Architecture as Catalyst: Material In/Formation

This Catalyst studio investigated the relationship between "big data" and material practice through the construction of a series of full-scale prototypes that merge aspects of computational design, graphic design, information aesthetics, and digital fabrication. The basis for the studio was an installation design for the School of Architecture's Centennial (October 25-26, 2013). The Centennial celebration will feature a built installation inspired by the history of the School and its alumni. This Catalyst served as a testing lab for (1) innovative and creative methods of material assembly, and (2) ways in which information can be used generatively in the design of a built structure. The studio specifically focussed on computational design tools as a way to harness large amounts of quantitative data and channel it strategically within a larger design process. Emphasis was placed on hybrid modes of working and exploring the transformative power of large amounts of information: both digitally and analog; both quantitatively and qualitatively.