Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Things

The object as solid, having three dimensions, is not just a different formal trend, but a paradigm shift; a reconceiving of how the architectural object is produced and experienced, changing the very concept of objectivity and meaning of architecture. This book celebrates the potential of the strange object, which finds its origin in the proto-space―the moment between the becoming of the idea and the ultimate shape it takes; the state of the still obscure and ‘uninhibited’ object outside the established framework of signification. As seen through an examination of 10 projects by Archi-Tectonics, this strange object is proof of the very capacity of the object to generate new habits and meanings.

For close to a century, modernism was the norm, presented to culturally aware citizens as the expression of modern life. It arrived hand in hand with medical advances, mass standardization, and a shared ideal of what the ease and speed of the modern lifestyle could offer. Only in the early years of the 21st century did our widespread allegiance begin to shift away from modernism and towards a new social realm. The digital revolution introduced online societies, niche cultures, and digital design. Digital manufacturing facilitated opportunities of surface patterning and the fabrication of one-off special building components, removing the constraints of standardization in the construction industry and celebrating the experimental. Testing designs through prototypes allows for a much more informed decision-making process. The focus is on precise, rigorous research and development, rather than representational models.

Now, after nearly two decades of implementing digital tools, we have reached a new platform where digital design and robotic production are the norm, and by extension, digital craft and integral design are as the future. This has been particularly important in the rethinking of advanced digital design processes. As showcased and examined in Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Forms, from the earliest projects and regardless of scale, Archi-Tectonics has valued performance over form, design intelligence over style. Through prototypes and mock-ups, process documentation and testimonials, the book presents 10 current and recent projects that celebrate the particular and singular over the ideal and universal.

With Contributions of Manuel DeLanda, Jonathan Jackson

Winka Dubbeldam, MArch, MsAAD, is the founder and partner of the WBE certified New York firm Archi-Tectonics NYC, LLC with offices in the US, the Netherlands and China. Dubbeldam is widely known for her award-winning work, recognized as much for its design excellence as for its use of smart building systems, sustainable materials, and innovative structures. Archi-Tectonics recently won the Asian Games Design Competition in Hangzhou China [2018], with a 116-acre park, five buildings and two stadiums, under construction to open in 2022. The Asian Games Design recently won the PLAN Award 2020, and was the Awardee in A’ Architizer. The 512GW Townhouse was the awardee in the 2020 Rethinking The Future: Global Architecture and Design Awards 2020.

Dubbeldam is also the Chair and Miller Professor at the Weitzman School of Design’s Department of Architecture and Director of the Advanced Research and Innovation [ARI] lab, both at the University of Pennsylvania, where she has gathered an international network of innovative research and design professionals. She previously taught at the graduate architecture programs at Columbia, Cornell, and Harvard Universities, among other prestigious institutions. She was named one of the Design Intelligence 30 Most Admired Educators 2015. Currently, Dubbeldam is the External Examiner at the Bartlett UCL London, Juror for the PLAN Awards, and the Chair of the Panel of Jurors for the “Project of the Year Award 2020” by the Architecture of Israel Quarterly with the European Union [2020]

The work is published in numerous international architecture and design periodicals, as well as in the three monographs; Winka Dubbeldam, Architect (010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 1996), AT-INdex (Princeton ArchitecturalPress, NYC, 2006), and Archi-Tectonics (DAAB publishers, 2010).