Intrinsic Materials: Modernism, Sustainability and Fiber Cement Panels

Designers for the 21st century can choose sustainable fiber cement panels to express rhythm, fastening and texture in a sustainable, durable and affordable panel solution.

Celeste Allen Novak, AIA, LEED AP

The giants of the modernist movement were the architects and artists of the Bauhaus. At this mid-twentieth century design school, designers probed the means and materials of how buildings were constructed and conceived. They developed a new aesthetic that elevated mass industrialization as a means to produce great design for everyone using affordable methods and materials. They celebrated the intrinsic nature of materials and the formal rhythms of design expression. Like environmentally conscious professionals today, architects such as Charles Eames, also asked questions about the permanence and cost of materials. Eames believed that any architect who wanted to design a truly successful prefabricated house "must first become a student of human behaviour, as well as science, economics and industrial engineering." He is quoted as saying, "The value of the house that results from such a combination…will be measured by the degree to which it serves for the amount of energy it costs. The relation of service to price is so important that nothing can justifiably be added to the house that does not increase its value in service."¹

In the 1950s, architect Eero Saarinen developed materials that would be placed in a five-foot grid to standardize his design intention for the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The assembly line for building components was influenced by Detroit automotive companies. The manufacturing of building components as a design vocabulary for large buildings created a process which saved money, time and the cost of onsite training for each project, particularly for the large post-war construction of the mid-twentieth century. These designers and subsequent architects and engineers applied the fixed grid and metal panels to many projects, although their idealized cost-effective, unique design solutions for the masses were limited by standardized sizes. A welcome addition to the commercial material design toolkit is the new fiber cement panel solution that incorporates expressed seams and fasteners. Designers applying contemporary design theory into new buildings will now be able to broaden their choices to include this durable, cost-effective and sustainable material.

 These panels are designed with components that can be modified to express any unique horizontal and vertical grids. They are also being used by designers seeking to broaden their material choices from contemporary to post-modern or transitional designs.

This work/live project in Seattle, Washington demonstrates how contemporary designers can use new fiber cement panel solutions with expressed trim and fasteners to accomplish their design goals. Photo courtesy of James Hardie

Fiber cement panels are a product of choice for architects designing towards a low carbon footprint. As building design scientist Joseph Lstiburek, B.A. Sc., MEng., PhD., P.Eng, attests, "The single most important factor in green architecture is durability. If you want something to be green it has to last a long time. It has to handle water, heat and UV radiation. Fiber cement handles all three exceptionally well." Durability means longevity and the ability to weather well in both wet and hot weather, as well as resist ultraviolet damage.

New fiber cement panel solutions with expressed seams can be both an important design decision as well as a good environmental choice for a wall cladding. They are made of a material that is both low in toxicity as well as extracted regionally. They are durable, flexible and long lasting. They can be manufactured and engineered specifically to meet the rigors of any climate zone.

Fiber cement panels were used to express variation in this Portland, Oregon façade. Photo courtesy of James Hardie

 

Until recently, designers have been limited to using this product by the manufacturer's production of only surfaces that mimic wood and wood siding products. Professionals have also chosen metal panels that were manufactured to a standardized "grid" limiting the aesthetic vocabulary or requiring additional costs to express unique patterns and rhythms. Another material alternative has been the use of stucco infill with wooden or metal reveals. Besides using more material, stucco, as well as its modern synthetic substitution, weathers poorly, can leave gypsum or plastic residue in the soil and requires more clean-up after installation.

In a speech given by architect Andres Duany, FAIA at the University of Michigan in the late 1990s, this traditionalist, lamented the fact that manufacturers did not provide the designer with intrinsic materials, those that celebrated their essence. He pointed out that designers' choices were often limited to mass produced materials that were replications of older products. Fiber cement panel solutions with expressed joints may be one of the break-through products that will answer his quest for an intrinsic material in a contemporary building product.

DESIGN: A THEORETICAL BASIS

Modernism and the quest for new materials

In a 1920s Bauhaus article translated as "Must Painting be Considered Inferior to Architecture?," artist Piet Mondrian discusses the "new" aesthetics of art and architecture. As a painter, Mondrian investigated the effects of a "bounded plane" that created a surface to engage the viewer in a conversation and reflection on form and space. He writes about art and architecture, "Pure design is the…equivalent representation of things that are permanent and transitory. It is design with straight lines. As a result of the new aesthetics, painting and architecture are consistently executing compositions of counter balancing and contrasting straight lines, thus changing the duality of the unchangeable, right angle into multiplicity. As preparation for a universal realization of beauty, a new art and a new aesthetic are neeeded."² Architects today continue to explore how to express the straight lines, the art of architecture in a sustainable, modern and urban expression.

The Juan Diego Apartments - Denver, CO

Architect Yong Cho, principal of studio completiva, in Denver, Colorado, says, "We use fiber cement cladding primarily because it is a cost-effective, durable product that allows us flexibility in designing the building skin. Using the smooth face of fiber cement panels and expressing the joints between panels gives us the urban aesthetic we prefer. Fiber cement panel also allows the flexibility of using rain screen systems we believe are environmentally responsible." The Juan Diego Apartments were designed by Yong Cho, a project he dedicated to his mother, Sung Ja Cho. This 26,970-square foot three-story building was developed by the Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation to provide needed housing for the homeless who courageously are battling AIDS.  The building consists of a lobby, community room and a twenty-four space parking garage on the first level with seventeen apartments above on the second and third levels. The building is constructed mainly with load-bearing framing, concrete and concrete masonry units on the first floor. The project was designed to meet a low budget without sacrificing environmental performance.

The Juan Diego Apartments demonstrate how fiber cement panels with expressed joints can be used to express an urban, contemporary aesthetic. Photo courtesy of studio completiva

 

Mid-twentieth century modernist architects, such as Saarinen and Mies Van der Rohe, explored the concept of intrinsic expression, buildings that celebrated their materials and connections. Using simple, planar, pure forms, modernists translated Mondrian's lines and planes into panels and reveals. The composition of the façade expressed the structural and behavioral program of the building and elevated the skin of a building into a work of art. Mies emphasized that design was not "decorating." Less is more, but also related to a complex system of design relationships.

The designer chose a limited palette of secondary hues. Rust, navy, cool gray and white provide contrast in the expression of this façade. Photo courtesy of James Hardie

 

As 21st century architects explore these concepts, as well as integrating their designs with environmental mandates, they challenged manufacturers to provide the materials needed for continued development of the façade and environmental wall systems. Influenced by these modern and contemporary designers, the fiber cement industry has stepped up to meet the needs of modernist, urban and contemporary expressions. A cement fiber panel system allows the designer to create any horizontal or vertical rhythm or pattern that expresses their individual design aesthetic. Fiber cement panels with expressed grids are not manufactured to a standard application size although they are delivered to the site in standard modules that can be cut to size. The panels are both mass produced, yet able to be individualized by design and construction. Field installations provide the flexibility of installing the grids and placing the panels to express that "bounded plane" that Mondrian celebrated in the 1920s as a new aesthetic.

Contemporary design − transitional and industrial applications

Not all contemporary designers are modernists. In fact, many clients resist designs that stray from familiar or historic styles. Transitional designs are often a solution for the client who wants a commercial building that is new, but also familiar. These projects often mix masonry with panels, providing a cost effective means for the designer to provide variety in form and texture.

Industrial and high-tech - exposing the connections

Inspired by the simplicity of industrial buildings, professionals are also designing to express and expose stuctural connections. Early attempts to show steel channel separations, the rebar in concrete, the nail heads in wood and the screw heads in metal plates, often led to staining and in some cases, material failures. This new fiber cement panel solution is designed to express the seams and joints as well as expose the fasteners to add to the visual awareness of the building's construction. The fasteners and trim are manufactured
in rust resistant aluminum and will not stain the cement panel surface.

Color

Although the early modernists like Mondrian and Rietveld limited their palettes to primary colors, subsequent designers revelled in color science as explored by Josef Albers. Today's theories on color include studies on the psychology of color expression. In the Seattle library, designed by Rem Koolhaas, color is used to direct circulation as well as behavior. Rich color palettes express both the culture and context by design. The fiber cement panel system with an expressed trim can be either factory finished or field

painted. Aluminum panel trims can be selected that are either a clear anodized finish or powder coated to match or contrast the fiber cement panel. Panels can be painted or pre-finished to any color although the architect needs to consider the climate zone for finish applications.

Mixed-use Complex - Norfolk, VA

This mixed-use complex was designed and constructed around the shell of the building built in the 1940s as a Sears department store in Norfolk, Virginia. The complex includes 225 one- and two-bedroom luxury loft style apartment homes, over 15,600- square feet of retail space, as well as a parking garage, swimming pool and fitness center. This project demonstrates one designer's use of fiber ce-ment as a means to suggest a traditional window bay. Historically, this infill in a brick housing complex would have been constructed either in metal or stucco panels. John M. Jenkins, AIA, LEED AP, of The Lessard Group was in charge of this complex retrofit.

Fiber cement panels with a powder-coated expressed aluminum seam were used to replicate a traditional bay window in this mixed-use complex. Photo courtesy of James Hardie

 

SUSTAINABILITY

Natural Resources Defense Council - Robert Redford Building, Santa Monica, CA

Completed in 2003, the Natural Resources Defense Council mixed-use building complex in Santa Monica, California achieved a Platinum Rating from the USGBC's LEED® rating system. Designed by the architectural firm of Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists, this project houses an interpretive center, commercial offices as well as retail businesses in downtown Santa Monica. The building is a complete renovaton of an existing downtown building. From an analysis of energy savings to a review of all of the material choices, the architects planned the renovation to integrate as many sustainable principles as possible. According to a well documented LEED® case study of the building,3 the project team had hoped to retain most of the original building but discovered that much of the frame was rotten and had to be replaced. All new wood used in the project came from certified forests and cladding materials were chosen for their low emissions and durability. As much as possible, alternative materials were selected as a substitute for wood. Fiber cement siding was chosen because of its durability and longevity. This material also could be obtained locally and would not succumb to rot or the salty air of the coastal climate. The building has recieved numerous awards and is a best practice model for sustainability.

The Natural Resources Defense Council - Robert Redford Building is clad in durable fiber cement siding, that contributed to its LEED® Platinum rating. Photo: © Tim Street-Porter

 

Sustainability is often defined as the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without comprimising those of the next generation. The Committee on the Environment of the American Institute of Architects defines sustianability as follows:

"Sustainability envisions the enduring prosperity of all living things. Sustainable design seeks to create communities, buildings, and products that contribute to this vision."⁴

One of the top ten principles of sustainability listed by the AIA includes the concept of long life and loose fit. This principal can be applied to materials that increase the ecological, social and economic value over time. Fiber cement panels meet this requirement as they are durable, water proof, and provide some insulating values towards energy efficiency as a weather barrier. Fiber cement panels are strong, lighter than masonry, cost less to ship, are impact-and insect-resistant, as well as are manufactured from regional materials.

According to the AIA, "Sustainable design seeks to enhance and increase ecological, social, and economic values over time."⁵

The primary reason to choose fiber cement panels is because they are durable and long lasting. A fiber cement panel can be warrantied for up to fifty years. Fiber cement panels are made of wood pulp, sand, cement and water. These raw materials are typically extracted and processed near each manufacturing facility. With regards to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating sytem, fiber cement panels can qualify for the use of regional materials as they are produced in numerous manufacturing plants throughout the United States.

In addition, many fiber cement products can be specified with as much as 20 percent recycled content obtaining points in both LEED, as well as in the NAHB Green Home Building rating systems when used in residential applications.

As Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, principal of Barley + Pfeiffer Architects and designer of the first Zero-Energy home states, "Green products shouldn't be made from endangered materials. One of the reasons fiber cement products are ‘green' is because they incorporate natural ingredients that are low in toxicity. And, they last longer than other products."

Many building professionals choose this material to assist with green certification for environmental designs. However, not all benefits of a sustainable product are measured by green standards. Pfeiffer reminds professionals that "green programs are intended to provide guidelines, however, they don't account for everything - good, common sense tells you that if a product is durable, and doesn't rot, it will make your building better." Durable, longer lasting building materials require fewer resources for replacement and also reduce maintenance and repair costs.

Professionals who want to limit the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), known to have cancer causing impacts, can specify factory finishes baked on the panels to eliminate VOCs during exterior painting. They can also mandate low-VOC paints applied by the contractor.

The following shows some of the possible credits professionals can obtain when using fiber cement panels: For LEED® credits: Choosing fiber cement products can contribute to these credits (1 point each) 4.1, Recycled Content: 10% 4.2, Recycled Content 20% 5.1, Regional Materials 10% (dependent on project site) 5.2, Regional Materials 20% (dependent on project site) For NAHB Green Home Building: Choosing fiber cement products can contribute to these credits 2.1.5, No Additional Finish (for those products that are pre-finished). 4 possible points 2.2.8, Termite Resistance. 7 possible points 2.4.1, Recycled Content. 3-6 possible points 2.7.1, Resource-efficient Material. 3 possible points< 2.8.1, Local Availability. 3 possible points

 

Zero Waste to Landfill programs also demonstrate a manufacturer's commitment to sustainability. In the fiber cement industry, professionals can request that their product comes from a manufacturer that is committed to waste reduction by reducing the amount of raw materials that go into a landfill. In the future, professionals will be able to review new energy and water conservation programs and greater awareness of sustainable manufacturing processes in this industry.

CONSTRUCTED WALL SYSTEMS -  Durable Weather Envelopes

External cladding and wall sections

Although a manufactured panel with a variety of unique characteristics, it is important for professionals to understand that this system is not an engineered panel system. As part of a well constructed and designed building envelope complete with a weather barrier, fiber cement resists damage from moisture both rain and snow. The possibility of moisture accumulation within the wall construction is mainly a function of the weather management design details and level of workmanship. Details such as water-resistive barrier, flashing, caulking and penetrations should be addressed on both the first (exterior cladding) and second (weather envelop) lines of defense against moisture penetration into a wall system. A high level of quality control, from design through all stages of the exterior wall construction is imperative for obtaining a wall system that weathers well and has a long life with very little repair or maintenance.

Affordable Housing with Fiber Cement Panels, Denver Housing Authority

The East Village Redevelopment being undertaken by The Denver Housing Authority is a $177 million dollar neighborhood revitalization project. Funded in part by a federal HOPE VI grant, the project does more than simply provide quality affordable housing close to downtown. The redevelopment knits a 6-block area into the historic fabric of the City by re-constituting several streets that had been closed off in the 1970s to create an island of clustered low-income housing. Crime-ridden and disconnected, this housing stock has been demolished to make way for pedestrian-friendly mixed income residences. The phase shown here is a $16.1 million, 89-unit apartment complex made up of two buildings. Exterior materials include CMU, primarily at the base, and a combination of fiber cement siding and fiber cement panels with expressed seams, both pre-painted. The design team investigated a number of exterior finish systems balancing a clean aesthetic, durability, and of course cost. According to a member of the design team at in situDESIGN, "we went with a composition of lap siding and panel products that allows us to break up the mass of the building into proportions appropriate for the neighborhood scale. We have incorporated a custom aluminum trim system at the panels to achieve a simple clean look. We also worked with our contractor, Pinkard Construction and their framing sub, Bader, Burke & Co. in designing a custom break-metal trim system at the lap siding. While inexpensive, this custom break-metal trim solution matches the minimalist aesthetic of the trim used at the panels. The profile of the metal edge at horizontal surfaces prevents sitting water that tends to accumulate on square stock exterior trim. The project is scheduled to be finished in December 2009."

Mock up of fiber cement panel system used at this low income housing project in Denver, Colorado. Photo courtesy of in situDESIGN

 

Fiber cement panel systems with expressed seams are manufactured in 4-foot by 8-foot panels of fiber cement. These panels can be ordered in many finishes and cut to fit any size of an aluminum grid. Designers cannot use these panels on the diagonal as they will encounter problems with flashing and moisture damage. Horizontal aluminum reveals are typically twelve feet long, and should be used as a continuous line from side to side of the wall system. Vertical reveals can be placed anywhere along the
wall system.

Sample wall section of fiber cement panel solution with expressed trim and fasteners.

Used as a siding or sheathing, this gridded surface becomes part of the envelope design. Building scientist, Joseph Lstiburek, states, "Where cladding systems such as fiber-cement siding shine is that they allow air circulation and don't inhibit drainage. That's very different from a stucco assembly or a brick veneer." As seen in a typical wall section, the fiber cement panel is placed along with the exposed seams and is adhered to the weather barrier. These panels should be applied to a flat wall surface and unless otherwise instructed must be installed in a manner such that the panel joints are vertical and horizontal and not installed at an angle. All panels are open at the bottom edge to allow for proper flashing and drainage.

Manufacturers provide technical data for installation of their particular product, however, some standard guidelines for fiber cement panels installed in a grid system include:

• Panels can be installed over braced wood, steel studs or furring spaced a maximum of 16" on center. Irregularities in framing and sheathing can mirror through the finished application. They should be installed over the weather barrier and detailed as part of an integrated weather resistant wall system.

• Panels can also be installed over foam insulation/sheathing up to 1" thick. When using foam insulation/sheathing avoid over-driving fasteners. Over-driving fasteners can result in dimpling of the siding due to the compressible nature of the foam insulation/sheathing.

• Panels should be part of a well detailed wall system with flashing and require a water-resistive barrier in accordance with local building code requirements.

• Panel installation should maintain a minimum of 1/4" clearance between the bottom of any horizontal trim in order to provide proper drainage and provide gaps as required at end caps.

• Window installations should follow window manufacturers' installation instructions to ensure that the window is properly flashed and sealed to prevent any water penetration. Panels are recommended to have a minimum of ¼" to ½" clearance to provide enough room for window flashing at the head of the installed window.

• It is important to separate panels from any standing water, for example, where a sloped roof intersects with a vertical wall, kick out flashing of sufficient length and angle to direct the water running down the roof away from the siding should be used.

• Panels should be installed with a minimum 6" clearance to the finished grade on the exterior of the building or in accordance with local building codes.

• Installers should maintain a 2" clearance between fiber cement products and roofs, decks, paths, steps and driveways and adjacent finished grades must slope away from the building to prevent panel contacts with standing water.

When used as part of a poured insulated block wall, the professional needs to review the "pull" strength of the block nailing surfaces. Poured insulated block manufacturers have tests verifying pull strength values of nailing for wood, when installing fiber cement on these systems, the pull strenght should be equal or better to the pull strength listed for wood siding.

Fiber cement panels are impact resistant, and should be detailed to fasten flat on sheathing. New panels are a heavier, 7/16" thick surface instead of the thinner 5/16" panel. A thicker panel is more durable, and was engineered to increase impact resistance and provide an even longer lasting sustainable surface. Some panels can be installed to achieve the MIAMI − DADE rating for large and small missile impact and can be used in hurricane prone climates. Fiber cement panels are non-combustible in accordance with ASTM 136.

Design to climate - an engineered sustainable solution

Building materials interact with their climate zone. Leading manufacturers allow design professionals to specify panels to respond to a variety of weather conditions providing engineered products for as many as eight individual climatic variables. The professional can provide the zip code for their project in order to specify the correct weather resistant material. For example, by choosing a fiber cement product engineered for the freeze/thaw cycle, the professional can resist damage from snow, ice and moisture so as to maintain dimensional stability in the product. In the south, fiber cement can be engineered to resist hurricane-force winds as well the cracking, splitting rotting and swelling that can occur in very humid climates. In particular, finishes for both the aluminum grid as well as the panel surface, should be specified to assure that there is no particular damages due to climate, in particular, coastal areas with high salt concentrations in the air.

Field installation and sustainable construction management

Fiber cement panels with expressed joints are ordered by the professional and installed in the field by builders. Other than a special carbide tipped blade or fiber cement shears, tools are affordable and easy to use. Sustainability includes the awareness of construction management and with fiber cement panels the rules are clearly listed on product installation sheets. The primary issue is the control of construction dust.

Preferably, panels should be cut outdoors and the cutting station positioned that wind will blow dust away from the user and others in the working area. Installers can use either fiber cement shears or special carbide - tipped blades in a circular saw with a HEPA vacuum. Manufacturers also suggest that NIOSH-approved respirators are approved to reduce dust particals from causing lung damage during construction as part of a sustainable construction management procedure.

Since panels are manufactured off site, they arrive onsite and can be postioned and cut with very little construction waste. The panels are often pre-drilled which has the benefits of saving construction labor and materials as well as an opportunity for the control of the aesthetic pattern of the connectors.

Panels can also be specified to be pre-finished to reduce site painting and these finishes are low in toxicity and VOCs. Cut edges that need to be treated with an exterior grade primer should also be specified to be a low-VOC finish.

Trim Profiles: Grids, Washers and Fasteners -  Durable Construction by Design

Aluminum trim parts for the constructed grid that frames the fiber cement panel include a variety of profiles as shown in the table. It is important that these exterior flanges do not catch any water or be used as a top header for windows or doors. Exposure to standing water may damage the fiber cement panels, and limit their durability. Drip cap is to be used to flash above windows or doors as well as for other penetrations that need flashing. The professional should review the manufacturer's recommendations for all installations in order to increase the durability of this product.

Â	Samples of typical trim pieces for fiber panels with expressed trim profiles
Â	Profile	Description
		Vertical Trim Utilize as vertical trim when abutting panels and producing a 1/2" seam. Vertical trim is designed to fit under Horizontal Trim. Never install vertical trims in horizontal applications.
		Horizontal Trim Designed to be installed at horizontal abutments of panel and run in a continuous detail across the face of the structure.
		Horizontal Trim - Termination Factory cut ends for termination into outside corner trims. One end has left hand cut with the other end having a right end cut.
		Outside Corner Trim Utilized on the outside corners of structure to provide a clean aesthetic detail. Recommended to be run in a continuous vertical detail from bottom to top of corner.
		Inside Corner Trim Used to complete inside corners of structure. Recommended to be run in a continuous vertical detail from bottom to top of corner.
		J-Channel Trim Designed to terminate panels when abutting windows, doors or other penetrations. Never install J Channel in a manner that exterior flange can catch water. J Channel should not be used on the top header of doors or windows.Â
		Drip Cap Trim Used to flash above windows, doors and other penetrationsÂ

 

Examples of exposed fasteners.

Fasteners

Manufactures should provide information on the appropriate fastener spacing. For greater durability, fasteners should be corrosion resistant, galvanized, or stainless steel. Electro-galvanized fasteners are acceptable but may sometimes exhibit premature corrosion.

Exposed fasteners are recommended on fiber cement panels to increase the sutainability fo this product. Fasteners can be hand nailed, screwed or fastened with a pneumatic tool with care that the fastener is driven snug with the surface of the siding.

Non-toxic and low-VOC  paint

Fiber cement panels are finished in water-based, low-VOC, acrylic paint. Manufacturers recommend that designers choose a flat finish versus a gloss finish for the panel surfaces. When finished, the look of a panel has often been compared to that of a metal panel. However, a metal panel does not provide the same visual stability of this solid surface and can show warping or denting across the face of a building. Aesthetically, this choice also reflects the actual surface properties of a cement panel. A gloss finish can be affected by temperature when painted and can be more difficult to apply in the field. A contractor painting a surface in the morning on the South wall may find that the gloss finish dries with a different value when applied in the afternoon on the North wall of the building. Stains should never be used on fiber cement panels.

Cost effective - reported industry savings

When compared to the many alternatives, metal, brick, masonry, vinyl or synthetic stucco, fiber cement panels are a cost efficient cladding alternative for commercial buildings. Prefinishing can also saves money instead of painting the building on site.

Installation costs for this manufactured material are also lower as this system is simple to install and uses traditional building methods and tools. According to the "Cost Versus Value Report"⁶ published in theRemodeling magazine 2009 publication, siding replacement with fiber cement products has ranked number one for four years as the leader in returning value for residentail remodeling and home resales. The fiber cement panel with the grid system is a new alternative to much more complex panel systems and professionals should expect future cost comparisons will prove to be in favor of this cladding choice for the commercial market.

CONCLUSION

Unique, sustainable and mass produced

Fiber cement panel solutions with expressed seams have unique design and environmental properties. They are durable, nontoxic and economical. They do not require sophisticated field

assembly or construction. As an external cladding, fiber cement panels provide a primary defense to moisture, rain, snow, or hail and when combined with the secondary defense of the weather barrier, they are a recognized component of a well constructed, integrated wall system by design teams. Impact and fire resistant, lighter than other masonry products, this product is becoming a leading choice for buildings seeking LEED® certification or other green building ratings from residential to commercial applications.

Mid-century designers like Ray and Charles Eames, who experimented with industrialized forms and panels in the design of their own California home "Case Study #8" could have used this new material as a means to develop a pure form based on the principals expressed by Mondrian.

The benefits of these panels is their affordability even when customized and as demonstrated in the case studies provided, they can be used by designers of low budget, affordable housing projects. There is almost an unlimited variety of orthagonal grid forms and patterns that the designer can choose to use. The pattern unit, size and rhythm is designed as the prerogative of the designer not a result of a standard size determined by the manufacturer. By freeing the panel from the wall construction, the elements of design are another layer of the constructed system working both independently as a formal consideration as well as part of the structural form.

Architecture has the ability to transform reality. Sustainable, intrinsic building materials that are mass produced as well as

provide a palette for unique design intentions will provide a means for new contemporary designs for the future.

Architects of The Natural Resources Defense Council - Robert Redford Building chose fiber cement panels as the most sustainable material option to replace the damaged wood frame of this downtown building. Photo: © Tim Street-Porter

 

Celeste Allen Novak, AIA, LEED AP principal at rizzolobrown + novak architects specializes in sustainable design materials and methods and teaches as an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University.

Footnotes 1 Steele, James. Eames House.Phaiden Press Limited. 1995. p.19. 2 Wingler, Hans M. The Bauhaus: Weimer, Dessau, Berlin, Chicago. The MIT Press. 1978. p. 133. 3 http://leedcasestudies.usgbc.org/materials.cfm?ProjectID=236 4 http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aias076652.pdf 5 IBID 6 http://://www.jameshardie.com/dealer/companyInformation_mediaCenter_awards01.shtml

 

James Hardie® is a leading international building materials manufacturer that produces a wide range of fiber-cement building products. They lead the fiber-cement industry in the development of its proprietary technology, and introduction of new innovative products. James Hardie® siding products provide a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood composite, vinyl, metal, or stucco sidings.  www.jameshardiecommercial.com