Wenn das professionelle Interesse an neuen Materialien über eine intuitive Faszination hinausgeht, stellt sich die Frage, wie Innovationen aus der Materialerforschung in die Architekturanwendung importiert werden können. Hier setzt dieses grundlegende Buch an. Ausgehend von Materialeigenschaften wie Textur, Elastizität oder Transparenz überwindet es die traditionellen Einteilungen von Werkstoffen zugunsten der Darstellung übergreifender Verarbeitungs- und Verwendungsarten wie Falten und Biegen, Schneiden und Weben, Spiegeln und Projizieren.
Die entwurfsorientierten Strategien und Techniken umfassen sowohl die etablierten als als „neue" Materialien. Sie übergreifen alle Maßstäbe vom Detail bis zum Gesamtgebäude. Die Beispiele reichen von Prototypen bis hin zu großen ausführten Projekten der letzten Jahre.
In neun Kapiteln werden aus dieser neuen Sicht Oberflächen und Schichtungen, Fügungen und Verbindungen, Gewebe und Texturen, Transformationen mittels reaktiver Materialien und Nanomaterialien, die Integration ephemerer Faktoren wie Wind und Licht sowie die systematische Erschließung von Ressourcen durch Materialsammlungen dargestellt. Einleitend wird die Herausbildung der aktuellen Materialkultur beschrieben. Ein abschließender Teil behandelt den Beitrag der Materialinnovation zu aktuellen Anforderungen von Fragen der Nachhaltigkeit, des Lebenszyklus usw.
The approach of "Informing Architecture by Materiality" opens the way to an innovative use of materials in the design professions. Taking material qualities and properties such as texture, elasticity, transparency and fluidity as a point of departure, the concept described and employed here transcends the conventional definitions of building materials. Instead, the focus is on a multitude of material operations, like folding and bending, carving and cutting, weaving and knitting, mirroring and screening.
The featured design strategies and methods address established and "new" materials alike. They are applied both to the scale of the detail and the entire building. The examples comprise prototype structures as well as large building projects.
Eight chapters deal with surfaces and layers, joints and juctions, weaving and texturing, nanoscale transformations, responsiveness, the integration of ephemeral factors like wind and light as well as material collections providing professional resources. Written by reknowned experts in this field, the book features many examples from international contemporary architecture.
The introductory part provides the conceptual background, while a final chapter describes consequences for pressing issues of today, like sustainability or life cycle assessment.
Thomas Schröpfer is Associate Professor and Programme Director of Architecture at Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD. James Carpenter is principal of James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy is principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Toshiko Mori is principal of Toshiko Mori Architect in New York and teaches at the Hardvard University Graduate School of Design. Liat Margolis is a landscape architect and teaches at the John Daniels Architecture School of the University of Toronto. Nader Tehrani is principal of Office dA in Boston and Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon is principal of Decker Yeadon in New York and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray is an architect and teaches at the National University of Singapore
Thomas Schröpfer, Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD, Singapur.
Thomas Schröpfer is Associate Professor and Programme Director of Architecture at Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD. James Carpenter is principal of James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy is principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Toshiko Mori is principal of Toshiko Mori Architect in New York and teaches at the Hardvard University Graduate School of Design. Liat Margolis is a landscape architect and teaches at the John Daniels Architecture School of the University of Toronto. Nader Tehrani is principal of Office dA in Boston and Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon is principal of Decker Yeadon in New York and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray is an architect and teaches at the National University of Singapore
Thomas Schröpfer, Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD, Singapur. 
Thomas Schröpfer is Associate Professor and Programme Director of Architecture at Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD. James Carpenter is principal of James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy is principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Toshiko Mori is principal of Toshiko Mori Architect in New York and teaches at the Hardvard University Graduate School of Design. Liat Margolis is a landscape architect and teaches at the John Daniels Architecture School of the University of Toronto. Nader Tehrani is principal of Office dA in Boston and Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon is principal of Decker Yeadon in New York and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray is an architect and teaches at the National University of Singapore
Thomas Schröpfer, Singapore University of Technology and Design SUTD, Singapur.
Thomas Schröpfer is Associate Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. James Carpenter is principal of James Carpenter Design Associates in New York. Sheila Kennedy is principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture in Boston. Toshiko Mori is principal of Toshiko Mori Architects in New York and teaches at the Hardvard University Graduate School of Design. Liat Margolis is a landscape architect and teaches at the John Daniels Architecture School of the University of Toronto. Nader Tehrani is principal of Office dA in Boston and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Peter Yeadon is principal of Decker Yeadon in New York and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Erwin Viray is an architect and teaches at the National University of Singapore.
