PRS Asia PhD Examination - Michael Budig (School of Architecture and Urban Design - RMIT University)

Tectonic Accentuations provides insights into my creative practice and the tools I use by examining the transitions from a digital design framework to the unique circumstances in which projects materialise. It explores the relationships between design and technology, where architecture translates knowledge from other domains. I navigate between digital design tools and hands-on material work, combining traditional craftsmanship with advanced manufacturing methods. The practice-based research focuses on how production processes and the various stakeholders are imprinted in the accentuations of artefacts and buildings. My work in my design practice challenges fabrication methods and investigates new shapes and forms through a profound comprehension and transformation of materials. 

I critically reflect on selected projects through the lens of tectonic accentuations, exploring the different phases of my practice: the contingencies in its formative years, the transformations through impactful speculative concepts, and the specific articulations of designs that have emerged during the research. Simplicity and sustainability are key drivers, expressed by focusing on renewable materials, lightweight structures and reconfigurable building systems. Many of my projects experiment with hybrid renewable and synthetic materials. They are driven by a curiosity in fibre orientations in wood and how its properties can be combined with synthetic fibres and concrete. 

The research has expanded the concept of tectonics beyond the classical parameters of topography, climate, and environment to reveal how social, cultural, and economic observations translate into designs. It unveils the impact of different stakeholders in the materialisation processes and examines emerging accentuations. Design intent leads to knowledge transfer and generates novel solutions at the intersections of domains, where the hybridisation of digital and material practices and the combination of different materials cross their established boundaries.