ArchEyes Index · Materials
Architecture
by material
Every material in the archive, from rammed earth and stone to steel, glass and polycarbonate. Each material opens a curated collection of case studies with plans, sections and photographs, so you can follow how matter shapes space across decades, climates and building types.
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Essential Materials
Eight materials that open the archive, each introduced by one of its defining buildings.
356 case studiesConcrete
Salk Institute
195 case studiesWood
Red Emma, Vienna
145 case studiesBrick
Phillips Exeter Library
61 case studiesStone
Therme Vals
85 case studiesGlass
Farnsworth House
54 case studiesSteel
Lloyd’s Building
17 case studiesRammed Earth
Studio House, Formafatal
24 case studiesMarble
Beinecke Library01 · Timber
Timber and Plant-Based
Wood, engineered timber, bamboo and thatch: renewable materials with warmth and structure.
02 · Stone
Stone
From rough masonry to polished marble, the oldest material of permanence.
Stone Construction1
03 · Earth and Clay
Earth and Clay
Rammed earth, adobe, terracotta and tile: the ground itself, compressed, fired and glazed.
04 · Brick
Brick and Masonry
Unit by unit: brick, block and the craft of bonded walls.
Brick and Block3
05 · Concrete
Concrete and Plaster
Poured, cast and rendered: concrete in all its finishes, and the plasters that clothe a wall.
06 · Metal
Metal
Steel frames, weathering skins and perforated screens: metal as structure and as surface.
07 · Glass
Glass
Transparency, reflection and colour: the material that dissolves the wall.
08 · Synthetics
Synthetics and Membranes
Polycarbonate, fibreglass, composites and fabric: light, translucent and lightweight skins.
Membranes1
09 · Making
Making and Materiality
How materials become buildings: prefabrication, digital fabrication and the idea of materiality.
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