Blank: Speculations on CLT

This book explores the potential of cross-laminated timber as a material for architecture, focusing on experimentation, innovation, and research to broaden its cultural, spatial, and technological significance. It brings together work and texts from a diverse group of theorists and practitioners to suggest design approaches that will invigorate and expand new discourse about materiality. The outcome emphasizes materiality through fast slippages between art, architecture, and science, repositioning CLT architecture through new forms of representation and responses.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 23 March 2022
Publisher: Oro Editions

This captivating book delves into the realm of architectural creation by closely examining cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a material of the present. Through a series of innovative experiments and research, the material emerges as a catalyst for exploration, innovation, and discovery, seeking to unravel the specific meanings of CLT in architecture across diverse scales. The book's structured approach brings together a diverse range of theorists and practitioners, who place material at the core of their inquiry, offering design approaches that aim to elevate the cultural, spatial, and technological significance of architecture, education, engineering, and industry.

The outcome of this thoughtful exploration is a profound focus on materiality, achieved through swift and dynamic slippages between art, architecture, and science. The book aspires to invigorate and expand the discourse surrounding materials, shifting the attention away from their mere manufacturing and mass production to explore new conceptualizations and theories. It seeks to challenge the notion that materials are merely bland and lifeless products, instead encouraging a deeper exploration of their spatial properties and the worlds they might suggest.

To accomplish this, the book employs a selection of striking visual materials, showcasing the unique architectural possibilities of CLT. These visual representations serve as a means to reposition CLT's architecture through innovative forms of representation and responsive strategies that remain firmly grounded in pragmatism. A central thread throughout the book is the exploration of the aesthetics of CLT, drawing connections to wood and art practice.

By weaving together a rich tapestry of ideas, perspectives, and visualizations, this book offers a transformative narrative that empowers architects, designers, and scholars to reimagine the potential of materials in architectural practice. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to broaden the cultural, spatial, and technological significance of architecture and to explore new frontiers in material innovation and design.

Weight: 1126g
Dimension: 211 x 287 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781954081024