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Transmaterial: A catalog of materials that redefine our
physical environment,
edited by Blaine Brownell.
In the last few years, material research
and exploration has become a popular cottage industry, spurred
by firms like OMA that have developed new materials for
their projects. One of the most popular proponents and catalogers
of this trend is Blaine Brownell, architect with NBBJ in
Seattle. Admitting that "the architect is one step
removed from the physical substance that makes architecture"
and "that conventional thinking about materials in
architectural practice is severely limited," he started
sharing his research on materials with Product of the Week
e-mails that continue to this day. Nearly 200 of those materials
have been compiled into this book version, split into ten
material categories and further categorized by the characteristics
that make each material special, such as materials that
undergo a physical metamorphosis based on environmental
stimuli. The range of materials presented is just amazing,
ranging from the well-known light-trasmitting
concrete to expandable
paper walls. One may question the need for a book when
materials research moves so fast, with new materials and
variations introduced so frequently (In anticipation of
this, PA Press also provides Materials
Monthly, a subscription service geared to the fast pace
of research and development). More importantly, one must
wonder if new materials are responding to a need or rather
creating a desire for such things? Perhaps that question
will be answered as architects use these novel materials
more and more in their projects.
. . or . . 
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