C ontents
Introduction
3
What Is It?
4
Uses
6
Current Production
8
Photographic Study
10
References
31
1
2
Introduction | Translucent Concrete Translucent Concrete used
as
a
buildings ficient
to
way
window. custom
The
building allow of
innovative
there the
is
or still
need
for
and
ensure
This
a
of
both
Fig. 1
from the
will
artificial
a in
spaces focus
on
introduce
concrete
projects.
light of
a
a
into
into
a
variety
standard
which is
pass
light
in in
to
It
is
It
for
is
without
colours
block
commonly
used
space.
a
room
of
more
material
a
the
and
is
being
walls
in
ef-
very need
of
a
predominantly
sizes.
in both the Semester 1 project, The Time CapGraduation Project, The Light Institute. I decided to
place to
the
its
quality
opposite
activities
visual to
come
produce
the
due
and
amount
can
be
on
perfect
visitors
booklet
material
is
transmitting one-off
small
has
also
movement
gallery/exhibition to
a
concrete
someone
or
also
material
translucent
something
light for
concrete
can
Sanctuary,
sule use
allowing
but
a
natural
Translucent made
is
material
such
allow the
of
side
happening as
light
a
translucent
on
the
and
concrete
Stage 3, which will explain Time Capsule Sanctuary and
the
why the
In
It
both
and
gives
other
rooms
not
shadows
wall.
the
window.
into
exhibition
creating
of
side
of
designs,
without
silhouettes
the
the
wall,
the it
when
impression is
need
used for
that
without within
windows
outside.
and
will
present
I believe it is Light Institute.
my
research
beneficial
to
the
of
the
design
Fig. 2
3
What Is It? | Fig. 3. Silhouette
4
behind
wall
What Is It? | Translucent Concrete Translucent concrete is made using concrete and a small amount of fibre optics or glass. Concrete, made out of cement, aggregate and water, makes up 96% of the translucent concrete, with the other 4% as optical fibres.1 Translucent concrete is very often custom made and therefore these optical fibres can be arranged in a specific design; they can create straight, horizontal or vertical lines, or on the other hand, they can create a unique pattern or words in the concrete. `The
translucency
bres
that
run
shadowed
The on
amount the
of
approximately would sun
vary
the
the
and
a
translucent
the
interior
the
building,
that
on
to
be
a
different found
aggregates would
in
can
standard
be
it
fibre is
the
the
by
world
glass
admitting
the
fi-
plastic and
material
required.
through
the
or
light
allowing
material.'2
through
optics
allowed
does
However,
the
building
can
a
be
of
It
be
the
closer
it
vary
is
translucent is
and
depending
expected
that
concrete.
This
therefore
how
much
cement.
The
concrete
The
the
in
therefore
a most
grey of
or
variety be
it
not able
can
can
the
of
changed common
and
appearance
finish
does light
can be
be
receive to
travel used
used
at
as
much
transmit in
to
either
either
night
to
sun
through direc-
illuminate illuminate
light.
of
can
of
30%. Light
to
outside,
from
made
amount
and
beacon
concrete
change
concrete.
North Yorkshire,
in
concrete
light
white,
rough, course texture.
through
therefore
would
into
colour are
in
town
and
natural
also
supplied
blocks,
transmitted of
light
where
translucent
turning
visible
of
market
Translucent concrete Concrete. The colour using
be
is
the
receives.
concrete
using
concrete
through
amount
places
the
the
can
the
area
historic
other
through
to
30% - 45%
depending
various
tion
light
particular
Richmond, as
shapes
concrete
of
parallel
of
a
colours by
colours
dark the
material
using
due
for
graphite.
translucent can
also
to
it
different
being
translucent
Using from
or
concrete
different
concrete
vary
mostly
aggregates
just
polished
sized as to
it a
can also be made in different thickness depending on its use.
5
Uses | Fig. 4. Italian Pavilion
6
Uses | Translucent Concrete Translucent
concrete
architecture
is
be
of
this
the
key
can
be
used
focus in
the
can
be
used
to
divide
are
more
for
a
effective
room,
sides
The to
light
is
the
can
a
contain and
exterior
also.
a
walls
can
detail
The
is
than
sometimes other not
blocks
side
enter used
the
wall
enclosed
strengthens
the
in
to
and
angle.'3
be
one
or
to
the
not
it
not
is
or
is
is
between
inside
the
private
of
construction.5 of so
space
allow
the
creating
the
connected
and
material
transparency
enough
to
people
Trans-
load-bearing
silhouettes
used
instead
invites
that
the
dense
invading
be
panel.
shadow.
also
they
source
facing
and
structural
silhouettes,
as
and
fact
It
light
the
and
panels
However
a
west
affect in
shadow
would
visible space
or
light
facades.4
therefore
of
decoratively
However,
relationship
east
with
due
the
become
side
on
would
concrete
to
other
application
see
cars.
them
translucent
spaces.
the
sited
scale
the
Interior
lower
walls
which
for
silhouette
the
furniture,
or
building
between
experiment
large
Translucent
of
a
a
For Interior however, material. The material
lamps
making
on
are at
core
as
as
externally.
and
or
exterior.
pass
is
exterior
enough
such
to
and
for
suitable
is the
structurally
material for
part
behind,
the
thin
a
do.
entirely
material
be
objects
light
exterior
insulating
therefore
or
from
will
as
booklet
the
be
used
thermal
is
more the
be
light
internally
or
building
0.18 W/m2K
other
can
on
can of
and
person
if
can
material
ment
intensified
with
the
window
feeling
wall
and
any
the
are
interactive
concrete
see
they
a
allowing
transmitting
U-value
trees
of
spaces,
uses,
of
ornaments
material-study
rays
has
or
if
because
lucent
The
variety for
the
become a
a
used
interior
giving
`Light
has
can
to
people not like
to a
movefeeling another
outside.
7
Current Production | Fig. 5. Silhouette
8
behind
wall
Current Production | Translucent Concrete There
are
very
and
all
are
the
current
still
few at
companies the
companies
early
which
in
the
stages produce
world of
its
which
manufacture
potential
translucent
as
a
translucent
building
concrete:
material.
concrete,
These
are
Litracon Bt Tanya 832 H-6640 Csongrad Hungary Tel: +36 30 2551648 www.litroncon.hu Luccon Lichtbeton GmbH Bachmähdle 10 A-6850 Dornbirn / Vorarlberg, Österreich Austria Tel: +43 5572 / 372200 Fax: +43 5572 / 372200-3 www.luccon.com LUCEM GmbH Prattelsackstrasse 25 52222 Stolberg Germany Telefon: +49 (0)2402 -124 66 94 Telefax: +49 (0)2402-124 77 43 www.lucem.de Rosso Dotto Sales office and warehouse 170 Lodge Lane Hyde Cheshire SK14 4LB United Kingdom www.rossodotto.com
9
Photographic Study | Fig. 6. Translucent Concrete Samples
10
11
Photographic Study | Fig. 7. Luccon Translucent Concrete Samples
12
Photographic Study |
Fig. 8. Rosso Dotto Translucent Concrete Samples
13
Photographic Study | Fig. 9. R.D. White Translucent Concrete Sample
14
without
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 10. R.D. White Translucent Concrete Sample
with
light
15
Photographic Study | Fig. 11. R.D. Off-White Translucent Concrete Sample
16
without
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 12. R.D. Off-White Translucent Concrete Sample
with
light
17
Photographic Study | Fig. 13. R.D. Grey Translucent Concrete Sample
18
without
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 14. R.D. Grey Translucent Concrete Sample
with
light
19
Photographic Study | Fig. 15. R.D. Graphite Translucent Concrete Sample
20
without
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 16. R.D. Graphite Translucent Concrete Sample
with
light
21
Photographic Study | Fig. 17. Luccon Translucent Concrete Sample
22
without
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 18. Luccon Translucent Concrete Sample
without
light
23
Photographic Study | Fig. 19. Luccon Translucent Concrete Samples
24
with
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 20. Translucent Concrete Samples Showing Silhouette
of
ruler
25
Photographic Study | Fig. 21. Translucent Concrete Samples
26
with
light
Photographic Study |
Fig. 22. Translucent Concrete Samples Showing Silhouette
of
hand
27
Photographic Study | Fig. 23. Grey Rosso Dotto Translucent Concrete Sample
28
29
30
References | Translucent Concrete Litracon, Products: Litracon <http://litracon.hu/product.php?id=7> [accessed May 2015] 2 Elizabeth Wilhide, The Interior Design Directory (London: Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2009), p. 106. 3 Ibid. 4 BFT International, Start of series production: Light-transmitting concrete with integrated thermal insulation <http://www.bft-international.com/en/news/bft_Start_of_series_production_Light-transmitting_concrete_with_integrated_135907.html> [accessed May 2015] 5 Ibid. 1
Illustration Credits: Figure 1: Translucent Concrete Walls and Trees. [Online Digital Image] http://www.interior-design-real-estate-upgrade-blog.indoor-architecture.co.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2005-04-1454-b.jpg Figure 2: Translucent Concrete Wall. [Online Digital Image] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0AT1k2MfTsY/STGpRPhCx2I/ AAAAAAAAAJM/5NGVwgReI24/s1600-h/litracon-lit-concrete.jpg Figure 3: Silhouette behind wall. [Online Digital Image] http://www.disd.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Luccotherm-1400x933. jpg Figure 4: Italian Pavilion. [Online Digital Image] http://precast.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Essroc-Translucent.jpg Figure 5: Silhouette behind wall. [Online Digital Image] http://www.rossodotto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/grey-in-context. jpg?83983c Figure 6-23: Photographs taken by Author.
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