Some materials change the course of architecture from the moment they begin to be employed. The initial materials used in construction certainly did so: clay, stone, and wood. The ability to build is the origin of the discipline. With technological development, techniques were also refined, and in the 19th century, industrialization spread the use of other materials, transforming and expanding the realm of construction: iron and glass.
Since the Industrial Revolution, construction technology has advanced rapidly, and other materials have made their mark on architectural expressions and languages. In the 21st century, there appears to be a coexistence among all these materials, with different highlights and recurrences. On the one hand, there is a growing awareness of the polluting capacity of concrete, leading constructions to make greater use of natural materials like timber – which, among the "primeval" materials, is considered quite noble. On the other hand, aligned with the ethereal aesthetics of the digital age, glass continues to be associated with a kind of sterility and precision, not to mention the effects achieved with its transparency – from facades to interiors and display windows.
