Pedagogy 2025

Abstract

This paper investigates the shifting relationship between construction and materiality in architecture—an elusive distance that has widened in the age of digital production. Historically, the history of construction is inseparable from the history of materiality: from the tectonic logic of Greek temples and the vertical expressiveness of Gothic cathedrals, to Pugin’s moral insistence on material truth and Viollet-le-Duc’s structural rationalism. Even as materials such as iron and reinforced concrete redefined architectural expression, they also revealed a paradox: the more construction becomes technologically advanced, the more its material authenticity risks abstraction. Today, this paradox resurfaces in the digital domain. BIM systems, parametric modeling, and AI-based design tools, while enabling unprecedented precision and efficiency, often embed predetermined notions of materiality that distance architects from the tactile and phenomenological essence of building. This paper argues that the true beginning of design lies not in software or representation, but in engaging with the inherent qualities of material itself—its structure, texture, and expressive potential. By revisiting the historical discourse of materiality and examining contemporary digital practices, the paper proposes a framework for reconciling construction and materiality in the post-digital age. It suggests that the next paradigm shift in architecture depends not on technological adoption alone, but on integrating technology as an active participant in shaping both the material and the act of construction.