Author: Catalina Valenzuela | ArchDaily

Applying Exposed Cork in Interior Architecture

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Thu, 04 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

How can we transport ourselves to natural environments when we are in completely urban situations? The materiality of our surroundings is an important factor that determines the atmosphere we inhabit. In many cases, the use of natural materials in interior architecture can help evoke nature in our daily spaces. In this article, we will specifically analyze the effect that cork has as a special resource in the design of interior spaces. Cork is the bark of a tree species called cork oak. When extracted from the tree, it is transformed into a useful raw product and can be applied to a variety of different uses.

8 Examples of Wind Powered Architecture

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Wind energy is a type of renewable energy obtained from the wind, or in other words from the movement of air masses transferring from areas of high atmospheric pressure to nearby areas of lower atmospheric pressure, with speeds proportional to the pressure gradient. To take advantage of wind energy, machines called wind turbines or mills are used, activated by the movement of the wind as the propeller rotates. The propeller is in turn connected to a generator rotor that raises the speed of rotation to thousands of revolutions per minute, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy.

Valencia: World Capital of Design 2022

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:45:00 +0000

The World Design Capital® is designated every two years by the World Design Organization (WDO), which is dedicated to promoting the design profession worldwide. The objective is to recognize cities that use design as a tool to stimulate economic, social, cultural and environmental development. The latest cities chosen have been Turin, Seoul, Helsinki, Cape Town, Taipei, Mexico City and Lille; an interesting mixture of cities that have established design as a key method of transformation.

3D Printing With Thermoplastics Creates a Folding System That Controls Light Temperature

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The roof of Euston Station in London is the large-scale architectural setting for the virtual application of the comprehensive Metaplas system, created by students from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. As part of an investigation carried out in Research Cluster 8 (RC8) of the Master's program in Architectural Design, students developed a 3D printed multimaterial system from biodegradable and recyclable thermoplastics. Transforming a series of flat panels into complex three-dimensional forms, students created a structural system with geometric folds that allows for passive control of the lighting of interior spaces.

Expressive Polycarbonate: Creating Colored Translucent Facades

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 04:30:00 +0000

Polycarbonate has become an alluring alternative to glass in facades, as it has different levels of translucency and can provide optimal transmission and diffusion of light. Moreover, it is light, flexible, recyclable, durable, resistant to impact, and includes UV protection, in addition to resisting temperatures between -40°C and 115°C. But beyond its functional properties, this thermoplastic also provides wide-ranging aesthetic opportunities, allowing architects to create unusually dynamic and expressive facades.

How to Expand Spaces with Revolving Corner Windows

Catalina Valenzuela Cortés — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 04:30:00 +0000

The window is the architectural element that satisfies our innate need to relate to the outside space, providing us with ventilation and light. The more extensive and clean the window is, the greater the sensation of "being outside". Consequently, opening up spaces to the outside has become a common requirement for people who want and need to inhabit flexible, adaptable spaces, in contact with the air and nature. There are many ways to do this, but not all of them allow an airtight enclosure to become fully open and continuous, clearing the boundaries between both spaces.