THE ORIGINS OF
METAL
Taylor Tidwell
2
FOREWARD
The Origins of Metal began with a thought from Thomas Thwaites, The Toaster Project, 2009: “The project highlighted what goes into making even a simple product like a toaster, or maybe, the absurdity of what has to be done to lightly burn a piece of bread each morning.” (Speculative Design pg. 82) Tracing the origins of metal has exposed many new thoughts and ideas about the accessibility and complexity of sourcing a single material. This project began as an exploration of materiality used in one building and built its way up to exploring the source of the most precious building material of them all, metal. The core idea behind tracing the origin of metal is to question the ethics of materials sourcing and lack understanding of global the global impact. The quote “...democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and legislating, but that it also and necessarily is contentious affect and expression.” (Design and Agonism pg. 4) perfectly captures the ethos of the project. The fewer people in society who play devil’s advocate and question norms, the less society can correct itself. Things as simple as questioning the origin of the materiality used to construct cities can drastically impact the public perception and understanding of the basic foundation upon which constructing a city resides. Understanding the origins of metal, for example, may be convincing enough for the architectural profession to reevaluate building materials. If one type of metal requires three different countries to supply enough material for a project, how can the design industry consciously advocate for sustainability? Furthermore, considering metal is just one of many globally tied materials used to construct buildings, then the footprint of such materials needs to be reevaluated. Eventually, the act of questioning material origins opens the door for further exploration into materiality, AKA mycelium use for facades and fungal systems to essentially “grow” cities rather than import them. 3
TAXONOMY
industrial
artisan
4
Al 13
aluminum magnesium vehicular
paneling
Fe 26
Mg 12
engines
C6
carbon steel
Fe 26
iron Fe 26
iron Cu 29
copper electric
wiring aluminum
Al 13
copper
Cu 29 Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon plumbing
zinc
piping brass
Zn 30 Cu 29
copper
Al 13
aluminum man holes
public infrastructure
copper
fire hydrants
plumbing
Fe 26
cast iron
sewage pipes
zinc
Zn 30
iron
Fe 26
steel carbon
foil
Al 13
aluminum
Al 13
aluminum Ag 47
silver cooking pans
Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon household products silver
Ag 47
gold
Au 79
utensils
C6
carbon steel
Fe 26
iron Al 13
aluminum tin
Sn 50
solder lead jewelry
gold
Pb 82
Au 79 Cu 29
copper
Ag 47
silver
Al 13
aluminum
Fe 26
iron clips
steel
C6
carbon Al 13
aluminum Ag 47
silver accessories
Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon clothing
Cu 29
copper Ag 47
silver
Al 13
aluminum buttons
Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon Cu 29
copper
Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon
zippers
Al 13
aluminum
Al 13
aluminum
Fe 26
iron steel facades
C6
carbon Cu 29
copper
Fe 26
iron structural beams
steel
C6
carbon architecture
copper plumbing
Cu 29 Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon
Fe 26
iron steel
C6
carbon signage aluminum copper rugs home decor
5
signage
aluminum
Cu 29
brass
Al 13 Cu 29 Al 13 copper
electric wiring aluminum
Cu 29 Al 13
C6
Al 13
C6
Cu 29
Ag 47
Fe 26
3.1 million MT
14
1.2 million 78 million MT tonnes
Al 13
20 million OZ
2.2 million tonnes
C6
600,000 tonnes
400 million tonnes
5.7 million tonnes
Cu 29
Ag 47
6
POLITICAL MAP
Access to Materials
71 million MT
3.6 million MT
million OZ
230 million tonnes
11 million OZ 2.6 million MT
340 million tonnes 1.7 million tonnes
98 million tonnes
37 million MT
105 million MT
3.6 million 89 million MT MT 803 million MT
1.3 million tonnes
992 million tonnes 31 million OZ
7
8
METALS METALS
Out of the golden West, out of the leaden East, into the iron South, and to the silver North . . . Oh metals metals everywhere, forks and knives, belt buckles and hooks . . . When you are beaten you sing. You do not give anyone a chance . . . You come out of the earth and fly with men. You lodge in men. You hurt them terribly. You tear them. You do not care for anyone. Oh metals metals, why are you always hanging about? Is it not enough that you hold men’s wrists? Is it not enough that we let you in our mouths? Why is it you will not do anything for yourself? Why is it you always wait for men to show you what to be? And men love you. Perhaps it is because you soften so often. You did, it is true, pour into anything men asked you to. It has always proved you to be somewhat softer than you really are. Oh metals metals, why are you always filling my house? You are like family, you do not care for anyone. By Russell Edson
9
10
Iron Fe 26
11
Fe 26
Metadata:
Industrial, Public Infrastructure, Plumbing, Man Hole, Cast Iron 12
Man Hole Drain Cover 13
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Structural Beam, Steel, Iron, Carbon 14
Structural I Beam 15
16
Aluminum Al 13
17
Fe 26
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Facade, Aluminum 18
Brushed Aluminum Facade Paneling 19
Metadata:
Industrial, Public Infrastructure, Hand rail, Aluminum 20
Brushed Aluminum Tube Hand Rail 21
22
Carbon C6
23
Fe 26
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Structural, Girder, Steel, Iron, Carbon 24
Stainless Steel Ornamental Girders 25
Metadata:
Industrial, Public Infrastructure, Plumbing, Fire Hydrants, Steel, Iron, Carbon 26
Chrome Steel Hydraulic Outlets 27
28
Copper Cu 29
29
Fe 26
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Electrical, Wiring, Copper 30
LED Lighting Strip 31
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Electrical, Wiring, Copper 32
Magnetic FOB Entry Building Access 33
34
Silver Ag 47
35
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Ornamental, Steel, Silver 36
Ornamental Lighting Sculpture, Silver Alloy 37
Metadata:
Artisan, Architecture, Ornamental, Steel, Silver 38
Silver Alloy Ornamental Cable Railing 39
31 lA
munimula
21 gM 6C
muisengam nobrac
senigne
gnilenap
ralucihev
leets 62 eF
nori 62 eF
nori 92 uC
reppoc gniriw
31 lA
munimula
92 uC
reppoc
62 eF
nori leets
6C
nobrac
03 nZ
cniz
92 uC
gnipip
reppoc
92 uC
munimula
nori tsac
seloh nam lairtsudni
reppoc
03 nZ
ssarb
stnardyh erfi
leets
sepip egawes
gnibmulp
erutcurtsarfni cilbup
cniz
62 eF 6C
gnibmulp
ssarb
31 lA 62 eF
cirtcele
nori nobrac 31 lA
munimula
31 lA
liof
munimula 74 gA
revlis snap gnikooc
62 eF
nori leets
6C
nobrac stcudorp dlohesuoh
6C
74 gA
revlis
97 uA
dlog
nobrac
slisnetu leets
62 eF
nori 31 lA
munimula 05 nS
nit redlos
28 bP
dael 97 uA
dlog
92 uC 74 gA 31 lA 62 eF
yrlewej
reppoc revlis
munimula nori leets
6C
spilc
nobrac 31 lA
munimula 74 gA
62 eF
revlis seirossecca
nori leets
6C
nobrac 92 uC
reppoc 74 gA
31 lA 62 eF
gnihtolc
revlis munimula
nori
snottub leets
6C
nobrac 92 uC
reppoc nasitra
62 eF
nori leets
6C
nobrac
sreppiz
31 lA 31 lA 62 eF
munimula munimula
nori leets
6C
sedacaf
nobrac 92 uC
62 eF
nori leets
6C
62 eF
leets
nori leets
6C
nobrac 31 lA
92 uC
92 uC
74 gA
31 lA 92 uC 31 lA
erutcetihcra gnibmulp
nobrac
62 eF
6C
reppoc
nori
6C
31 lA
smaeb larutcurts
nobrac 92 uC
62 eF
reppoc
egangis munimula reppoc munimula
sgur
reppoc
roced emoh gniriw cirtcele
munimula
egangis
40