The past updated: The ecology of lime on the skin of contemporary Spanish architecture

Abstract

The skin of a building is mainly composed of its coverings. As with people, skin contributes the most to the exterior surfaces and volumes of buildings. In this paper, the recovery of updated traditional materials in contemporary architectures is presented. This process has been analysed in research and development (R&D) projects, transferring the results to the industry for production with state of the art technologies. We focus on the study of materials derived from lime, including their eco-friendliness and great sustainability. Lime-based materials meet all the requirements of functionality, and they provide excellent sensory experiences. The inorganic composition, colour and texture of building skins humanize architecture due to their affinity with humans. In addition, these skins provide great luminosity and beauty. Natural materials give the buildings of contemporary Spanish architecture a special relationship that cannot be achieved with artificial materials.