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UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF MODERN BUILDING MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

2022, EVELYN GYASI

This essay highlights the key information derived from research in the field of building, environmental technology, and construction focused on the importance of energy efficiency, the significance of ecology, and the quality of the human environment in the construction industry. the world would become a better place if great awareness about the importance of ecology and how to sustain it, is made in every corner of the world to encourage a change of lifestyle, interest, desires, wants, and needs. Though the industry is a culprit of the ecological disruptions, information and easy sourcing of eco-friendly materials, renewable resources, energy efficiency, and renewable energy should be made readily available and easy to understand and absorbed by the masses, starting from educating children from the early childhood institution,

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The The use of ecological technologies in residential construction cause permanent interest in the scientific community, among researchers and practitioners, construction companies and the local citizens. The main purpose of this paper is to overview the modern ideas and approaches in environmental technologies applied all over the world in residential construction. The main research method used is the analysis of the information on the topic received from various public sources. The paper considers the use of biodegradable and natural (organic) materials, alternative heating and lighting sources, various energy efficiency improvement schemes in residential construction while reducing energy consumption.

Sustainable Construction

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Construction is one of the main sectors that generates greenhouse gases. This industry consumes large amounts of raw materials, such as stone, timber, water, etc. Additionally, infrastructure should provide service over many years without safety problems. Therefore, their correct design, construction, maintenance, and dismantling are essential to reducing economic, environmental, and societal consequences. That is why promoting sustainable construction has recently become extremely important. To help address and resolve these types of questions, this book is comprised of twelve chapters that explore new ways of reducing the environmental impacts caused by the construction sector, as well to promote social progress and economic growth. The chapters collect papers included in the “Sustainable Construction” Special Issue of the Sustainability journal. We would like to thank both the MDPI publishing and editorial staff for their excellent work, as well as the 43 authors who collaborated in its preparation. The papers cover a wide spectrum of issues related to the use of sustainable materials in construction, the optimization of designs based on sustainable indicators, the life-cycle assessment, the decision-making processes that integrate economic, social, and environmental aspects, and the promotion of durable materials that reduce future maintenance.

Anoushka Shome

The word “sustainability” is commonly defined as conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources”. It concerns with the efficient use of natural resources at a rate so as to address to the present needs as well as secure the needs of future generations. To attain this various types of advanced construction systems have been researched, developed and implemented in specific building projects. The adoption of materials and products in buildings and construction that will require less use of natural resources and increase the reusability while reducing waste is what is broadly called sustainable construction. In building sector building materials are important from the sustainability viewpoint. Construction and the use of buildings influences the total energy, the resource consumption and the waste generation which impacts the environment in terms of use and pollution of the biosphere. Sustainable construction works to solve the problem of low productivity by introducing advanced technologies such as prefabrication, automation and information technologies from manufacturing industry as well as concepts and methodologies associated with new technologies. To support the progress and new innovations in the field of sustainability and effective sustainable built environments knowledge fusion and technology have to be implemented to improve organisation strategies. This makes the process of creating a sustainable economic environment more efficient and time effective. Combining all the information and the data collected from years of research and study we can devise analyse and then proposed newer means and techniques which increase the effectiveness of the sustainable environments. The aim of this paper is to discuss about the importance of material for sustainable architecture, the increasing development and need for innovation and new technologies in field of construction. Keywords: Sustainability, Advanced Construction, Technologies, Knowledge fusion, Innovation

Peter Maydl

Sustainable construction is one of the 6 lead markets identified by the European Commission. The new CPR (Construction Products Regulation) expands the requirements for construction works and products by the new basic requirement 7 „sustainable use of natural resources“ significantly. Investors and project developer request progressively for certified green or even blue buildings. CEN/TC 350 has developed a suite of standards for sustainable construction, inter alia a framework for the assessment of the integrated performance of buildings as well as a standard for EPDs (environmental product declarations). These actual developments and the changing boundary conditions within the construction sector ask the question for the significance of construction materials for sustainability assessment of construction works and their interface to the structural design. It doesn’t make sense to optimize construction materials like concrete or steel without considering the opportunities of the st...

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The purpose of this paper is to address sustainable construction material and technology, which refers to the adaption of building designs, construction materials that are environmental friendly. Through sustainable supplies material available naturally can be used optimally by reducing, recycling and reusing will reduce dependency on raw building material required for construction. This paper includes various components required for sustainable development and sustainable construction technologies and construction materials.

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Fundamental environmental challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution are still widely relevant in today's world. Many of these problems have been associated with the architecture, engineering, and construction industries due to the level of resources used in these professions. In recent years, many manufacturers in these fields have expressed the motivation to make necessary changes that would be beneficial to the environment. Despite this progress, there remains a lack of research and assessment on the methods to achieve environmental stability within these architectural fields. Examining the Environmental Impacts of Materials and Buildings provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of ecological performance within modern building design and materials-based construction. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as life cycle assessment, material flows analysis, and sustainability, this book is ideally designed for architects, civil engineers, construction professionals, environmentalists, ecologists, business practitioners, scientists, policymakers, designers, researchers, and academicians seeking research on current trends in environmental performance within building design.

In this paper it is presented a definition of sustainable construction from ecological aspect, characterized by reducing the impact of different materials in the environment during construction, but also during the whole lifetime of use of buildings. To assess the impact of materials on health and environment is necessary to examine all phases from beginning of the materials manufacturing till the insertion to the construction, including the use of natural resources for the production of construction products, necessary energy for production, amount of release and CO2 emissions (carbon dioxide) in different stages, methods of construction, use of construction and in the end demolition and recycling. In this paper are presented aspects of a sustainable building with a particular approach to the selection of construction materials and the awareness raise about the impact of materials on environment and health during the whole life of using the facilities. Also it is presented sustaina...

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What Is Modern Architecture?

Main Characteristics, Types, History, and More

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Characteristics

The dawn of modern architecture came at a time when hand-labored craftsmanship was being replaced with machine-made industrialization. Modern architects worked to reinvent ways of building that focused more on how humans lived versus what they found beautiful. This popular architecture style is not sentimental, like revivalist styles. Instead, it is innovative, experimental, and minimal.

The basic principles of modern architecture include form following function, clean lines, and a lack of ornamentation. Modern architecture allowed a building's primary purpose to drive its design, eschewing decor for decor's sake, and, instead, reducing a building to its most basic function. Because of its emphasis on practicality, modern buildings are designed with a human's experience at their core, which includes an abundance of natural light and open floor plans.

Learn more about the dawn of modern architecture, how to recognize it, and its most identifiable characteristics.

Modern architecture is a style of building that emphasizes function and a streamlined form over ornamentation. This design aesthetic began in the 1930s as a departure from more elaborate and decorated homes like Queen Anne, Victorian, or Gothic Revival styles. Modern architecture, which was most often seen through the 1970s, usually involves sharp, clean lines.

History of Modern Architecture

The modern movement was not short-lived, and it encompasses several sub-styles that span nearly 60 years. In this way, it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact starting point. To some, the style includes more transitional architecture like the Art Deco and Arts and Crafts movements. To others, those earlier styles served as inspiration for more "pure," mid-century modern architects.

The birth of modern design came with the thought that form should follow function. This idea started with architect Louis Sullivan who designed buildings for the 1893 Chicago World Fair. That mantra became the foundation for modern architects.

Other popular pioneers of modern architecture include Frank Lloyd Wright, Staatliches Bauhaus, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier.

The modern design aesthetic was in full swing in the 1930s and became known as International Modernism or International Style. This design aesthetic came after an architecture exhibit by Philip Johnson in 1932.

In general, the most well-known examples of modern architecture end around the mid 20th century, but the design style still influences buildings well into the late 20th century.

Characteristics of Modern Architecture

Since there are so many styles of modern architecture, there are several defining characteristics. These are some of the more common, broad key features that can be seen across many different forms.

Clean, minimal lines. These lines lack additional ornamentation and are generally a consistent, smooth texture.
Broad roof overhangs. Several modern homes emphasize low, horizontal structures with large roof overhangs.
Walls of glass and large windows. You will find a very generous use of glass, which allows a significant amount of natural light into the interior.
Open and well-defined floorplans. Since modern architecture focuses on form over function, architects sought to include large, spacious floorplans with dining and living spaces that flowed into one another.
Modern and traditional building materials. Some common materials in modern homes include steel, concrete block, iron, and glass. More conventional building materials like wood, brick, and stone were used in more straightforward ways to show off their natural beauty.
A relationship to the outside environment. A lot of thought went into building sites and how buildings would relate to the natural landscape surrounding them.
Asymmetrical designs. Modern architects played around with large, smooth shapes and asymmetrical compositions that were cleanly planed and lacked any additional decoration.

Types of Modern Architecture

There are several styles of modern architecture in the United States alone. From 1930 through 1970, there are categories like Expressionist, Constructivist, and Mid-Century Modern, to name a few. Here are a few of the most popular types of modern architecture.

Early Modern Architecture

Modern architecture's earliest examples included buildings that showed off their structural forms and the materials used in building, whether that was metal framing, steel, or concrete. There was a focus on finding the beauty in the technicalities of the architecture.

Mid-century Modern

By the mid- to late-1940s, modern architecture evolved towards a look that felt more human. Mid-century modern architecture was still minimal and functional, but it introduced materials that felt warm and organic, including wood, large swaths of glass to let natural light in and open floor plans.

Post-modern

A backlash to the minimalist, sleek styling of modern architecture began in the 1970s, post-modern architecture echoed the pre-modern architecture styles which felt colorful, vibrant, ornate, and decorative. Ornamentation was re-introduced, and its eclectic lines continue today.

Examples of Modern Architecture

There are stunning examples of modern architecture still standing in pristine condition across the country, and many are open to the general public for tours. Here are a few examples of modern architecture you can study or see for yourself.

Eames House by Charles and Ray Eames
Glass House by Philip Johnson
Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright
Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Interesting Facts

The most common theme is the elimination of ornaments. .

Earlier styles of modern architecture still had some use of ornamentation. For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright would incorporate art glass windows so that no additional artwork was needed. Beyond that, modern architecture is mostly analytical and not showy.

Modern architecture is different than contemporary architecture.

To some people, modern and contemporary architecture are the same thing. However, modern architecture was inspired by an art movement known as modernism and lasted until around 1960. Contemporary architecture incorporates architecture past the 1960s and leading up to today. In short, contemporary architecture is reflective of styles in this current moment, which happen to be very diverse.

Eventually, modern homes seemed too cold for everyday living.

Modern homes were revolutionary in that they embraced the concept of free-flowing space. The ideology also rejected clutter and excess belongings. However, as the design period went on, many architects challenged this strict notion of space and lack of stuff as cold and impersonal. This evolution brought on more contemporary designs that worked to incorporate ornamentation and color. In contemporary homes, you can have an open concept floor plan but also have an element of privacy.

In summary, modern architecture began in the early 1900s and ended around the 1960s when more contemporary designs took over. Eventually, modern principles became too cold for everyday living due to an excess of space and the stark nature of the building materials.

Modern architecture is defined by minimal ornamentation and a focus on the materials and function that make up a building. You'll find sleek lines, open floor plans, and an abundance of natural light,

The primary difference between modern vs. contemporary architecture is that modern architecture is a specific stylistic movement, while contemporary architecture simply refers to the trends of the current era.

When you build a home with clean, sleek lines, there is no forgiveness. Each angle has to be perfect, and materials have to be top quality. This drives up the price of modern style homes.

16 Materials Every Architect Needs to Know (And Where to Learn About Them)

Written by Ariana Zilliacus
Published on January 07, 2024

A building’s materiality is what our bodies make direct contact with; the cold metal handle, the warm wooden wall, and the hard glass window would all create an entirely different atmosphere if they were, say, a hard glass handle, a cold metal wall and a warm wooden window (which with KTH’s new translucent wood , is not as absurd as it might sound). Materiality is of just as much importance as form, function, and location—or rather, inseparable from all three.

Here we’ve compiled a selection of 16 materials that should be part of the design vocabulary of all architects, ranging from the very familiar (such as concrete and steel) to materials that may be unknown to some of our readers, as well as links to comprehensive resources to learn more about many of them.

1. Concrete

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, making it a good starting material to get to know. However, it also has significant environmental impacts , including a carbon footprint of up to 5% of worldwide emissions. To get to know all about designing with concrete, the Concrete Center has a collection of useful reports , many of which are free with registration.

One of the oldest, most traditional building materials around the world is of course timber. The material is beginning to take on new forms thanks to engineered wood products , and with high-rise buildings and even translucent properties , this diverse material is being taken to new heights. reThink Wood has a great collection of resources to learn about, and help architects design with, wood.

The city skylines as we know them exploded out of our discovery of steel , commonly used for reinforcement but serving as a beautiful skin in several examples. The wiki SteelConstruction.info offers everything you need to know about designing with steel.

Although this may seem like a cheap, unsustainable material to some, one should not be so quick to judge the possibilities that plastic holds. We produce so much of it; why not recycle it in the form of architecture or bioplastics? What about the whole new world that comes with 3D printing ? The American Chemistry Council has a great overview of plastics as a material, as well as a rundown of their major uses in architecture , with links to further resources for each.

Another material used over generations in certain geographical locations around the world, stone has a wide diversity of textures, colors, and strengths. Despite its heavy, solid materiality, one can still work with it to achieve diverse forms . The Building Stone Institute has a variety of resources including fact sheets and specification sheets for many of the most common types of stone used in construction.

6. Textiles

Textiles have been explored most commonly using tensile structures , however, there’s a whole range of opportunities using this material: load-bearing chairs , inflatable spaces , fabric casting , and wooden fabrics amongst others. Fabric Architecture Magazine has a collection of technical articles for architects , while their resource guide provides a comprehensive overview of the products on the market in this category.

Our most used material to achieve transparency and light is without a doubt glass, one of the most commonly used façade elements in contemporary architecture. Some are taking it a step further, attempting to extend its properties to create "intelligent" responsive glass . The PPG Glass Education Center is a great place to learn more.

Despite its rigid, rectangular shape made to fit in your hand , brick architecture has been shown to create beautiful structures with the right craftsmanship. Innovative thinkers are also finding new ways to incorporate active sustainability into the small building elements. The Brick Development Association has a collection of resources for learning more about brick.

A material stronger than metal body armor, with awesome tensile strength , Kevlar is certainly an asset when building large structures. With a less rigid composition than steel, however, it could reform the way we think of large load-bearing structures. As a still relatively new material, there are few comprehensive information sources on Kevlar's architectural applications, but this article and this snippet from the book Material Architecture by John Fernandez are good places to start.

Bamboo usage is generally dictated by the geographical location of the architectural project. In locations where bamboo makes sense, it is an incredibly flexible, strong , sustainable material that can be useful in many ways .

11. Carbon Fiber

16 Materials Every Architect Needs to Know (And Where to Learn About Them) - Image 10 of 17

Reflecting everything about our new material endeavors is carbon fiber : "five times stronger than steel, twice as stiff, weighing significantly less." The composition of carbon fiber makes it flexible to work with, allowing it to take shapes from surfaces to rods , depending on your requirements.

12. Photovoltaic cells

With all the high-rises soaring high above the earth, it’s a wonder photovoltaic facades haven’t become a norm. Due to the evolution of photovoltaic technology , cells may no longer have to be locked in place on the roof. The International Energy Agency's design handbook for photovoltaics in buildings is available for free online.

Earth is among the oldest building materials we can think of due to its almost universal accessibility and relative ease of use at small scales . It’s capable of being compressed into modules , as well as creating freeform surfaces , all of which can eventually return to the earth with ease.

We produce a huge amount of waste covering a huge range of materials, but getting to know your waste is an excellent idea for future architects. Whether it’s converting cigarette butts into building material or plastic bottles to earthquake-resistant walls, recycling is something to be admired.

Creating a passive thermal environment , shielding from rain, and blending into similar natural surroundings are just a few things that straw is good at. It’s no wonder thatched roofs were so popular in the past.

16. Organic materials

With the massive loss of habitats happening around the world, getting to know organic structures created by animals is something that’s best to do sooner rather than later. Not only can we learn from their use of materials, it also opens up opportunities for us to coexist by incorporating their organic materials into our architecture.

As with all materials, accessibility and cost plays a huge role. There are sure to be materials not on the list that would be the obvious option in certain parts of the world, so be sure to get to know the materials around you in addition to these and you’ll be sure to have a complete resource.

Finally, if you're looking for a resource to specify products for a project, why not try ArchDaily's Product Catalog ?

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on December 19, 2016.

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Sustainability

想阅读文章的中文版本吗?

<a href='http://www.archdaily.com/799062/studio-ossidiana-translates-elements-of-persian-gardens-into-lively-materials-exhibition'>"Petrified Carpets,"</a> an exhibit by Studio Ossidiana at the 2016 Dutch Design Festival. Image © Kyoungtae Kim

每个建筑师都需要知道的16种材料（以及在哪里了解他们）

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ESSAY - Novel Building Materials

Above: Matthew Adams in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., where walls, sidewalks and a school use low-carbon materials.

On a cold morning in early 2019, I stood at a city transportation facility along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn watching a concrete crusher convert mammoth chunks of former sidewalks, manhole casings and building slabs into walnut-sized bits. Towering several stories above me, the rubble pile would soon float by barge down the East River, a small fraction of it delivered to regional roadway projects, as fill underlying new pavement, but most of it to landfills. As a civil engineer focused on sustainable materials, I asked the question: Can we recycle this razed urban infrastructure at a net benefit to the environment?

Here’s the problem: Concrete, the world’s most pervasive man-made material, has a colossal impact on energy and natural resources consumption. In 2020, 3.66 billion tons were manufactured worldwide, the equivalent of over 4,000 Hoover Dams. The production of its core component — cement — is estimated to be responsible for about 8% of global CO2 emissions.

Nearly all of it incorporates newly mined rock. Yet in the U.S. alone, we send more than 134 million tons of concrete waste from demolition each year to landfills. Among other benefits, reusing these materials would reduce the pollution, energy use, habitat destruction and massive costs associated with mining and the construction of new landfills.

In my lab at NJIT, which looks more like a miniature construction site than a laboratory, researchers make and test new types of concrete that include novel materials such as recycled concrete aggregate, waste from the coal and steel industries and pulverized recycled glass. We squeeze, pull and bend the concrete until it breaks to assess how strong it is; we freeze, heat and dry it, and spray it with de-icing salts and other corrosive chemicals to see how resistant it is to environmental degradation. Our goal is to reduce the embodied carbon content of concrete without compromising its ability to withstand heavy loading, natural disasters and long-term wear.

Despite its promise, however, building codes at the local, state and national level are slow to permit the mixture of new engineered compounds in building materials. What’s more, local agencies lack the resources to develop regulations to support the use of more sustainable products that already have regulatory approval. It’s clear we need to do a better job addressing concerns over durability, while also publicizing the benefits.

As a public policy fellow with the Rockefeller Institute of Government since 2020, I investigate the barriers that hinder the adoption of sustainable concrete. One of the main stumbling blocks is the lack of accessible, easily digestible information about how these new technologies perform. The state agencies that write and control materials specifications need to know what happens when we mix them with local rock. An official in New Jersey familiar with granite is rightly skeptical, for example, about research performed on limestone in Texas.

We need to develop education campaigns that inform these officials and construction engineers about up-to-date research, testing and real-world case studies, while emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the greening of concrete — no single mixture that works in every scenario.

Recycled concrete mixtures that are sturdy enough for a house foundation or a sidewalk, for example, might not be suitable for a bridge deck. Therefore, we need to develop design tools that help engineers decide which sustainable materials are best suited to their construction projects.

Finally, many public agencies and engineering companies are afraid to embrace new methods without strong proof of their long-term durability. While laboratory testing can show that novel sustainable materials are strong enough to withstand structural loading, our methods for predicting their — or any concrete’s — ability to last for 50 to 100 years are less accurate. There is risk in using novel materials that have not been subjected to real-world conditions for decades. Fortunately, there are opportunities to ease these concerns, and they start in towns and cities. While policies on sustainability at the national level are mired in political division, a significant amount of concrete is purchased with state and local tax dollars. As such, municipalities and states can write rules that encourage the use of approved sustainable construction materials.

One great example is a resolution adopted in 2020 by Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. that directs the village to provide education and support to community stakeholders about low-embodied carbon concrete, while encouraging them to use it and other novel, sustainable materials. By agreeing to accept the risk of durability failures if the concrete does not last as long as predicted, the village is able to mandate low-carbon materials in project specifications. It has since been used in walls, sidewalks and even the new Hillside Elementary School.

When it comes to sustainable construction, the adage “change starts at home” has never been more accurate.

When enough municipalities decide to hold their contractors to higher standards, states are more likely to adopt them, and then we’ll begin to see significant improvements in the sustainability of our concrete infrastructure. In the meantime, my team of engineers will be busy in the lab designing the next generation of materials that are both durable and green. We invite sustainable communities to help us spread the message.

From the Interim Provost

Atam P. Dhawan Interim Provost and Senior Executive Vice President Senior Vice Provost for Research Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Building Resilience

Scientific Innovation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future

Construction Engineering

Lab-Simulated Earthquakes - Test the Mettle of ‘High-Performance’ Building Materials

Sustainable Design

Mapping an Ancient Solution to a Modern Crisis

Environmental Chemistry

The Rise of a Climate-Triggered Neurotoxin in the Arctic Tundra

NJIT in the World

Alumni Q&A

Water Remediation

Harvesting the Toxic Blooms of Summer

Diversity in Science

Shark Science

Undergraduate Research

From City Streets to Waterways, Undergraduates Use Data for Change

Defusing Disaster

Converting Yesterday’s Rubble into Tomorrow’s Cities

Power Electronics

Working the Wind

Language Development

Singing Lessons

Applied Optics

Tracking a Deadly Rise, Historic Fall of Insect Populations

Economics of Recycling

New Futures for Old Plastics

Community-Engaged Architecture

Tiny Home Designs Offer Big Community

New Faculty

Faculty Accomplishments

Research at NJIT: By the Numbers

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Twentieth-Century Building Materials: History and Conservation

Over the concluding decades of the twentieth century, the historic preservation community increasingly turned its attention to modern buildings, including bungalows from the 1930s, gas stations and diners from the 1940s, and office buildings and architectural homes from the 1950s. Conservation efforts, however, were often hampered by a lack of technical information about the products used in these structures, and to fill this gap Twentieth-Century Building Materials was developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service and first published in 1995. Now, this invaluable guide is being reissued—with a new preface by the book’s original editor.

With more than 250 illustrations, including a full-color photographic essay, the volume remains an indispensable reference on the history and conservation of modern building materials. Thirty-seven essays written by leading experts offer insights into the history, manufacturing processes, and uses of a wide range of materials, including glass block, aluminum, plywood, linoleum, and gypsum board. Readers will also learn about how these materials perform over time and discover valuable conservation and repair techniques. Bibliographies and sources for further research complete the volume.

The book is intended for a wide range of conservation professionals including architects, engineers, conservators, and material scientists engaged in the conservation of modern buildings, as well as scholars in related disciplines.

Thomas C. Jester, AIA, formerly an architectural historian with the National Park Service, is a senior architect at Quinn Evans Architects, where he specializes in historic preservation.

“…invaluable…for anybody with an interest in modern architecture.” — Journal of the Institute of Conservation

19 Beautiful Examples of Historic and Modern Architecture Coming Together

By Nick Mafi and Noelann Bourgade

Historic and modern architecture don’t come together too often. Even though they’re seen as vastly different, but still equally important, our built environment is often defined by distinctly separate old and new buildings. Historic architecture has its own charm and beauty—think about lasting palaces like Versailles or ancient temples across the world—and it’s no secret that, at its best, modern architecture inspires: Many buildings designed by figures such as Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Santiago Calatrava , and Frank Gehry, among others are some examples.

Older structures can inform us about the culture, history, and values of the past; new ones, much like a force of nature, have the ability to transform a neighborhood (almost always for the better). Many refer to this as the Bilbao effect , a term coined after a Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim museum helped turn around the Spanish city’s economy.

Economic boost aside, what happens when these modern marvels are built on or within the existing buildings themselves? Although it’s not the norm, there are times when architects decide (mainly due to preservation) that instead of building around or in place of historic structures, it’s better to build in or atop the original foundation. When these two worlds of old and new come together, the result can be awe-inspiring. From Zaha Hadid’s extension to the Port House in Belgium, which looks as if a spaceship were attached to a 19th-century building, to Daniel Libeskind’s beautiful clash of new and old in Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum, AD lists the 19 best examples of when historic and modern architecture come together to produce something better than the sum of their parts.

museum with a modern structure that has been added to it

Museum of Military History (Dresden, Germany)

Built originally as an armory in 1876, the structure officially became a museum in 1897. By 1989, however, the German government decided to close the public structure due to its uncertainty as to how it wanted history to remember its military positions. The space reopened in 2011, but not before a renovation was executed by Daniel Libeskind. His vision added a modern façade, which juts out from an otherwise traditional neoclassical building.

aerial view of a museum with city in the background

Kunstmuseum Moritzburg (Halle, Germany)

Situated in east Germany, the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg originally started as a castle built in the late 15th century. Designed in the Early Renaissance style of architecture, the structure was eventually converted into a museum at the end of the 19th century. More than a century later, a museum renovation included the addition of a sleek modern building. The new construction was necessary, as certain parts of the original structure had completely fallen apart due to time and both world wars. The modern addition was designed by Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano (Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos), a European firm that’s won many awards including the 2015 Alvar Aalto Medal, the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and the 2009 International Architecture Award, among others.

exterior of a museum with a few clouds in sky

Brooklyn Museum (New York City)

With roughly 1.5 million works, the Brooklyn Museum houses New York’s second largest art collection (the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the top spot). Completed in 1895, the Beaux-Arts building was designed by McKim, Mead and White. (Note: McKim, Mead and White was the same firm responsible for the design of the city’s original Pennsylvania Station, and the arch in Washington Square Park, among other structures.) In 2004, a beautiful $63 million glass entrance was added to greet visitors. Designed by Ennead Architects (previously known as Polshek Partnership), the 15,000-square-foot pavilion provides a striking juxtaposition to the more traditional backdrop of the museum façade.

modern structure on a historic building by the river

City of Fashion and Design (Paris)

Paris's City of Fashion and Design is located along the banks of the Seine River. Designed by local firm Jakob + MacFarlane, the structure was built within old general stores. What used to be a site that lacked a discernible character is now instantly recognizable by the ultracontemporary, bright-green structure on its exterior.

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Night view on the illuminated Port House building by the water

Port Authority (Antwerp, Belgium)

Designed by the inimitable mind of Zaha Hadid, Antwerp's Port Authority building is quite literally like no other building on the planet. When completed in 2016, the renovation and extension took a once-derelict fire station and transformed it into a new headquarters for the port. Today, the new structure houses the port’s 500 staffers, all of whom previously worked in separate buildings around the city.

blue skies over a modern allglass building built atop an older building

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)

When it opened in 2017, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg was considered by many to be the most exciting venue to hold a concert in the world. The Herzog & de Meuron–designed structure sits atop an old warehouse that was built in 1963, and in a short span of time has already become the most internationally recognizable building in the city.

steel structure between historic buildings

St. Antony’s College (Oxford, England)

Leave it to Zaha Hadid to design an ultramodern structure within the campus of the oldest university in the United Kingdom. But that's just what she did with this stainless-steel façade that bridges buildings within Oxford's Middle East Centre, a department that studies the humanities and social sciences in the modern Arab world.

Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto)

The Royal Ontario Museum has a rich past that can be studied by the building's architecture. It was first built in 1914 in a neo-Romanesque style, only to be later renovated in an Art Deco–inspired form. By 2007, Daniel Libeskind added a multimillion-dollar extension made primarily of glass, aluminum, and steel.

residential buildings with taller new york skyscrapers in background

Stealth Building (New York City)

Designed by the New York–based firm WORKac, the Stealth Building is a residential structure that is located in a city with strict architecture codes. When the renovation of this beautiful cast-iron building was being debated, New York City’s Landmarks Commission required that any rooftop be completely invisible. That's where the skill of the architects came into play, as they withdrew the rooftop so that it could not be discerned by any bystander for several blocks.

exterior of a modern and historic building next to each other

Space Asia Hub (Singapore)

Designed by the Singapore-based firm WOHA, the Space Asia Hub was built within and around two former homes. These villas stand in stark contrast to WOHA's ultramodern, all-glass cubelike structure that's connected to it. Today, the space is an upscale retail and gallery hub.

Sant Fransesc Church (Santpedor, Spain)

Originally built in the early 18th century by Franciscan priests, Sant Fransesc Church was abandoned by the 19th century. By 2000, the structure was in hideous shape. That was until architect David Closes redesigned it, adding, among other elements, an eye-catching entrance to the building.

Jewish Museum Berlin (Berlin)

Opened in September 2001, the extensions to Berlin’s beautiful Jewish Museum were designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. In total, the museum comprises three buildings, making it the largest museum dedicated to Judaica in Europe. While the original structure was completed in 1933, the two additions were designed by Libeskind. The architect used a zigzagging, disrupted design to further push the theme of how extremely difficult and uprooted the Jewish experience was during the Second World War.

exterior of building with person walking outside

York Theatre Royal (York, England)

Renovated in 2016 by the London-based firm De Matos Ryan, the York Theatre Royal added a new front to its street façade. While the original structure has been an active theater site since the mid–18th century, the building has gone through a series of additions. This most recent addition goes a long way in proving the marriage between new and old can be a beautiful one if done right.

The Union of Romanian Architects (Bucharest, Romania)

Located in heart of the Romanian capital city, the Union of Romanian Architects building was originally built in the late 19th century in the French Renaissance architectural style. When it was agreed the building was to be renovated, the architects were required to build on top of the original structure, since it was a historical landmark. The end result shows how much architecture has changed over the centuries, both in style and in preferred materials.

View of The Dancing House is a deconstructivist building from NationaleNederlanden designed by the CroatianCzech...

Dancing House (Prague, Czech Republic)

Prague’s playful Dancing House, constructed in concrete and glass with two curved deconstructed pillars, was a joint project between Czech architect Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. Built for the investment bank Nationale-Nederlanden, Gehry’s original name for the building was Fred and Ginger, referring to the famous Hollywood dancing couple, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The dynamic structure sits between 18th- and 19th-century buildings, though some have criticized they way it stands out among the city’s many Baroque, Gothic, and Art Nouveau buildings. These twisting cylinders—nicknamed “The Dancers” and designed in 1996—house a museum, offices, and a restaurant. There is also a rooftop terrace with a breathtaking panoramic view of Prague’s Old Town.

L’École de Musique et de Théâtre (Louviers, France)

Designed by Opus 5 Architectes, this music school in Louviers, France, was designed and built in 2012 over the ruins of a monastery. The site of the former Convent of the Penitents is now home to a contemporary stone-and-glass structure that includes an orchestra hall and auditorium. For the architects, the building’s glass ceiling was an important element of their vision for the school. Their aim was to preserve the building’s history while introducing a touch of modernity.

Winery with large ribbonlike architectural addition

Hotel Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, Spain)

This luxury hotel in Álava, a province in the Basque Territory in Spain, was designed by architect Frank Gehry in 2003 as an expansion of an earlier building dating from 1858. Initially dedicated to wine production, the Spanish owners and Gehry transformed the project into an extraordinary hotel complex—in fact, to this day, it’s the only hotel the starchitect has ever designed. Built atop the earlier winery, the avant-garde sandstone and titanium hotel opened its doors in 2006 and has become almost as famous as another building in northern Spain by Gehry: the Guggenheim in Bilbao, which is roughly 90 minutes by car from the hotel.

19th century building with a large dome on top

Museum de Fundatie (Zwolle, The Netherlands)

In the Netherlands, a modern dome from the future was added to the roof of the Museum de Fundatie. The imposing addition on top of a 19th-century building creates a unique juxtaposition. The museum’s original building was designed by the architect Eduard Louis de Coninck between 1838 and 1841. It served as a courthouse and then government offices before being transformed into its current use in 1994. When the dome addition was unveiled in 2013, the building became a symbol for the town and an icon of contemporary architecture.

Crystal Houses (Amsterdam)

Not just a combination of historic and modern architecture, this Hermès store designed by MVRDV, represents the evolution of historic to modern architecture. Wanting to honor the character of the original building, which sits on a historically residential street, the architects used glass bricks for the lower half of the building. The top follows the traditional architectural vernacular of the area, and the bottom conforms to common retail aesthetics with its transparent façade.

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Volunteer Abstractors
Archaeological Site Protection & Management
Characterizing Materials
Conservation of Collections
Conservation of Photographic Materials
Conserving Modern Materials
Earthen Architecture Conservation
Mosaics Conservation
Stone Conservation
Twentieth-Century Building Materials
Conservation Perspectives, The GCI Newsletter
GCI Reference Collection (for materials analysis)
Research Assistance at GCI Information Center
Conservation Collection at Research Library

Twentieth-Century Building Materials: History and Conservation

Edited with a new preface by Thomas C. Jester; 2014

Read Online Download PDF Purchase a Copy Find in WorldCat

Conservation efforts, however, were often hampered by a lack of technical information about the products used in these structures, and to fill this gap Twentieth-Century Building Materials was developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service and first published in 1995. Now, this invaluable guide is being reissued—with a new preface by the book's original editor.

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