Materiality and Fabrication: Materials

Here I will discuss my research into materials, construction and processes that I have used in my Future Life project. 

One main thing I had to think about was the extension of the Ginnel's roof and my initial thinking was to make it out of a material that would withstand against the weather and also something easy to make and create. For some inspiration I looked into types of metals that would be suitable or sheet metal as my first idea was and also how to create the kind of archway to keep it going throughout the Ginnel.

Just to add the roof itself instead of a kind of archway I thought about sheet metal and like the image to the left, corrugated sheet metal could be a preferred material as it can easily be bent without using machinery. The gaps in-between the material will help with rain water as it will even it out and also make it easy to run off so it doesn't weigh the roof down.





Another idea would be to make it into a shelter design, but as there are already walls in the Ginnel itself it wouldn't be appropriate to make the space smaller still, but just by adding the roof will give that effect of enclosed spaces. A bus shelter was the first idea that came to mine as it is classed as a shelter and would work well within the existing site.

Looking through the internet I found a discussion website where people ask the general public questions about problems etc. and in this case it was a similar question to mine, creating an extended roof onto an existing site and what materials would be suitable to do this.

A few materials were mentioned and one of them was like the metal sheets but this time made out of non-asbestos fibre cement sheets which are not very expensive about £25 per sheet and they will last longer than plastic. They would be supported by timber with fixings and caps.

Another possibility to create this archway would be again to consider metal, this time steel in the style of re-bars (reinforcing bar) This type of material is quite thick and can only be bent by machines which would cost more money if it were to be made and also it has to be embedded into the ground to keep its shape and as I don't want to effect the existing site this wouldn't be appropriate.


Metals:

Steel is stronger than iron because of the elements in it. When hit, iron will crack where as steel wouldn't. Stainless steel is more expensive but won't rest unlike normal steel. Also an alloy metal which would be even stronger

Wood Textures/Grains

My first initial idea into creating the maze panels was to use wood. This was because wood was light and easy to cut if needed and also there are many finishes that you can add to wood that create a different effect. Like as an example use paint or finishes to create the look of brick on the wood panels.

Wood is also cheap and easy to buy and make so this would also be a plus for my design if it were to be made. There are also different types of Hard and Softwoods that can be used so there is excessive types of material that can be sourced.

Hardwood's:                                              Softwood's:

- Oak              -  Mahogany                       - Pine             - Fir

           - Maple           - Teak                                - Ash              - Redwood

      - Cherry          - Walnut                             - Beech           - Cedar

Hardwood's are more dense, which means that they are harder to cut. Hardwood's are usually defined as being deciduous trees, which loose their leaves in winter. 

Softwood's are less dense and opposite to Hardwood's are very easy to cut as the grains in the wood are softer to manipulate. These types of woods are taken from evergreen trees, which as the name serves are ever green even through winter.

MDF: 

Depending on the size and weight of both Hardwood's and Softwood's can make the price vary. As these types of wood are from actual trees, there is also the possibility of using MDF, which is medium-density fibreboard. This means that it is man made, and processed using both hardwood's and softwood residuals into wood fibres which is then combined with wax and resin, this keeps the wood together and it also makes it a lot stronger than natural woods.

Types of Finishes:

As the panels will be open to the elements I want to have a protective finish to help the sustainability. Varnishes are commonly used as they can have either Matt or high gloss finishes on it, also as well as they can be oil based ans water based substances. Less common are stains as they create a different colour on the woods, and even less favoured are oils and waxes as they are thicker and less easy to use.  

The wooden panels would be light and easy to create and looking at the image to the left, I have done a quick diagram of two panels side by side. Wood as a material can also be easily manipulated and there is also the possibility that an overlay or something of that kind come cover up the wooden effect and have a brick effect over the top. This will keep the panels lightweight with also the style/design of the bricks in the Ginnel.

Development.

A main idea I wanted to keep throughout is that I wanted my design in keeping with the existing site so As the Ginnel itself is made out of handmade bricks so I thought it would work well in my design to use general bricks or handmade bricks.

Handmade brick sizes are usually 215 x 102.5 x 50. Natural clay materials are used to mix together to make the bricks. They are cheap to make, easy to get and also are able to withstand the weather and other elements. There are different stages to combine the materials together to form the brick. You start off by creating the shapes , coating it and also drying the materials to make it a lot stronger and durable, finally you fire the bricks to combine them fully and make them stronger still. 

A flaw in using handmade bricks is that they take longer to make as the processes are a very different now and also nowadays more materials are used. Like modern bricks, they also stick together using cement  which makes it more safe and structural.

Here this image at the side shows the panel section actually inside the Ginnel itself. As I still have the idea of keeping in with the original site and its materials this is a diagram of actual bricks being used in the panels. The panels themselves will move as its development progresses in my designs and to make it look as genuine as possible, bricks seem like the more suitable material, also a masked idea that the material used actually is brick could also work, as it still gives the effect of it always being there.