This thesis approaches material considerations in architectural design not as an afterthought to form or program, but as an active component in shaping our environment and living experience. Despite our need to name the spaces in which we live, we do not actually live in the space of language, but rather inhabit a reality of materials with qualities that interact with bodies and lives.

The project, named “calibrated roughness”, deploys a set of calibrations to bring out the positive meanings of the term “roughness”. It aims to unfold experiences that will vary according to the time of the day, the activities and events occurring, the occupation of space and characteristics of the inhabitants.