The approach of "Informing Architecture by Materiality" opens the way to an innovative use of materials in the design professions. Taking material qualities and properties such as texture, elasticity, transparency and fluidity as a point of departure, the concept described and employed here transcends the conventional definitions of building materials. Instead, the focus is on a multitude of material operations, like folding and bending, carving and cutting, weaving and knitting, mirroring and screening.
The featured design strategies and methods address established and "new" materials alike. They are applied both to the scale of the detail and the entire building. The examples comprise prototype structures as well as large building projects.
Eight chapters deal with surfaces and layers, joints and juctions, weaving and texturing, nanoscale transformations, responsiveness, the integration of ephemeral factors like wind and light as well as material collections providing professional resources. Written by renowned experts in this field, the book features many examples from international contemporary architecture.
The introductory part provides the conceptual background, while a final chapter describes consequences for pressing issues of today, like sustainability or life cycle assessment.
Thomas Schröpfer ist Associate Professor und Programmdirektor der Architekturabteilung an der Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD. James Carpenter leitet das Büro James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy leitet das Büro Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston und lehrt am Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Toshiko Mori leitet das Büro Toshiko Mori Architects in New York and lehrt an der Graduate School of Design der Harvard University. Liat Margolis ist Landschaftsarchitektin und lehrt an der John Daniels Architecture School der Universität von Toronto. Nader Tehrani leitet das Büro Office dA in Boston und leitet die Architekturabteilung des Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon leitet das Büro Decker Yeadon in New York und lehrt an der Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray ist Architekt und lehrt an der National University von Singapur.