Material articulation: Toward an ornamental thinking in digital tectonics

Authors

• Ali Etemadi Esfarjani, Materiability Research Group, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Dessau, GermanyFollow
• Manuel Kretzer, Materiability Research Group, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Dessau, GermanyFollow

Abstract

This research explores ornament as a form of material intelligence in large-scale additive manufacturing. Through the evolution of two design case studies, this paper investigates how micro-scale design articulation evolves from surface tectonics to the traces of the machine’s toolpath and material behaviour. One reveals itself as an organic, agent-based, data-informed modulation. The other integrates a woven toolpath strategy that transforms 3D printing into a spatial composition. Considering ornament not only as an aesthetic element but as a manifestation of process creates a dialogue between matter, performance, and application. With the help of computational design and data, this intervention expands the discussion of digital craftsmanship across multiple scales of design.

Keywords

Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing, Digital Ornament, Material Intelligence, Data-Driven Aesthetics

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2363

Citation

Etemadi Esfarjani, A., and Kretzer, M. (2026) Material articulation: Toward an ornamental thinking in digital tectonics, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2363

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License