Materials for Aesthetic, Energy-Efficient, and Self-Diagnostic Buildings
John E. Fernández
It has become desirable to reduce the nonrenewable content and
energy footprint of the built environment and to develop "smart
buildings" that allow for inexpensive monitoring and self-diagnostic
capabilities. Latest-generation embedded sensors, self-healing
composites, and nanoscale and responsive materials may augur
a time when buildings can substantially adjust to changing environmental
and functional demands. However, faced with the legal liability
resulting from unknown lifetime performance, designers and engineers
have had little incentive to incorporate new material technologies
into building designs. As efficiency issues become more acute,
the potential for improvement in performance from new materials,
together with partnerships between the materials science community
and those entrusted with the design and engineering of the built
environment, may offer real breakthroughs for the future.
E-mail: fernande{at}mit.edu
