Material Matters

An undergraduate technology course, exploring how matter transforms into materials by constructing 1:1 mock ups of building fragments, instructed in 2022

Material Matters examines fragments of buildings from contemporary practices through the detail of a wall section. Unpacking the layers of a wall assembly, each building component is further investigated through model tests that aim to understand the transformative process from matter to material. Drawing from built, contemporary buildings, the course focuses on experimental, unconventional approaches to natural materials, such as stone and wood, as well as manufactured ones, such as polymers, ceramics and fibers. After deconstructing models through weathering tests, the projects speculate on the mock up as a larger whole and its response to the environment over time as a design opportunity.

Image Credit: Abigail Chang

Featured Student Work: Edwin Jr. Altez, Iman Beg, Dominic Belmonte, George Benson-Ogundeji, Eileen Cazares, Jose Gonzalez, Andry Nevski, Ricardo Paz, Aliya Perez, Ulises Romero, Ceema Sheikha, Moises Valente

Contributors: University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture students co-taught by Abigail Chang and Antonio Torres