Aluminium

Are you making the most of aluminium?

Aluminium is one of the most flexible and durable materials to design with. With exceptional strength, durability, and affordability, it provides us with more than simply the ability to select products. When understood properly, aluminium becomes something to design with.

In a world where over half of humankind now lives in cities, there is a need to design zero-carbon, attractive, and durable architecture. This can only be achieved if we are more resourceful, if we achieve more with less by understanding materials well, using finite element analysis and computer-aided design. Aluminium can be part of that route to affordable and durable architecture. Recycling aluminium takes only 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminium, and it can be recycled almost infinitely without any loss of properties.

Combining an inspirational overview of the use of aluminium in architecture and infrastructure with a technical level of detail, Aluminium shows how useful and versatile aluminium is – and how architects can actually design with it.

This book provides access to state-of-the-art research into the best practice in the application of aluminium to architecture: from curtain walling and cladding roofing to structural considerations. It demonstrates the material’s design flexibility and how it works well with other materials. Each process will be accompanied by exemplary case studies that demonstrate its potential and application. Woven into the structure of the book are the primary benefits of aluminium: its flexibility, its durability, its sustainable properties, and its cost-effectiveness.

Whether you’re a first-year student or a seasoned designer or engineer, this book provides an accessible and deep dive into the uses and benefits of aluminium.