The low cost and durability of plastic has made it a popular choice for disposable materials. Plastic’s ability to be easily molded into complex shapes has also been a critical factor to its success. Plastic does not withstand impact fracture well, however, so its structural capabilities are limited. For applications that require greater resilience, metal is usually the preferred choice—but the trade-off comes in the energy- and time-intensive processes necessary to realize complex metal shapes.
Read more of Blaine Brownell’s article about a new material that combines the low cost of plastic with the resilience of metal in the May 2011 issue of Architect.
