It’s not technology, it’s time.
“Hope for Architecture” is the call of Clay Chapman, described by him as “an architectural practice that faces the challenges of the future”. In fact, “Hope for Architecture” is a masonry and wood technique, which has been reproduced and adapted from ancient times to today. Clay and his young family moved to Carleton Landing, Oklahoma, fifteen years ago to fulfill a mission: to create a community and use this technology.
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Chapman explained his journey: “The project began in 2012. We started with one goal: to create a permanent difference in the casting process that can be built and can be sold. Later of the test in Columbus, Georgia, and a large study conducted with the Clemson University’s National Brick Research Center, we worked with the University of Notre Dame, offering internships and courses for students in the School of Architecture.
Chapman describes his technique as “reducing the masonry superstructure”, that is, to solid, bulky materials. His method uses three layers of ceramic stones and depends on the decisions made at the construction site. According to Chapman, there are “impossible opportunities to solve the problem and solve it on a 1:1 scale.”
After the heavy elements are ready, the design begins with the usual decisions – the light ones give, that is, “everything that hangs on the mass… Perforations are made perpendicularly. most of the time, these pieces are cut and/or screwed in. Ducts are attached directly to the walls.
The work was awarded the Barranco Award and the Urban Guild Exploration Excellence Award. Chapman also received additional recognition from the National Brick Industry Association for his designs.
In addition to maintenance and long-term stability, there are the facts of energy conservation: the buildings are more efficient than what is required by the US building code.
In this new look at the end of time, Chapman simply says that “the new will make us believe that thousands of years of construction have not produced before the change of business in the best practices, suitable for the people need today. I totally disagree. Absolutely. Although progress has greatly improved our lives, nothing shows better than freemasonry when it comes to life. economy, ancestral relations, integrity and truth. All that we are building is done for economic reform and to protect Masonry from the damage the process.”
“A building that can last five to ten times the life of a new construction becomes much less economically and environmentally over time. ‘Dilution’ is the right word, if we talk about the cost per square meter or carbon foot. In terms of long-term cost, nothing is better.”
Technology can be blind to change, or it can think and dictate values. Indeed, the work of Chapman’s life shows one answer: “We are in the form of a multifaceted culture … that is rooted in the evil of the places where we work.”
It’s not “new”, it’s just what’s happening now. Technology can change everything but our human nature. We can be shocked by what we see, but we are nourished by what we value. As Clay Chapman said, “That goes for innovation, whether it’s Tesla or the Legacy Architecture.”
This article is part of ArchDaily Topics: The Future of Building Materials. Each month, we explore a specific topic through articles, interviews, news and projects. Learn more about ArchDaily topics. As always, ArchDaily is open to contributions from our readers; If you would like to submit an article or project, please contact us.