Material dialogues : exploring design methodologies in material tectonics through stone morphologies

Abstract

Stemming from the cultural and technological developments that took place over the last 20 years, the architectural design process has undergone a significant epistemic shift. At the heart of this change lies a rekindled interest in materiality and craft-based experimentation as drivers for teasing out tectonic form. This is by no means a new endeavour for designers, particularly since the digital era is preceded by a long history of interaction with the realm of matter. A holistic understanding of materiality today thus entails the need for retracing the subject to its theoretical origins, such as the works of Gottfried Semper (2011), John Ruskin (1849), Kenneth Frampton (1998), and more recently, Manuel Delanda (2011 ), Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (2005). By focusing on the morphological development of stone in classical and digital tectonic discourse, this research explores the diverse ways by which such material dialogues unfold within the design process. These different configurations have been equated to a design algorithm, deduced with the purpose of assessing a range of contexts for design thinking and instrumentation. Following a thematic overview of several historic periods, discussions are subsequently redirected towards the unique outlooks of emerging stone practices, now interacting with the material at significantly smaller scales. Extrapolating broader material-based principles, conclusions in this regard have contributed towards elaborating on the design algorithm and the role of materiality with respect to conceptualisation, computation and fabrication.