Introducing Architectural Tectonics : Exploring the Intersection of Design and Construction

The second edition of Introducing Architectural Tectonics is an exploration of the poetics of construction. Tectonic theory is an integrative philosophy examining the relationships formed between design, construction, and space while creating or experiencing a work of architecture. In this text, author Chad Schwartz presents an introductory investigation into tectonic theory, subdividing it into distinct concepts in order to make it accessible to beginning and advanced students alike.

The book centres on the tectonic analysis of twenty contemporary works of architecture, located in over a dozen countries across the globe – Germany, Italy, Burkina Faso, the United States, Chile, Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Spain, Australia, and more – and designed by notable architects such as Tadao Ando, Herzog & de Meuron, Kengo Kuma, Peter Zumthor, Xu Tiantian, and Francis Kéré. Although similarities do exist between the projects, their distinctly different characteristics and range of interpretations of tectonic expression provide the most significant lessons to help you learn about tectonic theory.