ABSTRACT
The paper presents and discusses a sample of projects over an extended period in the Architectural Research Workshop. A range of material practices have evolved by direct engagement with materials and processes. These are inherently speculative, research based and generally directed towards the production of a final design in which students take the role of both maker and designer. The projects were embedded in core post-graduate curricula and subject to careful reflection and documentation. This reflective practice can be examined through the the consideration of affordance, the material properties observed through direct experience. New insights into behaviour and applications have emerged often leading to furthermore detailed scientific study.
