The Matter of Movement: the Dynamic Experience of Buildings and Landscapes

This contribution concerns itself with the design and realisation of architectures that operate with material dynamics. It presents this concern as a counter to the consideration of movement in architecture as something conceptualised from the position of the observer. The contribution draws upon research from the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) which has recently focused upon the investigation of materially active systems ranging from textile logics at architectural scale to bending active structures in both natural and synthetic fibre-based composites. These investigations have necessitated the development of synergetic relations between new conceptualisations, new methods of designing, new representational tools, and new material systems. This essay examines these issues through two inter-related research projects developed at CITA as part of a broader inquiry at the intersection between architecture (considered as both practice and spatial construct) and digital technologies.