Digital utopia: The role of materiality and digital competency

Abstract

Digital technologies allow for an unprecedented level of design experimentation and construction possibilities. The article presents the argument that digital technologies and fabrication support a re-connection to materials and materiality, while facilitating the exploration of utopian ideals within a design context. Recent exemplars in the fields of architecture and academia that embrace a materials-first approach to innovative projects made possible by digital technologies and digital fabrication are discussed.