Masterbuilders : a gallery for making at the edge of the mockup

Abstract

The term "master-builder" defines an individual who encompasses the skills to conceptually conceive of and physically manifest a piece of architecture. These individuals are as much interested in the formal and social outcomes of a design as they are in the materials and construction techniques that make them real. Despite this, contemporary architectural practice has veered away from the concept of masterbuilder, and into more limiting and bracketed professional roles. The rise in project complexity and evolving legal frameworks mean that architects now work as part of a much larger and divided design and construction team. This thesis insists that designing and making are not two separate acts, but are rather one holistic process. It builds off of the contemporary momentum created by digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, and the maker movement but goes one step further. While it recognizes that the testing of design ideas through the construction of small scale models and mockups is important to the design process, this thesis argues that the 1 to 1 construction of buildings are an essential part of future architectural practice.