Emergent Material Practices

Emergent Material Practices envision untapped possibilities for conventional building products and systems as well as potential applications for new ones, seeking to expand the design, function, and technical capacities of architectural materials. The School’s Fabrication Lab (FabLab) operates as a center of creative experimentation, education, and leadership development regarding emergent materials knowledge. Courses such as Materials and Assembly Principles, Structural Systems, and Topical Design Studios, including summer design-build programs, offer in-depth opportunities to explore this area.

EMRGENT MATERIAL PRACTICE | EXAMPLES

AIA Design Award “Hillside Rock House”
Marc Manack has received a 2018 Merit Award from American Institute of Architects North Carolina (AIA NC) for the Hillside Rock House, designed by his practice, SILO AR+D.The Hillside Rock House is in Fayetteville, Ark.
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Sound Pavilion
Rachel Dickey’s “Sound Pavilion” used sound performance to guide the construction of repeating gypsum forms into an architectural space.
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Sustainable Buildings Wood & Timber
The Importance of Wood and Timber in Sustainable Buildings: The publication of Mona Azarbayjani and David Thaddeus is intended to advance the knowledge of Cross Laminated Timber technology.
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ARCHITECT’s column MIND & MATTER
Blaine Brownell’s writes ARCHITECT’s Mind & Matter column, which explores the development and application of innovative architectural materials.
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Smart Materials for Kinetic Architecture
Elena Vazquez’s snapping skins project explores elastic instability as a means to develop kinetic architectural skins that adjust to different environmental conditions.
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DIY in Pandemic Times
An interdisciplinary team from the College of Arts + Architecture lead by Alex Cabral, Robby Sachs and José Gámez, has published an article in the journal Technology|Architecture + Design (TAD) on COVID-Era Design leadership: “DIY in Pandemic Times: Design Leadership During COVID-19”.
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