Through the Seams

An undergraduate design studio that uses unconventional models to explore the seam where two materials bind, instructed in 2021

Through the Seams examines the edge where two distinct materials come together and how their curious pairing can engage unexpected tactile encounters. 1:1 mockups sample from familiar assembly methods of wood, metal and textile as well as experiment with alternative combinations. Through animations, models are studied viscerally and encouraged to contrast fundamental qualities, such as hard and soft or heavy and light. As the seams expand to form a passage, the stability of the system is tested, questioning how the temporal dimensions of the work respond to the process of construction or deliberate erosion.

Image Credit: Hadassah Greebel

Contributors: University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture students co-taught by Johannes Berry, Abigail Chang, Ania Jaworska, Paul Preissner, Antonio Torres (coordinator), Dan Wheeler