Transcalar Materials as Narrative Agents Challenging Traditional Metrics of Originality

In the context of Transcalar Material, authorship is redefined as an entanglement of agency between designers, materials, and technological systems. Rather than positioning the designer as a singular creator, this approach foregrounds materials as active participants in design processes, shaping outcomes through their intrinsic behaviors, environmental interactions, and computational extensions. This shift does not merely reframe authorship as a collective act but suggests a material-driven epistemology, where knowledge emerges through adaptive, multi-scalar processes. By integrating morphological, technological, and artificial components, this perspective moves beyond symbolic interpretations of authorship, advocating for a dynamic, process-oriented model that reconfigures the relationship between human intentionality and material agency.

Traditionally, materials in design have been perceived as passive entities, subordinated to a designer’s vision. The dominant form discourse since the late 1960s is largely based on a hylomorphic approach. However, the epistemological limitations of this approach are quite evident (Moe 2017). This perspective established the designer as the ultimate authority, treating materials as mere instruments of execution. However, Transcalar Material challenges this notion by repositioning materials as active participants in the design process. As Deleuze and Guattari mention, “one addresses less a form capable of imposing properties upon a matter than material traits of expression constituting affects” (Deleuze and Guattari 1987) emphasizing that the relationship between form and matter is not a static process of shaping. Instead, it is an interaction, a state of mobility and change. Material is considered not as something subjected to the impositions of form, but as a dynamic entity that expresses itself. A more fluid, continuous interaction emerges between "material traits" and "form". Thus, the design process progresses not by following a fixed form, but by understanding and guiding matter, taking into account its potential and variability within itself. Aligning with this perspective, Karana (Karana et al. 2015) explores the approach to design when the material serves as the explicit starting point, and the outcome is an experience. This approach presents the Material Driven Design (MDD) method, which integrates both technical properties of materials and their experiential qualities, guiding the designer through a process that evolves from material properties to concepts. Rather than serving as static resources, materials mediate between scales - morphological, technological, and computational -adapting to and informing design trajectories. Their role extends beyond form-making, actively shaping process-driven and relational design methodologies. As Malafouris (Malafouris 2008) emphasizes, agency is grounded in the relational dynamics of material engagement; it is not something given but something that emerges.

This shift is particularly evident in the parametric and AI-driven experiments, where material behaviors are not preconditioned but emerge through iterative interaction. Transcalarity, in this context, refers to the continuous negotiation between material agency and systemic frameworks across multiple scales, rather than a singular, deterministic approach. As Oxman (Oxman 2010) stated, materiality should be considered within a non-hierarchical system. The collective narrative is formed through this entanglement – where design intelligence is distributed across human, material, and algorithmic interactions, rather than dictated by an isolated author.

By reassembling material fragments through parametric modeling and AI-driven processes, revisiting site-specific material histories, and incorporating cross-scalar interactions, this research positions materials as active mediators in design workflows. Rather than viewing materials as static components, the study proposes a process-driven methodology where material agency informs adaptive, iterative outcomes. Transcalar Material will test these strategies in three experimental phases, demonstrating how materials facilitate knowledge production beyond pre-defined formal constraints, where, as Ingold (Ingold 2022) has said, “material thinks”.

The concept of scale is central to the Transcalar Material process. The term transcalar defines processes and structures that span across interconnected scales. With this approach, processes do not progress in a linear manner; a specific scale or dialogue is not considered in isolation (Goidea et al. 2022). In this concept, scale is not merely a measurement but a medium for interaction, allowing seamless transitions between natural and artificial, micro and macro. This reframing facilitates a deeper understanding of how living organisms interact with architectural practices across dimensions. The process, where the author’s challenge to traditional hierarchical paradigms begins, positions scale as a dynamic framework that fosters mutual exchange and collaboration. Proposed research-based practices, materials take on the role of narrative agents, actively shaping the processes informed by design research. With interconnected experiments: Tangible Mapping, Keep Information Alive, and Digital Crafting which function as iterative processes rather than sequential steps.

This approach reframes scale as a dynamic field of exchange, fostering mutual interactions across morphological, computational, and architectural dimensions. By challenging traditional hierarchical paradigms, this methodology foregrounds materials as narrative agents, actively shaping and being shaped by design research.

Tangible Mapping examines the adaptive behaviors of living organisms in relation to physical surfaces. As Pisciella (Pisciella 2014) mentioned, re-presentation implies a double focus: awareness of the coexistence of a double plane, of both visibility and invisibility, otherwise re-presentation would make no sense. As Malafouris (Malafouris 2008) states, material is not merely a passive element shaped by the designer's intervention; rather, it is an active agent that guides and transforms the form. In this context, the physical properties of material are not merely a result of design but also a guiding factor in the process. By documenting their responses in situ, this phase uncovers symbiotic relationships between organisms and materials, redefining authorship as a shared process between disciplines. These insights set the foundation for the next stages, demonstrating how materials can become active mediators between natural and built environments.

Keep Information Alive extends these observations by utilizing AI-driven tools such as Runway, KreaAI, ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, Vizcom, and Midjourney. This phase explores how morphological patterns and material behaviors can be interpreted and expanded through algorithmic processes. AI is used not as a tool for representation but as an active medium for encoding, analyzing, and evolving material intelligence. As Buehler mentioned “the intersection of artificial and human intelligence is converging towards new methods that systematically mine natural material data for incorporation into synthetic design solutions” (Buehler 2023). Here, authorship emerges from the interplay between designers, computational agents, and material processes, highlighting how design knowledge can be dynamically preserved and transformed. The iterative nature of the process allows for continuous refinement, ensuring that outcomes remain responsive to evolving contexts and challenges.

Digital Crafting advances this approach by constructing transcalar modules, focusing on material behavior and tectonic augmentations. Rather than treating materials as passive substrates, this phase explores their co-creative potential, investigating the dynamic interplay between material possibilities, such as elasticity, stress, porosity, strain, expansion and adaptability, and their capacity to inform and respond to tectonics. By merging data-driven methods with material experimentation, digital crafting serves as both a synthesis and a generative platform, allowing materials to inform and respond to tectonic formations. As Malafouris (2008) discussed with respect to agency there is nothing to be found outside this tension of mediated activity and this is precisely the area to which we should look for its manifestations – human or material. Agency is a property or possession neither of humans nor of nonhumans. Agency is the relational and emergent product of material engagement. It is not something given but something to become realised.

Embracing process-driven methodologies, Transcalar Material illustrates the active participation of materials in co-creation processes. This approach not only reinforces the ecological and architectural relevance of the research but also repositions materials as co-authors, actively contributing to shaping of novel morphologies and ecological futures. As global challenges demand innovative solutions, the Transcalar Material process offers a compelling model for addressing complexity through adaptive design. The integration of living organisms and AI-driven methodologies provides a blueprint for sustainable, responsive systems that align with ecological principles.

In this context, the role of materials extends beyond functionality to encompass agency, adaptability, and narrative potential. Reassembling fragments and incorporating lateral perspectives, materials act as active participants in shaping sustainable futures. This process exemplifies a transformative shift in design research, redefining authorship through the active agency of materials. By proposing both speculative prototypes and tangible explorations, the research highlights the potential of hybrid, open-ended outcomes that challenge traditional notions of authority and originality. Integrating interdisciplinary perspectives, embracing process-oriented methodologies, and leveraging the dynamic interplay between natural and artificial systems, this approach challenges traditional paradigms and opens new avenues for innovation. With this framework, materials are not merely tools but vital contributors to the creation of knowledge and the shaping of ecological, architectural, and morphological futures. The designer’s role evolves into that of a mediator, fostering collaboration and co-creation within a living knowledge system. Through the redefinition of the relationship between materials and design, Transcalar Material illuminates the profound potential of materials as active agents in addressing contemporary challenges and envisioning transformative futures.