The Matter of Architecture
Geology, Buildings and Us
Will be published approx. on 15. June 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-83639-183-8 (ISBN)
Description
Geology is the architecture of our planet and what we build has always been dependent on what the earth has already made. Yet in recent decades we, rather than the planet, have produced the geology of the future: millions of tonnes of concrete, plastic, brick, metal and other fabricated materials are quickly piling up to eventually become new strata. Can we recover a more equitable relationship to the earth? Providing a provocative and original take on the relationship between ecology and architecture, this book asks what architects do with, and what they might learn from, what the earth creates. From caves and crystals to volcanoes and earthquakes, The Matter of Architecture delves deep to mine a different way of building.
Reviews / Votes
"With originality and depth, Paul Dobraszczyk explores the rich lodes, veins and seams of interconnections between the Earth's own architecture, and how humans have used this to make their own no less extraordinary constructions from its rock resources. An engaging journey through ideas, imagination and history as much as it is one through strata and the built environment, The Matter of Architecture will open new perspectives to its readers." - Jan Zalasiewicz, author of The Planet in a Pebble"Paul Dobraszczyk is a collector. He curates, categorises, and contextualises compelling lists. This book, happily, is no exception, and adds another rich volume to his series of engrossing compendia. It prompts delight in its inclusions and fascinating questions about the themes and connections it inspires." - Tim Waterman, Professor of Landscape Theory, The Bartlett School of Architecture, and author of The Landscape of Utopia
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
97 illustrations, 13 in colour
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83639-183-8 (9781836391838)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Paul Dobraszczyk is an architectural writer and a lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, London. His books include Future Cities (2019) and Animal Architecture (2023), both published by Reaktion, as well as Architecture and Anarchism (2021).