Fabrication and Material aware Architecture: Stone as knowledge

This course investigates how material knowledge embedded in existing buildings and traditional crafts can inform contemporary architectural practice. Focusing on the vernacular construction culture of the Swiss valleys above Monte Ceneri, students will engage with local materials, techniques, and forms of knowledge through lectures, fieldwork, digital documentation, and hands-on experimentation. The semester will culminate in the realization of a small architectural intervention for Palazzo Turconi. 

Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental relationship between materials, craftsmanship, and sustainable design through a holistic and iterative learning process based on existing structures and processes. The course follows four interconnected stages: 

1. Observation and documentation of buildings, materials, and construction techniques.  
2. Digital recording and analysis through measurement and 3D scanning.  
3. Material experimentation and prototype fabrication in collaboration with craftsmen.  
4. Translation of acquired knowledge into a small-scale architectural intervention.  

• Industry, innovation and infrastructure
• Sustainable cities and communities
• Responsible consumption and production

In presence

Through lectures by invited experts, fieldwork, digital documentation, and hands-on experimentation, students will develop an understanding of local materials and construction techniques. Knowledge acquired from existing buildings and direct interaction with craftsmen will be further explored through prototyping and ultimately translated into a small architectural intervention. 

The final examination will consist of a presentation bringing together the investigations, recordings, and experiments developed throughout the semester. The assessment will reflect the three successive phases of the course: 

1. Recording the Existing 
   Fieldwork, analytical drawings, surveys, and 3D scanning of local materials, geological formations, and selected building samples.  
2. Recording the Process 
   Direct engagement with craftsmen and the documentation of tools, gestures, and construction techniques through observation and hands-on experimentation.  
3. Making 
   Translation of the acquired knowledge into a small architectural intervention for Palazzo Turconi. 

The final submission will include: 

• analytical drawings and diagrams;  
• documentation of surveys and digital recordings;  
• records of craft processes and prototype fabrication;  
• physical models and mock-ups;  
• drawings and documentation of the final built intervention.