Materials library as a teaching resource

Abstract

Construction materials have traditionally been explained in architecture schools attending to their physical, mechanical and chemical properties. In that sense their teaching has been developed through theoretical lessons in classroom complemented by practical lessons in laboratory in which various materials were tested. But, materials are important not only from the technical point of view for their function as elements for construction, but also for their role as the basis of architectural language, enabling through them the transmission of sensations –visual, tactile perception, thermal, acoustic, olfactory–, that is, materiality. For this reason, since these sensations are perceived by people through the senses, the materials library is a didactic resource especially useful to enable direct contact of students with the main materials currently available.