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Architects choose materials. Besides designing shapes and sizes, the choice of material is arguably the most defining notion of architectural practice. This module will look into the origins and availabilties of certain materials, sharpening our senses and sensibilities for environmental impact and longevity.

Sourcing - For the longest time material palettes seemed to become ever broader and wider. Recently, however, availability has become in issue too. Beyond the pressures of sustainability itself, climate-, covid- and conflict-induced shortages have become paramount. Even basic construction materials like sand are getting scarcer. From a global vantage point this bears the question what are appropriate materials to work with in the future? How to source them responsibly and reliably? Is there a particularly aware, a pronouncedly conscious way of materializing architectural space? For the purpose of this seminar we will identify a certain strain of material, learn about its origins, its properties and put it to the test.

Against the backdrop of volatile global production and increasingly brittle supply-chains we will take a closer look at home. Which mineral construction materials are actually indigenous to the geology of our immediate surroundings? Which organic construction materials do our immediate environments produce and in which quantities and qualities? What ist the shortest possible supply-chain?

Drawing on architect’s strengths to amalgamate information from most varied sources we will make sure that our findings are summarized in coherent diagrams and that maps are presented in legible, graphically appealing manner.

Testing - In a second instance we will identify a locally available material, use it to design a mockup for a certain architectural application and – to the best of our abilities – test its performance. We will attempt to measure this performance as precisely as possible. The assembly and testing process will be documented and our own lessons and conclusions from it deducted and summarized.

Filming – All oft he above will result in a short film. In the spirit of a portrait it ought to single out one material and address afforementioned global and local availabilities, as well as its assembly into a materially specific mockup (roughly 1m² in size) and the exploration of one particular aspect of its performance. The film should be split in two parts – 1) Sourcing and 2) Testing - and address the following:

1)

Material - Description, Extraction/Production, Processing, Storage, Application

Global - Sources, Prices, Availabilities/Shortages, Traded Volumes, Trade-Routes

Local - Sources, Qualities, Suppliers / reference projects

2)

Mockup - Documentation of planning, assembly and final mockup

Test - Documentation of preconceived results, testing and resulting data

Conclusion - Resulting data, summary