Modulverantwortung: Adam Jasper
Lehrteam: Adam Jasper, Davide Spina
Assistant: João Moreira

Material and Metaphysics

Historically, architecture shows the traces of a continual struggle towards transcendence, via both cultural and technical means, one that is continually in dialogue with the limits of, and our knowledge of, its physical material. Said bluntly: architecture is made of stuff. And this stuff, whether bricks, concrete, glass, steel, wood or plastic, has a history of resisting our attempts to make it expressive.

The material of architecture may be stubbon, but it is neither inanimate nor inert. The physical components of architecture each have their own histories that can be described via different temporal frameworks; in geological, cultural, economic, and biographical time. Can we interrogate material not simply as engineers, but as designers seeking to understand the latent content of our profession?

This course presents investigations into different canonical architectural materials, with students encouraged to seek out specific case studies. It requires active participation, and significant amounts of reading. Students will be expected to present in class, as well as actively participate in class discussion.