McKnelly Megalith Righted
The 'McKnelly Megalith' righted today onto it's belly. On Tuesday, May 12th in Killian Court at MIT, the Megalith will walk and stand upright for the first time. The 'McKnelly Megalith' is produced by the MIT Megalithic Robotics studio.
Endalaus Wedding Bands
Robotic Gravity Workshop
Results of the Robotic Gravity Workshop at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning by Brandon Clifford, Wes McGee, and Daniel Piker.
2015 Quarra Matter Fellowship - Call for Submissions
Quarra Stone and Matter Design announce the first annual Quarra Matter Fellowship. This fellowship is a research position as part of an ongoing industry/academy collaborative research project between Quarra Stone and Matter Design on advancing digital agendas in the material stone.
Two research fellows will work daily at Quarra Stone’s location in Madison Wisconsin for the duration of a 10 week research project in the summer of 2015 and each receive an stipend of $10,000 (stipend does not include travel or lodging). During the course of this fellowship, the researchers will work directly with the Quarra Stone team to develop and implement advanced fabrication processes. This research will culminate in a series of large-scale constructed artifacts carved and assembled of stone. Fellows will work with and alongside the professional stone fabricators at Quarra Stone and are expected to report and communicate the research with their respective research coordinators—Brandon Clifford at MIT and Wes McGee at UM. The intention of this research is to build processes that improve accuracy and reduce the gap between drawing and making. Quarra Stone has vast resources dedicated to complex carving of stone, and Matter Design has an interest in engaging this resource and shoring it with computational intelligence. Both parties share an interest in this symbiotic relationship and the fellows will serve to implement, document, and aid in the publication of this research.
Throughout the process, fellows will be exposed to master stone-cutters and learn about the process of cutting stone. Fellows are to work exclusively on the research project; however, fellows are expected to compile and share their knowledge about automation, computation, or method with Quarra Stone at large.
Eligibility:
This fellowship is eligible to current students and recent graduates of MIT and the University of Michigan at any level of their education. While a preference will be given to graduate students in the architecture programs, other applicants will be considered.
Process to Apply:
Candidates must submit application material VIA E-MAIL AS ONE PDF ATTACHMENT.
Application Deadline: 5:00pm EST on February 01, 2015.
MIT Application Submission: bcliffor@mit.edu (Brandon Clifford, MIT/Matter Design)
UM Application Submission: wesmcgee@umich.edu (Wes McGee, UM/Matter Design)
Application Material: In ONE pdf please include the following
- 100 word biography explaining which program the applicant is enrolled in and at what stage, as well as any notes about prior fabrication, computation, and research experience.
- 250 word statement of interest
- Curriculum vitae or Resume
- 3 images (only) expressing the applicants ability to work with computation and fabrication
- 3 Reference Contacts (not letters)
Applications will be reviewed by the first week of February with follow-up interviews soon after.
Brandon Clifford & Wes McGee | Matter Design
Jim Durham | Quarra Stone
Round Room Opening Teaser
Join us this Friday, September 12 at 5 PM for the opening reception of Round Room by Matter Design (Brandon Clifford and Wes McGee) and Quarra Stone (James Durham) at MIT - Keller Gallery (7-408).
Digital Inca
A prototype of a translation of the Inca Wedge method into Autoclave Aerated Concrete. First the unique units are carved with precision on the visible face, then swarf milled away in the back to ensure only the front edge and a central nub will align with the neighbors. What is of interest in this method is the conventional technique of laying mortar then setting a masonry unit into the mortar allowing the squeeze-out to precisely align units is replaced. In this technique, the precisely carved units are first held in place dry, then packed in from behind with mortar (in this case plaster). This method has advantages and disadvantages, though we are excited for the potentials. More to come soon!
Volumetric Robotics Exhibit at the BSA Space
Volumetric Robotics: MIT Architectural Design Workshop is on exhibit at the BSA Space through late May. This exhibition displays the work during a semester long workshop at MIT as well as three large scale artifacts and a publication of the papers produced during the workshop.
Volumetric Robotics Book Available
Volumetric Robotics the book is now available to purchase! Volumetric Robotics: MIT Architectural Design Workshop is a catalog of the research produced in the 'Volumetric Robotics' workshop led by Brandon Clifford at the MIT School of Architecture + Planning. The catalog contains documentation and knowledge gained during throughout this investigative research process.
Volumetric Robotics Exhibition Opening
Please join us for the opening of the exhibition titled Volumetric Robotics on March 19 at 6pm at the BSA Space in Boston. For more information on the opening, please visit the BSA Space website.
While some hold on to notions of alien intervention, Brandon Clifford, Belluschi Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and curator of the exhibition Volumetric Robotics, argues that ancient civilizations like the Inca were much more advanced in their knowledge of volumetric construction than we are today. It is a rare occasion when we construct with massive blocks of stone these days.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the design industry has favored economically friendly, often thin veneers for the cladding of structural volumes. Such an assumption about efficiency neglects the potential of various ancient and lost methods to produce superior external skins. This is why we are in awe of the Inca: We simply can’t explain how their work was possible.
The show includes a “cabinet of curiosities” containing artifacts and tools, footage of a robotic arm carving volumetrically, and prototypes of walls and columns fabricated by the same robot. Also included is new research from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning that explores ways to recapture methods of carving stone in the digital era.
Spruce Sauna - Sneak Preview
Range now On Sale
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Range is now on Sale! Visit our online store here to get your copy of Range today for only $19.95.
Range compiles the work of Matter Design by project from the years 2008-2013 in reverse chronological order. Each project contains a descriptive text, but some also compile previously published articles and are noted as such. The structure of this catalog is simple—reference image on the left with a project image on the right. This simple structure has allowed the possibility of focusing in on details, or illustrating multiple references. While each spread is simplistic and often didactic, the confluence of references for each project speak to the range, breadth, and complexity of the work.
Online Store is now OPEN
Matter Design's new online store is now open for business!
Architectural League Prize: Range Exhibition
Matter Design to lecture tonight at the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers: Range opening at Parsons starting at 7pm. Come join us for the exhibition to follow.
This exhibition also coincides with the launch of our online store where you will be able to purchase our products, as well as our new limited edition book titled "Range"
Click here for more information.
Introducing Range
We are pleased to introduce our new book--Range. Click here to order your own copy.
Range compiles the work of Matter Design by project from the years 2008-2013 in reverse chronological order. Each project contains a descriptive text, but some also compile previously published articles and are noted as such. The structure of this catalog is simple—reference image on the left with a project image on the right. This simple structure has allowed the possibility of focusing in on details, or illustrating multiple references. While each spread is simplistic and often didactic, the confluence of references for each project speak to the range, breadth, and complexity of the work.
This catalog is produced for the 2013 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers exhibition and funded with generous support by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture + Planning and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning.
Published Date: June 25, 2012
Dimensions: 6"x6" | 256 pgs | B&W | Softcover
Cumulus - Soft Launch
CumulusRings
Matter Design is excited to announce the soft launch of our first line of jewelry titled Cumulus.
We have been working on this extensive line of rings, cufflinks, and other items for about a year and are happy to release this passion of ours to the public. This soft launch contains many of the current ring and cufflink designs. While we have received incredible responses from our physical prototypes, we would love to hear what you think. For the limited time of this soft launch, we are offering all of the current designs directly from our manufacturer (they will make the products to order and ship directly to you) allowing us a better understanding of which designs are most prone to stock ourselves, as well as promote to retail locations. We thank you for your help and for this reason we have aggressively priced these items to reward early adopters. We are very proud of these designs and we hope you enjoy them as well.
To see the full array of designs and purchase your own Cumulus, please visit our online shop. If you are interested to carry Cumulus in your retail location, please email brandon[at]matterdesignstudio[dot]com
Cumulus is a family of designed objects reminiscent of cloud formations—not only for its rhetorical appearance, but for it's capacity to morph, adapt, and change. Clouds are often perceived to cary significance beyond their physical states. While some individual items in the Cumulus family appear as a known type—for instance the pearl—the same system transforms, mutates, multiplies, and evolves into a family of solutions, each producing their own identity within the large family of cloud formations.
Volume Price Reduction
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Our publisher has informed us that that Volume: Bringing Surface into Question has received a price reduction and will now be on sale for $64.53. To purchase your own copy, please visit our online bookstore. We hope you enjoy it.
In addition, we are offering a discount until March 31st of $10 off Volume! Just use the code SHARE10 upon checkout.
Introducing Helix
We are pleased to introduce Helix, a half-scale non-reinforced precast concrete spiral stair. Helix will be on exhibit at the BSA Space until May 15, 2013. The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 10:00AM to 6:00PM and until 5:00PM on weekends and holidays. The Gallery is located at 290 Congress Street, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02210.
A special thanks to Matthew Johnson and Simpson Gumpertz & Heger for their facilities, support, and expertise. Another special thanks to Boston Sand & Gravel, Lehigh Northeast Cement Company, and Headwaters Resources, Inc. for their material donations that made this project possible.
Design Biennial Boston
Wide
We are pleased to announce that Matter Design will be exhibiting at this years Design Biennial Boston. We have been busy casting a half-scale spiral staircase we call 'Helix' that will skewer the existing entry stair at the BSA. This project is a continuation of our dedication to volume with a series of scale prototypes and applied research translating past methods of making into contemporary culture. We hope to see you there and please spread the word! Please join us for the opening of the third Design Biennial Boston. Thursday, 21 February 2013, from 6 to 8 p.m. at BSA Space, 290 Congress Street, Boston. For directions, please click here.
The Boston Society of Architects and pinkcomma gallery recognize emerging practices and designers in the Biennial exhibition. The program showcases significant design talent among Greater Boston’s early-career, independent practitioners through a juried exhibition, publication, and four site-specific installations at BSA Space. This year's participants are Brandon Clifford and Wes McGee of Matter Design, Wilson Martin and Eden Dutcher of GroundView, Ana Miljacki and Lee Moreau of Project_, and Kiel Moe.
The exhibition will include an archive of works by the 2008 participants (Ground, Höweler + Yoon Architecture, LinOldhamOffice, Merge Architects, MOS, over,under, SsD, Studio Luz Architects, UNI and Utile) and the 2010 winners (C&MP, Dan Hisel Architect, Schneider Studio, Touloukian Touloukian and William O’Brien, Jr.)
Volume is now available
We are pleased to announce that Volume: Bringing Surface into Question is complete and currently available for purchase from the online bookstore. For those of you that have been patiently waiting, this is the publication produced via the SOM fellowship. Click on the image to purchase your very own copy! This book is 336 pages of observations, explanations, imagery, and insights on the topic of volume in architecture. We hope you enjoy and can support the project. This is the first in a line of research to come. Stay tuned for updates on exhibitions, lectures, prototypes, and further publications.
Marc Jarzombek recently suggested one could determine how well a society is doing by their ability to precisely carve stone. I like his metric for its simplicity, but also for its assumption that we must not be doing so well today. So much of the discussion surrounding digital design has focused on the surface. Perhaps this is because we inherited economically thin sheet materials from the industrial era, or because we no longer consider compression-only structures to be valid. While I argue these structures outlast any partial-tension structure, making them inherently sustainable, I also argue the purpose of the proposed research is not to revert to this ‘antiquated’ architecture. This research is intended to mine the lost knowledge of stereotomy (the art of cutting solids, more typically stone) as a way to inform our contemporary methods of making with the dimension of volume.
This report was funded through the Skidmore, Owings & Merril Foundations 2011 SOM Prize, a Fellowship awarded for independent Travel / Research in Architecture, Design or Urban Design.