Material
What is it? Structured multiwall sheet plastic is an extruded polycarbonate panel that can be used in place of glass in a variety of applications indoors and out. The extrusion looks like a translucent ice cream sandwich. The inner and outer layers are connected by fins that create channel-like flutes. This interior structure is similar to an I-beam, lending the sheet stability and special thermal properties. Sheet size. Because it’s extruded, it can be specified in almost any length; 24 to 36 feet is standard. Longer sheets are available, but shipping constraints start to outweigh the benefits. Standard widths are 4 and 6 feet. The larger the sheet, the less labor it will cost to install, and because they’re lightweight, large panels are still easily handled in the field. Sheet thickness. From 4 millimeters (5/32 inch) to 32 millimeters (about 1¼ inches) and up. The range of 6 millimeters (¼ inch) to 10 millimeters (about ⅜ inch) is probably the most common. Interior partitions and nonstructural applications use 4- to 8-millimeter panels; exterior panels typically begin at 8 millimeters and increase in thickness depending on the loading and support available. Changing the thickn...
Composition. Polycarbonate is roughly 200 times stronger than glass and is a fraction of its weight. This means that supporting it is relatively simple, and structural elements can be minimized. This works nicely with the material’s visual lightness. Colors. Although polycarbonate is available in a wide range of colors, standard colors — clear, opal/ice (translucent white) and bronze (tinted) — are the most affordable. Gray and bronze colors tend to help control solar heat gain, while translucent colors bring a very diffuse daylight to the interior. These are excellent for interior spaces requiring indirect light and greenhouse spaces where scattering light helps plants utilize more of their foliage for photosynthesis.
Standard shapes. Extrusions come in a variety of wall configurations. The standard twin wall is the most common. The basic structure of the panel is formed by connecting an inner and an outer sheet of polycarbonate with vertical fins or ribs, creating a fluted look. Most panels with a thickness exceeding 8 millimeters have a third sheet added between the flutes. For panels with higher structural requirements, cross bracing is added, linking adjacent flutes. This creates an interior web of bracing and increases the strength and spanning capabilities. The vertical ribs and fluting lend the panel its distinct look.
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Earthen and straw bale construction. Other natural wall assemblies include straw bale construction and various types of earthen construction.
Sheep’s wool is a great insulator. It’s very efficient and naturally able to handle condensation. It doesn’t clump or settle over time, and it actually can have an air filtering effect, because it has the ability to absorb some airborne chemicals, such as formaldehyde.
The ability of wool to absorb moisture makes it particularly interesting for some applications, but repeated absorption and release may cause the borate — which makes it fire and insect resistant — to leech out.
Of course today, you are more likely to find ikat designs printed on fabric than the handmade textile, which is far more labor intensive to produce.
Ikat Ikat textiles come from around the world and have been made in various forms since ancient times. Basically intricate forms of tie-dye, true ikat textiles are made by highly skilled weavers, who hand tie and individually dye small bundles of threads before weaving them on a loom. The hand dyeing is what gives ikat its distinctive color-bleeding look.
Kantha quilts are usually lightweight, making them perfect summer bed covers and throws. Kantha textiles can also be used to cover pillows, poufs and other small furnishings.
Like the traditional American quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, kantha quilts make use of scrap material — though in this case it is scraps of sari fabric. The scraps of sari fabric are cut and pieced together, often in exciting color combinations, and stitched together using the kantha stitch, a form of running stitch that uses the quilting thread as a decorative element.
Kantha Kantha is the name of a particular type of decorative embroidery popular in India and Bangladesh. But when you hear about kantha today, it is usually in reference to kantha quilts, textiles made using the kantha stitch.
The stylized botanical motifs of suzani textiles are often arranged in mandala-like patterns, with vines meandering between the mandalas. Suzanis are versatile textiles, often used on beds, as loose coverings for sofas and as tablecloths and wall hangings.
Suzani The word “suzani” comes from a Persian word meaning “needle”; the textile is another intricate, hand-embroidered one. Suzani textiles come from central Asia, near Uzbekistan, where they have been traditionally made by groups of women working collaboratively on each piece.
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