Material and construction histories
This theme shifts emphasis in the conceptualisation of architectural histories, from objects or artefacts
to their underlying processes. Such narratives could emerge by either taking particular building sites
as starting points or spring from exploring the historical and geospatial movements of specific
materials such as mud, cement, steel or concrete, or even a study of building components like blocks,
sheets, or tiles. Here, we move away from technological determinism to explore a relatively
underpopulated field of material and construction histories of how materials and buildings are shaped
by multiple social, cultural and economic dynamics within the regions or sites of their deployment.
Gauri Bharat Amit Srivastava
(Theme director) (Theme coordinator)