Material Reform is the first publication from design and research practice Material Cultures — a compact, urgent argument for dismantling the exploitative systems at the foundation of contemporary architectural production.
About This Book
The building industry does not exist in a vacuum: its dominance depends on the exploitation of labour and the degradation of land. Material Reform confronts this directly, assembling essays and conversations around concepts including labour, time, maintenance, language, land, and touch. Written by Paloma Gormley, Summer Islam, and George Massoud, the text draws on the tensions Material Cultures encounter in practice — not as abstract critique, but as working methodology. A visual essay runs alongside the written work, examining industrialised landscapes at varying scales. Together, they make the case that developing a direct relationship with materials is not nostalgic but necessary: a means of finding new languages to replace those inherited from a narrow architectural tradition.
Key Features
- 96 pages of interwoven essays, conversations, and a visual essay examining industrialised landscapes at multiple scales and resolutions
- Authored by Paloma Gormley, Summer Islam, and George Massoud of Material Cultures
- Published by MACK, 2022
What You'll Discover
- How contemporary building practices are rooted in the exploitation of people and the degradation of landscapes — and the specific systems that sustain this
- How concepts such as labour, time, maintenance, and touch can be repositioned as design principles rather than peripheral concerns
- The case for holistic, material-led approaches to the built environment as a structural alternative to dominant modes of practice
- How language itself shapes architectural culture — and how new vocabularies might displace those inherited from a narrow lineage of authors
About the Author
Material Cultures is a design and research practice founded by Paloma Gormley, Summer Islam, and George Massoud. Their work engages with the cultures, systems, and infrastructures shaping the architectural industry, with particular attention to ecological and social consequences of building production.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 96
- Dimensions: 110 x 180 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781913620813
- Publisher: MACK
- Publication Date: 2022
Perfect For: Architects and designers questioning the material and ecological ethics of their practice, students engaging with critical theory in architecture, and researchers working across built environment sustainability, labour, and land.