Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Things - by Winka Dubbeldam (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

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

Review Quotes

"Ms. Dubbeldam is a Dutch-born architect whose New York City firm, Archi-Tectonics, contorts concrete, metal, wood and glass into habitable sculptures. The studio's latest monograph is called "Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Things."" --The New York Times

"Traditionally, architects don't like to reveal too much of their design process, but Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Things finds Dubbeldam doing the near-opposite. But maybe that's what's needed -- so readers can understand how Archi-Tectonics creates those "strange objects," "new solids," and "massive things."" -- John Hill, World-Architects

"Expertly written, organized and presented, "Strange Objects, New Solids and Massive Things: Archi-Tectonics" is a coffee-table style (9 x 1.5 x 10.75 inches) that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.95) and highly recommended for person, professional, college, and university library Architecture Project Planning & Management collections, as well as a curriculum textbook and supplemental architecture studies lists." -- Library Bookwatch

"My favorite section is the last, since it features three residential projects within walking distance of each other (497 GW, V33, and 512 GW) that are thoroughly documented in words and images (they're all on a walking tour of Tribeca I give). But it's the Asian Games Park, being completed now for the 2022 Asian Games taking place in September, that is the heart of the book. Documented across 50 of the book's 364 pages, the high-profile project is by far the largest for the small NYC studio -- and a project that should bring Archi-Tectonics lots of international attention." -- A Daily Dose of Architecture

"After close to a century of Modernism as the prevailing approach to architecture, in the last two decades, the book argues, our widespread allegiance began to shift away from that "ism" toward a new social realm, and we have now reached a plateau where digital design and robotic production are the norm. The firm Archi-Tectonics, in particular, has long valued performance over form, design intelligence over style. As seen through an examination of 10 current and recent projects by the New York-based practice, founded by Winka Dubbeldam in 1994, this book celebrates the particular and singular over the ideal and universal." --Architectural Record