Faced with environmental, economic and societal challenges, using building materials that are available at hand or right under our feet offers virtuous technical solutions, inspired by ancestral know-how. It also restores meaning to the building trade, encourages the development of local economic sectors, creates jobs and re-anchors the act of building in the local area.
MATERIA combines stone with earth and plant fibers, focusing on the rehabilitation of existing buildings. The book analyzes and documents the 40 finalist projects of the materia award through their architectural, technical and environmental dimensions. Reducing the carbon impact of materials, which was embryonic a decade ago, is now an integral part of building regulations. Sectors are becoming more structured, but above all, collective awareness has evolved, particularly among students and new generations of builders. Aspiring to a different future, they are exploring new ways of conceiving and implementing architecture. Sensitive to the social dimension of the act of building, they are experimenting with minimally processed materials, with the building site as the focal point.
