Aluminium Within Architecture – What Are the Benefits?

Futuristic designs within architecture are consistently turning to aluminium for a variety of reasons. It offers enormous flexibility allowing architects to create eye-catching buildings such as the Gherkin in London. Most importantly, aluminium is a durable, cost effective material that contributes to how elaborate a design can be.

Environmentally Friendls

Aluminium is a naturally occurring element that is completely recyclable regardless of how it has been finished, coloured or used. The process of recycling it requires a vastly reduced amount of energy than the original mill finish version. Consequently, aluminium is a sustainable product that can give an infinite number of years of life unlike wood or brickwork that inevitably decays or deteriorates over time. In addition it is a non-toxic metal that will not cause any contamination.

Weight

Aluminium is incredibly lightweight in relation to its strength allowing for the flexible design of structures such as bridges and walkways to be constructed. Buildings with a considerably flimsy height and appearance are now possible. Similar designs in steel would be considered far too heavy and unstable.

Aesthetically Pleasing

Aluminium can be powder coated with a range of hundreds of colours and a variety of finishes to create hard, durable surfaces including stair rails and banisters, door handles and light fittings. Anodised aluminium offers a further option of a durable colour that is integral to the metal itself providing an appearance that is long lasting and unchanging throughout the years.

Ease Of Manufacture

Aluminium is one of the easiest metals to work. It has a fluid flexibility that lends itself to being shaped into any design, particularly curved rails or components for structures such as bridges. Other metals are less successful in creating design opportunities in architecture.

Maintenance Free

Aluminium’s superior resistance to corrosion has seen it become the favourite material for window frames. It offers long lasting, weatherproof qualities that requires virtually no maintenance with window frames remaining serviceable for decades. The high resistance to rusting ensures that any architectural design is going to still look as good as the day it was built.

Aluminium An Architecture

Aluminium offers great creativity to architects seeking to create landmark buildings. Even understated buildings can be built with confidence knowing that the aluminium skeleton and the extra design features will give outstanding reliability and performance. Aluminium is also incredibly cost effective, making any investment worthwhile. Contact Edmo for advice on how they can help.