Intimate Material Space 

Nanjing, China, 2018

Collaborators: Klaus Zwerger (TU Vienna), Yuting Shi (Nanjing University of the Arts)

How can materials make intimate spaces? The participants in the 3-weeks workshop explored the inherent qualities of different materials and how to use them for specific settings. They aimed to produce a full-scale pavilion that offered intimate spaces for leisure, group meetings, and private activities on the campus. The students developed various design schemes informed by their own experiences and needs, inputs from the tutors, and numerous material exercises. They focused on the perception and evaluation of materials such as timber, textiles, or brick, identified different nuances of material qualities, and tested their combination on a full scale. After identifying the most suitable materials for their design, the group produced one design together in a series of small steps, mastering and crafting materials for structural, architectural, and interior purposes.

Project documentation video (Nanjing University of the Arts)