Description of materials and application

1. Leather and Textiles

a. These are considered as soft materials for creating
comfortable furniture and interior draperies, leather and
textiles are employed to create contrast from the hard
materials and introduce a comfortable and warmer quality
to the interior. These fabrics come from a variety of
sources such as plants, animals, oil or coal-based
materials, or fusion of others.
b. Application
i. Leather/Suede Upholstery, wall panels, floor
coverings
ii. Cotton Soft furnishings, table and bed linen,
window drapes
iii. Linen Soft furnishings, table and bed linen, window
drapes
iv. Silk Soft furnishings, table and bed linen, window
drapes
v. Velvet/Velour Soft furnishings, upholstery, window
drapes

2. Plastics
a. Plastic is a versatile material that could replace timber,
glass, ceramics and metals in a wide array of uses. This
material could be molded or extruded to make objects,
films or fibers. Moreover, fibers from plastic could be
woven or knitted which in turn, could replace fabrics and
be used as textiles.
b. Application
i. Acrylic As a sheet material for furniture or
alternative to glass.
ii. Corian Countertops, display systems, basins, sinks
iii. Melamine Molded as replacement for ceramics in
bowls, cups and plates. As sheet material, laminated
for worktops and furniture.
iv. Polypropylene Furniture and household objects. As
a translucent material for light filter.
v. PVC Flooring, windows, guttering, electrical
insulation.
vi. Vinyl Replica of natural products such as timber and
stone and could be used as flooring and furniture.

3. Glass
a. From a very brittle and cautious material to a malleable
and shockproof hybrid, glass has a variety of uses along its
 modern innovations. It is used as a replacement for walls
and roofs, as a stair tread, balustrade, and flooring
material. It can even replace timber in doors, shelves and
work surfaces. It is formulated with sand, soda and potash
together with heat, glass could be created from a simple
glazing material to a safety shatterproof one.
b. Application
i. Float glass Windows, mirrors
ii. Laminated glass Applications where there might be
risks of injury from breakage; structural applications
such as curtain walls
iii. Colored glass Window display units, stained glass
iv. Low-emissivity glass metal oxide micro layer for
reducing infrared trasmissions
v. Toughened glass Heat-tempered and cooled for
safety glass in doors and windows. It shatters into
small elements.
vi. Figure-rolled glass Internal decorative glass

4. Metals
a. These are hard surfaces with machine-aesthetic
appearance that creates a contrast with organic materials
such as timber and stone. Most metals change appearance
as they oxidize but it can be avoided through the use of
lacquers, coatings and polishes. They vary in production
from a sheet form, woven mesh, or as structural rods,
bards, strops and several varieties of profile.
b. Application
i. Aluminum Window frames, cladding panels, floor
coverings, artifacts
ii. Copper Reddish orange for cladding, and decorative
features; cor-ten steel
iii. Mild steel Silver-gray oxidizing to red for framing
materials
iv. Stainless steel Kitchen, bathroom, flooring and
cladding
v. Zinc Countertops, splash backs and cladding panels

5. Concrete and Terrazzo

a. Often used in brutalist architecture, its appearance
depends on the color and texture of the stone used as
aggregate. Also, subsequent treatment like pressure
washing has an impact to its character. It can be wax
polished for satiny finish or treated with resin for a wet-look
gloss. Terrazzo, in particular, uses marble chips as
aggregates and come in light to dark grey hues.
 b. Applications
i. Concrete As pre-fabricated panels, beton brut
finished, broom finished or striated for flooring,
stairs, structural fabric
ii. Marble terrazzo Flooring, countertops, bathroom
units, splash backs
iii. Granite terrazzo Floorings, countertops, bathroom
units, splash backs

6. Stone, Slate and Marble

a. Connoted as a permanent, traditional and solid material,
stones are a hard and heavy materials made from
quarrying and cutting techniques. Stone is a natural and
eminently reusable source. Rough-hewn stone with obvious
joints will evoke a sense of rusticity while polished stone
with hairline joints will suggest a more urbane aesthetic.
Hard, high-density stones such as granite are highly
resistant to wear and staining while softer, porous ones
such as limestone and sandstone require sealing and
maintenance.
b. Applications
i. Granite Shades from pink to black used for
worktops and flooring
ii. Limestone and sandstone Could be gold, pink,
green or blue used for flooring, bath surrounds and
wall cladding
iii. Marble Floorings, worktops, inserts, wall cladding,
bath, basins
iv. Slate Blue-black to green-gray for steps, flooring
and wall cladding

7. Wood
a. It is the most common and most affordable material sold in
market with its natural ability to reproduce. It is a porous
and fibrous material that requires maintenance and
coatings most especially when used outdoors. Wood may
even swell when exposed to weather and water. Its organic
growth rings and texture are what makes wood an ideal
material for design and construction. Designers often use
woods because of its sustainable and carbon storage-
ability, not to mention its natural and intricate aesthetics.
They vary from hard woods to soft wood depending on
what type of construction they will be used.
b. Applications
i. Kamagong A dark timber used for small and
intricate furnitures
 ii. Molave A fine light brown hardwood ideal for
window frames and structural posts
iii. Narra Ranging from yellow to red with interlocking
wavy grains for finishing materials, furnishings,
flooring and wall panels
iv. Tanguile Interior or outdoor finishes, cabinets
v. Yakal Weather-resistant wood for furniture and
surface finishes