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No longer a second-rate substitute for quality materials, a new generation of plastics is emerging as the building material of choice for many architects and designers.

By Barbara Knecht

IBM E-business Center for Innovation Chicago Architect: Design Office (George Yu and Jason King, principals), Los Angeles; Hellmuth, Obata, & Kassabaum, Chicago Suppliers/manufacturers: Performance Composites (coat closets, reception desk enclosure); KB Manufacturing (conference table); Northwestern Terrazzo & Flooring (acrylic terrazzo) Photography: © Design Office Acrylic terrazzo flooring (middle left, bottom left) gives depth to floor surfaces and reflects light throughout the space. Fiber resin coat closets and a reception desk enclosure, made by same process, yield different effects when completed.

For the conference table, Design Office used Vesta, a product that starts with the same solid surface liquid material that is used to make sheet goods, such as Corian, but is processed differently. It is applied around a core, typically wood, so the final product is a single, seamless piece of any size and shape—in this case, a 19-foot-long freeform table. Compared to sheet material, Vesta has a higher impact strength and less thermal expansion. It can also be inlaid with a second color or material by carving out a design to the wood substrate, pouring in new material that is then sanded smooth.

Speed and versatility led Imagination (USA), international design consultants, to a fabric-covered space frame for the Samsung Pavilion at the upcoming winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Durable, yet lacking thermal properties in this application, the chief advantage of the space frame is that it can be erected and removed in a matter of weeks. The pavilion demonstrates the versatility and widespread application of plastic materials. The sides, back, and roof will be covered with a single-ply, PVC-coated polyester fabric with an acrylic lacquer finish. The front facade will be clear PVC preceded by a deeply layered entrance zone, resembling a wave in footprint, which will be constructed from molded fiberglass and internally illuminated. Exhibition space within the pavilion will be made in freeform polycarbonate, and display spaces will be acrylic spheres.

Photography: © Benny Chan Weighing close to a ton, the reception desk has cast ribs for extra strength.

Exciting possibilities for new and dazzling architectural effects aside, no one can ignore the impact of petroleum-based products on the environment. There are plenty of landfills and waterways swamped with plastic products that will never biodegrade. The very characteristics that make plastics durable and resistant to chemical and organic deterioration are what make them so tough on the environment. And, still today, petrochemicals continue to be the major raw material used in manufacturing plastics. But there are credible arguments that show how favorably plastic compares to glass, for example, with regard to the energy needed for manufacturing and transportation; other arguments point to the durability of plastic lumber products for decking and railroad ties, as protection of forests. Research is underway by manufacturers, such as Cargill Dow, DuPont Dow Elastomers, and Exxon, as well as at many universities, to develop new plastics that will not depend on fossil fuels but on a variety of natural products, including beets, corn, and bio-based plastics made from living, renewable organisms. The new generation of plastics will use more recycled materials and will have increased insulating, durability, and structural properties. Developments that make plastics environmentally friendly will, in turn, increase their appeal to architects and designers and their clients. Furthermore, innovation will necessitate collaboration among architects, engineers, fabricators, and manufacturers, a by-product that promises to alter the practice of architecture.