Material Strategies in Digital Fabrication

Christopher Beorkrem is associate professor of architecture at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

In each carefully selected case study, he systematically picks apart the design intentions, tools capabilities and material limitations, and reveals the real invention and experimentation behind the photogenic work. "Beorkrem's new book brings together what an inquisitive mind desires - an unravelling of the complexities and contradictions found in the built form. This book introduces a different mode of formal analysis that acknowledges a new form of design intelligence. It succeeds in demystifying the problems of complex forms, and makes a renewed attempt in connecting architects deeply wi

In 400 step-by-step diagrams dissecting 39 case studies in 10 countries on 3 continents, the book shows you how material performance drives the digital fabrication process and determines technique. The book identifies the important characteristics of each material, including connection types, relative costs, deformation, color, texture, finish, dimensional properties, durability, and weathering and waterproofing to link design outcomes to form. In this second edition of Material Strategies in Digital Fabrication are new case studies, improved wayfinding,