In this interdisciplinary studio, participants from the Master’s in Architectural Tectonics and the Master’s in Computational Design and Fabrication programs will come together to explore dynamic interplay of material, detail, and system. The studio aims to create a series of full-scale tectonic assemblies, focusing on integrating clay and complementary material systems such as timber, metal and composites. Participants will develop components that respond to specific material properties and production constraints using digital fabrication techniques such as CNC milling, 3D printing, etc, alongside traditional craft methods like casting, extrusion, pressing, etc. The studio will produce actual scale prototypes of key building elements at three levels - structure, enclosure, and object. Participants will be encouraged to perceive these elements not as isolated parts but as evolving interconnected systems that adapt to performance-driven, production-driven, and expressive criteria. This hands-on exploration allows participants to test and refine their ideas with actual materials, with the aim of deepening their understanding of how computational design and materiality coalesce to generate innovative building solutions. By crafting prototypes that engage structural, environmental, and spatial parameters, the studio seeks to demonstrate the potential of material systems to evolve into adaptable, functional, and poetic design expressions.
