Uploaded on 2018-08-20 by Amelia Libeau Dulos

A traditional Thai temple with a luxury skyscraper in the background (the River Condominium). This reflects the contrast found all over the city of Bangkok where blocks of traditional houses/building are followed by lines of skyscrapers and aerial train links. Interestingly, many of the traditional buildings are located along the river or canals which were originally the main transportation method. The skyscrapers rarely include elements of the traditional house. Origins of the material: I decided to focus on steel (since it is one of the main base materials for skyscrapers), and though I could not trace its precise country of origin, I researched a little and found out that Thailand imports roughly 60% of the steel it consumes, with a trend to increase imports from 2016 to 2017. Considering the amount of towers there are in Bangkok (built on a steel base) there is a clear reliance on imported steel for construction. Source: Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand, 2017 report.