Role Of Materials In Design Evolution

Evolution of Material Design and Selection in Architecture
Every time you talk about design, there is one thing that will probably come into your mind; the materials. Most of the architectures and designers always make sure they have chosen the best material when undertaking their projects. So what role do the materials play in design and its evolution? Well, there are so many changes that have taken place on the part of elements in design and growth. To better understand the role played by the materials in design and evolution, one should begin to make a correlation between a construction project and the new material in the industry. It is also worth noting that technology has played a great role in evolving the role of material in design. In order for anyone to successfully make a product, there is a need to make an appropriate decision on the materials to use. These materials will play a role in bringing out the physical attributes of the product that will be appealing to the consumer. In this blog post, we are going to seek an understanding of the role of material in design evolution.
The primary role played by the materials in design and construction can be well related to the evolutionary era that man has gone through in their lifetime. The periods include the Stone Age, the Copper Age, Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. During the stone age, some of the common tools made include the handaxe and the hammerstone. The earliest tools used by man to carry out their activities were referred to as Oldowan tools and all these tools were designed to fit the role that they were carrying out at the time. Most of the tools made at this time were basically used for cutting and man would design them out of natural stone. They would be then shaped further after extraction to fit their role. During the Bronze Age, many changes took place as man increased the design of the material to better match their purpose. It is also worth noting that the Bronze Age has been used as a source of inspiration for most of the designers and architectures. In learning, most of the learners use it as a great source of inspiration when they are undertaking their design projects CITATION Rac13 \l 1033 (Rachel & Joanna, 2013). Civilization across the world took place during the Iron age when man learned how to use an iron to make tools and weapons. Iron as a material was available but man was not willing to take up the use of iron previously since it had a high boing point. Due to the scarcity of copper and bronze, the man began experimenting with other materials such as iron. The materials designed during the iron age were used in the military and making several agricultural tools. This further improved the life of man as it became easy to carry out farming practices.
The Industrial Revolution also played a great role in the evolution of the use of materials in design and construction. Before the industrial revolution, there were only villages, and people would use horses as a means of moving from one village to the other. Things changed in 1769 when James Watt created the first steam engine in 1769. There was also a radical change in how the buildings and bridge were designed during this age. One thing that we can note about the changes during this age was th...