Materiability is design by making, an understanding of actively learning from and about the world by physically engaging in it. The immediate connection between matter and human senses, such as touch, smell, sound or visuals, forms the basis for bodily explorations, engagements, and experiences. Materiability is a call to take action, to cease accepting the status-quo as given but instead speculate and dream about possible alternatives. It is about sharing these dreams with others, about c...

This book considers the potential of new, smart materials and their use in architecture. It begins with an overview of current global tendencies (technological, demographic, and socio-anthropological) and their relevance for architectural design. Expanding upon approaches for flexible design solutions to address change and uncertainty, Dr. Kretzer begins by exploring adaptive architecture and proceeds to introduce the topic of “information materials,” which encompasses smart and functional...

In this groundbreaking book, Adrian Bejan takes the recurring patterns in nature—trees, tributaries, air passages, neural networks, and lightning bolts—and reveals how a single principle of physics, the Constructal Law, accounts for the evolution of these and all other designs in our world.Everything—from biological life to inanimate systems—generates shape and structure and evolves in a sequence of ever-improving designs in order to facilitate flow. River...

A visually engaging introduction to landscape architectural designLandscape architectural design seeks to create environments that accommodate users' varying lifestyles and needs, incorporate cultural heritage, promote sustainability, and integrate functional requirements for optimal enjoyment. Foundations of Landscape Architecture introduces the foundational concepts needed to effectively integrate space and form in landscape design.With over five...

A survey of the built environment distills the work of legendary author and illustrator Francis D. K. Ching into a single volumeIntroduction to Architecture presents the essential texts and drawings of Francis D. K. Ching for those new to architecture and design. With his typical highly graphic approach, this is the first introductory text from Ching that surveys the design of spaces, buildings, and cities. In an easy to understand format, readers will exp...

Digital Fabrications, the second volume in our new Architecture Briefs series, celebrates the design ingenuity made possible by digital fabrication techniques. Author Lisa Iwamoto explores the methods architects use to calibrate digital designs with physical forms. The book is organized according to five types of digital fabrication techniques: tessellating, sectioning, folding, contouring, and forming. Projects are shown both in their finished forms and in working drawings, templates, and...

Daniel Jarvis and Irene Naested highlight the natural association between math and art in a series of practical ideas for the classroom, because when students understand the math/art connection, their understanding and confidence increase in both subjects. Through innovative teaching strategies and more than 100 rich learning experiences, Jarvis and Naested give teachers a wealth of engaging tools to explore the math/art connection with their own students. This connection is established th...

If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas?Chaos theory attempts to answer such baffling questions. The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems has evolved into a science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we have ever imagined.Introducing Chaos explains how chaos makes its presence felt in events from the fluctuation of animal populations to the ups and downs of the stock market. ...

Understanding materials, their properties and behavior is fundamental to engineering design, and a key application of materials science. Written for all students of engineering, materials science and design, Materials Selection in Mechanical Design describes the procedures for material selection in mechanical design in order to ensure that the most suitable materials for a given application are identified from the full range of materials and section shapes available. Extensively revised fo...

In this increasingly digitized world, any investigation of architecture inevitably leads to considerations of fabrication. But despite its omnipresence in contemporary practice and theory, digital design remains a fluid concept, its development and current influence discussed in scattered articles.

Materials are the stuff of design. From the very beginning of human history, materials have been taken from the natural world and shaped, modified, and adapted for everything from primitive tools to modern electronics. This renowned book by noted materials engineering author Mike Ashby and Industrial designer, Kara Johnson, explores the role of materials and materials processing in product design, with a particular emphasis on creating both desired aesthetics and functionality. The new edi...

Blaine Brownell s best-selling Transmaterial series has introduced designers to hundreds of emergent materials that have the potential to transform our built environment. In our new Architecture Brief, Material Strategies, Brownell shows architects how creative applications of these materials achieve such transformations. Chapters based on fundamental material categories examine historical precedents, current opportunities, and future environmental challenges. Case studies featuring detail...