ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS: The Evolution of Construction Through the Years

INTRODUCTION

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, one of human’s basic needs is security. In order for one to feel secure, he must have a sense of privacy. This is best achieved by providing a roof above one’s head or a shelter. Through our History of Architecture class, we witnessed how, from taking refuge in a cave, humans, as they discovered how to craft tools, learned to construct their own shelters which, then, developed into more complex and different structures, to suffice their other needs, as time passed by.

Around 10,000 – 9,000 B.C.E, as the earth’s climate started becoming warmer, wetter, and more temperate human transition from living nomadic lives to settling down in a specific location where they can plant edible plants and live off of them. This change gave them a chance to develop permanent structures to take shelter from. From these humble beginnings, architecture has been defined by the aesthetic tastes of the cultures that developed it, the physical needs for shelter, and, of course, the available materials and techniques. Early structures were made from perishable materials, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides.

From the start of Neolithic, one of the earlier types of architecture is probably Timber Architecture, as people arranged sticks over pits in the ground and covered them in hides and furs for warmth. As societies settled down and people could put more effort into architecture, timber construction became more advanced. It was during this period when the post and lintel system, one of the first great developments in timber, was established. This system basically became the basis of all succeeding architecture, a simple system that enabled people to start making larger and more complex structures. Since then, many other construction materials were discovered and invented.

CONCLUSION

The core of every construction project, apart from its design, is the materials used. Nowadays, many innovative materials are coming up in the industry of architecture. With ongoing research and innovative technologies, a variety of modern material options have become available today. Modern construction materials also need to be able to adapt to various climatic conditions from freezing sub-zero temperatures to dry heat or high humidity. With the styles and designs on modern construction, we need materials that can maintain structural strength while reducing its impact on the environment. Architects should know what to choose as the best materials to use in their projects.