2022 Structural Engineering Fellowship
An Ontological Study of Structures and Their Materiality

The ontology of our structural materials, their nature of being with respect to humankind, science, and the environment, fluctuates along a broad spectrum between the microscopic and the inconceivably large. In the microcosmos, the chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials are analyzed and manipulated such that we understand their composition and maximize their utility. On the opposite end, there are colossal systems of resource extraction, energy consumption, and global capital flows that exhaust materials at the whim of interminably evolving power structures. Confined between the two polarities is what little remains visible to the naked eye. It is what we, as individuals or a collective, willfully imbue into our construction; the role that materials play when a structure cultivates connected communities, generates global knowledge in engineering theory and practice, or expresses local artistic and cultural values.

Envisioning this ontological spectrum is difficult. This research, therefore, aimed to uncover these opaque material relationships—with people, nature, and science at small-to-large scales—through an in-depth study of thirty-two structures located across the globe. Through various cultural lenses, analyses of responsible relationships with materiality was conducted. The study investigates both traditional building materials that have characterized the past as well as innovative building materials that will shape the future—both of which have the potential to redefine our present-day relationships with structural materiality. Each case study will be connected to at least one of three core concepts: community impact, environmental sustainability, or engineering Innovation.

Community

As communities develop, intense material consumption for the construction of new infrastructure is imperative to make way for further growth. The networks by which materials are extracted define whether this consumption generates an overall negative or positive impact, be it for the community itself or external communities involved in the broader extraction network. The Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre in South Africa, an example of a positive impact, is built from locally sourced construction materials that, employing local labor for the design and fabrication, stimulates internal economic synergy while establishing trade skills among the employed. Droneport, a concept installation once located in Venice, Italy, for resource-constrained communities in Africa, is another example that not only utilizes local material networks but intends to establish new modes of connectivity by enabling drone travel to hard-to-access rural areas.

Beyond their efficient local material networks, community-based structures can also act as cultural artifacts wrapped in pride and artistic expression. Moreover, when the materials are adequately integrated, both structurally and culturally, they can foster resiliency and strength, improving the quality of life of its denizens with beautiful designs that act in harmony with both the natural and social landscape. To observe and understand how the structures selected for this research affect a given community, the following questions were posed to guide the study:

• How can a community’s culture, identity, or values be reflected, defined, or challenged by traditional or novel material relationships?
• What role can materials play in fostering healthy and nonexploitative networks of extraction, production, and waste?
• How are these material networks influenced by evolving economic and sociopolitical landscapes?

Sustainability

Modernization’s fundamental structural material—reinforced concrete—is ubiquitous due to its utility, but attached to it are a plethora of environmental costs (with respect to climate change, it is responsible for at least eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions). Exploring new relationships with materiality and perhaps revisiting old relationships is imperative. Motivated by this necessity, this study investigated select structures built from sustainably sourced materials that create minimal ecological impact. Responsible material use via recycled and organic alternatives is exemplified by buildings such as the ECOARK in Taiwan—which is composed of 1.5 million recycled plastic bottles—and, additionally, Indonesia’s bamboo-constructed Green Village. Communities like the Green Village have been designed with the express intent of breaking down the physical and sentimental barriers, those conventionally imposed by the concrete and steel that define contemporary urbanism, between people and nature. To navigate the complex paradigms surrounding sustainability, the following questions were posed:

• What role does a material’s adoption play in combating the climate crisis, limiting resource consumption, and mitigating embodied and operational energy usage?
• How can sustainable materials enable rather than disrupt healthy connectivity between people and nature in the built environment?
• Is the material’s network of extraction, production, and waste renewable, local, and logistically feasible at scale?

Innovation

Steadily, the bold use of materials will pave the way for the future of structural engineering. With the ingenuity and creativity to make infrastructure stronger, more efficient, and cheaper than ever, steps will be—and have been—taken toward a reality unknown to any generation before ours. Innovative material fabrication methods that utilize 3D-printing technology, such as the MX3D Bridge in the Netherlands or the Office of the Future in the United Arab Emirates, exemplify bold strides forward which will transform the construction industry. Moreover, with structures that employ ultra-high strength concrete or steel, such as in the Haneda Airport in Japan or the Marina One Towers in Singapore, it is apparent that, all over the world, engineers will dare to innovate, break norms, and redefine material relationships. The following questions are posed to guide the study of innovative structural materials:

• What problems are addressed by the innovative material, and who stands to benefit from wider spread adoption?
• How can innovation draw from tradition to better design for the community, the environment, and the long-term future?
• Are there research concepts for new structural systems inspired by the given material?

Conclusion

This report highlights the critical role of materiality in the social, built, and natural environment, as well as the need for engineers to be sensitive to the cultural, economic, and environmental drivers of infrastructure development. Establishing responsible material relationships is a complex but imperative task that requires broad industry participation and an impulse to work against corporate instincts of profit and surplus. Economic considerations alone must not dictate engineering decisions; a broader perspective that accounts for social and environmental impacts is essential. An awareness, moreover, of global urban inequalities and the vulnerability of marginalized populations to climate change Is crucial. Without empathy and the pursuit of environmental justice in the built environment, responsible material networks cannot exist. Any hope of realizing the development of responsible relationships with materiality will require broader education and awareness from engineers, decision-makers, and stakeholders—a technical and social challenge that is daunting but imperative.

Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and the United States

Kenya and South Africa

Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom

China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates