach back further than simply the understanding of material Smart Materials and New Technologies. .. This basic relationship forms a construct that allows us to understand the fundamental mechanisms of ‘smartness’ The resulting construct will form the basis not only for the categories, but will also be useful as we discuss potential combinations and applications Materials in architecture and design 13 Smart Materials and New Technologies Smartness in a material or system is determined by one of two mechanisms,... are lighted by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (Yokiko Koide) 16 Materials in architecture and design Smart Materials and New Technologies TYPE 2 MATERIALS A second general class of smart materials is comprised of those that transform energy from one form to an output energy in another form, and again do so directly and reversibly Thus, an electro-restrictive material transforms electrical energy into . class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" SMART MATERIALS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES Smart Materials and New Technologies For the architecture and design professions D. Michelle. properties and perfor- mance. In essence, knowledge of materials was gained through experience and observation. Master builders were Smart Materials and New Technologies 2 Materials