THE METAMORPHOSIS OF
TERRACOTTA TILES ISHITA PARMAR
Terracotta or fired clay tile has been used as a roofing material for thousands of years. Tiles were used in the Bronze Age in ancient Greece as early as 2500 B.C., in ancient Middle Eastern civilizations and in China in the Neolithic period approximately 10,000 years ago. Terracotta tile was commonly used as a roofing material by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Terracotta tiles are available either unglazed, in their distinctive, natural red-orange colour, or glazed to provide different finishes and colours. Terracotta tiles are installed by placing overlapping and interlocking rows of tile on the roof, and are available in a range of styles to suit both modern and more traditionally designed homes. Terra-cotta was used both architecturally and for figures during the 19th century, but its modern revival dates from the 20th century, when both potters and architects again became interested in the aesthetic properties of the material. Terracotta as clay tiles provide with a variety of designs,color and finishes which allows it to be utlized at a variety of architectural elements and pottery. The idea of the pavilion is dervied by making an alteration in the firing process and using the clay in a semi-fired considition to test its strength and durability. Since the tiles are non-biodegrable in nature, the semi-fired nature of the clay will provide a malleable physical property allowing it to be re-used in different extrusion moulds.
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SANKEY DIAGRAM
This diagram delves into the rise, fall, and rise of Architectural Terra-Cotta. Architectural terra-cotta is an ancient form of masonry that is still used extensively today. Terra-cotta literally means “fired earth,” a nod to the process of turning clay into a durable product used in pottery, floor tiles, and roofing. And the ability of glazed terra-cotta tiles, hung on a steel frame, to imitate expansive masonry walls made the material a popular choice for architectural expression and durability during the early 1900s. The individual but repetitive nature of the fabrication process made terra-cotta construction much more economical than carved stone for elaborate building exteriors. While architectural terra-cotta largely disappeared by the mid-20th century, there is now an active market for terra-cotta restoration products to maintain the legacy of landmark terra-cotta buildings.
GLOBAL UTILIZATION OF TERRACOTTA TILE
Main Data Sources from: Recasting Terracotta, essay in Architectural review For additional sources see source list.
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16 01
09 17 19
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20 10
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ARC 770.2 STATES OF MATTER - MS RESEARCH SEMINAR - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE - SS20
TERRACOTTA CLAY TO TILE
Terra-cotta, (Italian: “baked earth”) literally, any kind of fired clay but, in general usage, a kind of object e.g., vessel, figure, or structural form made from fairly coarse, porous clay that when fired assumes a colour ranging from dull ochre to red and usually is left unglazed. Most terra-cotta has been of a utilitarian kind because of its cheapness, versatility, and durability. Tiles were used in the Bronze Age in ancient Greece as early as 2500 B.C., in ancient Middle Eastern civilizations and in China in the Neolithic period approximately 10,000 years ago Terracotta tile was commonly used as a roofing material by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
TERRACOTTA TILE : EXTRACTION & PRODUCTION ECOLOGIES (BIOME) Tropical region
01 01 Clay mine site in Italy
EXTRACTION
Extrapolation of raw clay from earth
05 Extraction: Large scale digging
MATTER (MATERIAL) Formation of Clay
09 Different hues of terracotta clay
MANUFACTURING Formation of tile
13 Mold for the tile where the lcay is filled in
ECONOMIES (PRODUCTS)
Applications of Terracotta tiles as Architectural Elements
17 Catalog of tile
Main Data Sources from: https://terracotadoalgarve.com/en/manufacturing-process/ For additional sources see source list.
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02 Clay mine site in Italy 01
06 Mixing of the red clay & white clay
10 Clay+Water+Sanstone = Consistency
14 Application of water for surface smoothness
18 Terracotta tile flooring : Interior
03 Clay mine site in USA 01
07 Further refining & mixing of the mixture
11 Mixing: Manual or through machine
15 Drying: Sunlight or Electrical
19 Terracotta Roof tiles widely applied in Italy
04 Temperate forests 01
08 Refined mixture used for clay formation
12 Clay formed
16 Glazed tile
20 Terracotta Facade Tiles
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ARC 770.2 STATES OF MATTER - MS RESEARCH SEMINAR - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE - SS20
TERRACOTTA CLAY TO TILE
Terra cotta is an ancient material that has been used to construct buildings for thousands of years. Both classical and contemporary manufacturing methods have a place in the facility of the Boston Valley Terracotta. This is represented in the use of plaster for hand-press molds versus our use of CNC machine tooled steel dies for extrusion technology, or our use of skilled craftspeople to carve the details into restoration units versus our use of overhead lifting devices to move the units around our facility.
INDUSTRY MANUFACTURING PROCESS 01 BATCHING :
07 APPLICATION : TERRACLAD
Raw materials for our clay recipes are in dry powder form in supersacks weighing 2200 lbs. After the proper amount of each ingredient is weighed out, the batch is placed in a muller-mixer where it is first dry-blended, and then the proper amount of water is added and the batch is thoroughly blended. This mixture is dumped into a souring bin where it is allowed to age for at least 24 hours before use so that the water has time to hydrate the raw materials at a molecular level to increase the plasticity of the clay. Once aged, the clay is extruded in desired design of the tile.
03 : FINISHING
04 : DRYING & GLAZING APPLICATION
01 : BATCHING
CLAY IN DRY POWDER FORM
07 APPLICATION : TERRACLAD : FACADE TILE:
03 FINISHING :
All masonry units, no matter their forming method, pass through the finishing department and the hands of a sculptor. Refinement of shape and texture. Extremely detailed ornament is carved into or onto the units by the sculptors.
04 DRYING & GLAZING APPLICATION:
The driers are temperature and humidity controlled to ensure a proper drying rate and thus prevent cracking. The glazing department utilizes various application techniques to achieve the range of finished appearances and topographies required to replicate historic glaze finishes or create new unique finishes.
02 FORM METHODS:
4 Methods for form prodcution are used. A : Extrusion B:Hand Press C: RAM press (hydraulic press)
05 FIRING: 02 C : RAM PRESS
02 A : EXTRUSION
Main Data Sources from: Boston Valley Terracotta factory For additional sources see source list.
PROFILE EXTRUSION CLAY SLUG IS PLACED ON THE DIE AND HYDRAULICALLY PRESSED INTO THE FORM.
The ceramic rain screen cladding system provides benefits above and beyond conventional masonry cavity wall systems.In addition to the durability and ease of maintenance inherent to any ceramic cladding, the system incorporates ship-lapped open joints that shield the structural wall from wind-driven rain and snow while also ventilating the airspace to mitigate mold and mildew growth. Gaskets and isolators provide a snug fit between panels and the framing system to prevent wind-induced rattle and allow for movement of the aluminum framing system due to thermal expansion. Beyond the functionality of the system, the plasticity of terra cotta offers profile opportunities to designers not available in alternate rain screen cladding materials.
06 SIZING:
GAS FIRED KILNS. Boston Valley has the capability to customize our hearth structure when needed. This allows us to provide such a wide range of custom shapes, with depths that vary from as thin as 5/8″ for Guastavino tiles, all the way up to 4-foot wide masonry units. As with any ceramic product, terra cotta units demonstrate a color range when fired because of the small differences in temperature from the top to bottom and left to right of the kiln. These variations are inherent to this natural material formed of substances mined from the earth, adding to the beauty of the finished product.
Masonry units are typically made oversized on their non-finished face sides so that they can be cut to a clean and accurate dimension post-drying and firing. Large format, laser-aligned, diamond-edged wet gantry saws to cut blocks to the width or height specified on the approved shop drawings. 06 : SIZING
LASER-ALIGNMENT
05 : FIRING
02 D: SLIP CAST
02 B: HAND PRESS SLOTS FOR MALLEABLE CLAY
LIQUID CLAY BODY POURED INTO A PLASTER MOULD
KILNS
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MATERIAL PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE & PROPERTIES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES : CROSS SECTION OF FORMS
The previous research work as indicated states that Terracotta as a material can have a variety of cross-sections based on the design proposed by architects. The variation is interesting to see when terracotta tiles are utilized as a facade or a cladding feature. With innovation in design and technology, designers have not only utilized the tiles for restoration purposes but also developed a programmatic approach to produce tiles that are driven by parametric geometry. This is in terms of the physical properties and flexibilities terracotta as a building material can offer. In terms of its chemical properties, during the firing process is when the clay mixtures change to attain its most important properties, i.e. its strength and durability to last over a longer time on buildings as roofing, flooring, or facade cladding material. The graphs are given below that showcase the region within which terracotta as a building material lies in comparison to materials such as Glass, Wood, metal.
PERFORMANCE Terracotta
Terracotta
Main Data Sources from: Source For additional sources see source list.
INNOVATION IN FACADE TILES
01 01 Facade Ornamentation
02 Apartment Block in Ho Chi Minh city
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03 Albion District Library : Vertical tile - Baguette
04 Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida.
05 Lawerence Public Library
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TRI-TERRA TERRACOTTA TILES PAVILION FOR FAMILY RESIDENCES / VILLAS
This pavilion is made keeping in mind the terracotta tiles as a facade element. As mentioned earlier the firing stage in the manufacturing production of a tile is crucial for providing the strength and durable capacities to the material. It is interesting to note that Terracotta tiles are not bio-degradable, however, they are highly durable and can last for 75+ years on a building. The idea behind this pavilion is to question the strength of terracotta as a material when it is semi-fired or rather malleable clay form with the support of a system developed through triangulation. Since we know that triangle is the most stable of the geometric forms, the basic idea of triangulation is used to develop a structural system through the funnel shape volume of the pavilion with the tiles being triangular. While implementing the material in a semi-fired form, there is an attempt made to create voids that vary in sizes. The tiles would be produced by the extrusion process as mentioned in the manufacturing process and will be laid on top of the triangular structural framework. The framework is held together by bolt joints. In terms of the functional aspect of the pavilion, it is conceived to be a structure placed in a semi-open or open environment of private luxury residences or family homes where it becomes a part of the larger social space within the residence. The interior of the pavilion house a scaled-down version of an amphitheater where family members can interact. It can also function as space where individual members pass their time reading or doing some activity in isolation.
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DETAIL 01 : EXPLODED VIEW OF PLACEMENT OF TRIANGULAR TILE ON GRID
APPLICATION OF TRIANGULATED MODULES ON RECTILINEAR SURFACES
APPLICATION OF THE TRIANGULATED FORM ON TRIAGULAR SURFACES
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DETAIL 02 : JUNCTION OF THE GRID & X-BRACING
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ARC 770.2 STATES OF MATTER - MS RESEARCH SEMINAR - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE - SS20
BIBLIOGRAPHY: NBK Ceramic, Architectural Terracotta Catalog Manual of Architectural Ceramic, by David Hamilton, 1978 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London. Architectural Review, “Recasting Terracotta”, 2012 June, v.231, n.1384, pg-96-101. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. Metropolis, “Building Details: Screen Saver”, 2018 June, “Caption: Terra-cotta cladding brings durability, colour and contemporary style to the University of Michigan’s newest building.” By: Ethan Tucker. “The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Architectural Terra-Cotta | Architect Magazine.” https://www.architectmagazine. com/technology/the-rise-fall-and-rise-of-architectural-terra-cotta_o. “Modern Buildings By Renzo Piano and Annabelle Selldorf Use Terra-Cotta in Innovative Ways | Architectural Digest,” https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/strikingterra-cotta-architecture. “Is Terracotta Biodegradable? Will It Blend with Soil after You Bury It? Will It Cause No Side Effects to the Soil? What Will Happen to It after a Few 100 Years?” https://medium.com/@rishi.singh.re/is-terracotta-biodegradable-a13670d04a4. “The Many Uses of Terracotta Tiles - a Designers History - Lubelska.” https://lubelska.co.uk/uses-of-terracotta-tiles/.
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