TY  - JOUR
AU  - Hafizi, Nazgol
AU  - Tuna, Gokce
AU  - Vural, Sadiye Müjdem
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/18
TI  - Innovative Façade Materials and Their Tectonic Implications: A Meta-Analysis and Taxonomical Framework
JO  - Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research
SP  - 013
VL  - 07
IS  - 02
AB  - The incorporation of innovative contemporary façade materials has fundamentally transformed architectural practice, driven by increasing demands for sustainability, building performance, and aesthetic expression. Despite substantial technical advancements in materials science, a critical gap persists in linking material innovation to tectonic expression — the relationship between material properties, construction logic, and architectural form. This study presents a systematic meta-analysis and a taxonomic framework for innovative façade materials, with a particular focus on their tectonic-aesthetic implications in contemporary architecture. A two-phase methodology was employed: keyword co-occurrence network analysis using VOS Viewer, followed by a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol applied to Web of Science publications (2010-2025). From an initial pool of 175 records, 123 were screened, 31 met eligibility criteria, and 19 studies addressing tectonic implications underwent detailed full-text analysis. Findings confirm that the majority of existing research prioritizes performance-related topics such as energy efficiency and thermal comfort, leaving the tectonic consequences of material innovation largely underexplored. To address this gap, this study proposes a novel taxonomical framework comprising seven categories: Smart Materials, Bio-based Materials, Modified Traditional Materials, Composite Materials, Nano-engineered Materials, Biomimetic Materials, and Digital Fabrication Materials — each analyzed in terms of its structural logic, assembly potential, and aesthetic expression. This framework represents the first systematic attempt to classify innovative façade materials through a tectonic lens, offering architects and designers a structured tool for material selection that balances technical performance with creative design intent.
SN  - 2766-6190
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/aeer.2602013
DO  - 10.21926/aeer.2602013
ID  - Hafizi2026
ER  -