ABSTRACT
Two different building materials are described, both made by manipulation of natural raw material. The use of brick involves quarrying of clay, shaping to make adobe or baking to make burnt brick. Other similar materials used in architecture, such as terracotta or litoceramica, were also described.
Artificial stone is a building material used since the late 19th century employing Portland cement as a binder together with crushed stone or sand as the aggregate. Artificial stone was used to make cladding imitating the surface appearance of natural stone, sometimes adding a pigment. A particular kind of artificial stone, called “cast stone”, allows for the production of a great number of decorative elements to be applied on the façades. The reduced cost of these artefacts, in comparison with similar carvings made of natural stone, promoted an extensive use on Milan’s buildings, featuring a particular architectural style (Liberty) in the first decades of the 20th century. A complete description of the houses featuring typical Liberty quarters of Milan (Sempione and Magenta) is also reported.
