Immaterial/Ultramaterial: Architecture, Design, and Materials

"Every preconceived notion we hold about the nature of construction is being challenged. Architects have to take advantage of these sea changes to change the building industry."Toshiko Mori Over the course of history, materials such as concrete and steel revolutionized architecture. Immaterial/Ultramaterial, the second volume in the Millennium Matters series, investigates today's revolutionary new materials and methods of fabrication, and the profound impact they're having on the continuing evolution of architecture. The impact is felt in many areas, including architects' design methods, the conception of form, and modes of production. From the use of immaterial elements such as light, sound, and smell, to the implications of invincible materials ("ultramaterials"), which technological developments may soon place within our reach, this book envisions the future of architecture. The innovations in materials and fabrication explored in this volume are the result of an independent seminar held at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design that investigated new materials and novel applications of familiar ones. Divided into four groups that focused on "Surface," "Edge," "Phenomena," and "Substance," the members of these research teams rediscovered the relationship between material and design. Not only architects, but anyone interested in the fabrication of materials, in construction, or in design, will want to read about these groundbreaking innovations. 50 illustrations in color, 10 in b/w.