Materiality

What is Materiality?

Materiality in architecture refers to the thoughtful selection and expression of building materials—not just what materials are used, but how they are detailed, combined, and experienced. It encompasses the visual appearance, tactile qualities, acoustic properties, and emotional associations that materials bring to architectural spaces.

Architects consider materiality at multiple scales. At the building scale, material choices establish character and relate structures to their context—a stone building conveys permanence differently than a glass pavilion. At the detail scale, the way materials meet, the expression of joints, and the treatment of edges reveal design intention and craft quality.

Material selection involves balancing aesthetic goals with practical requirements. Durability, maintenance, cost, sustainability, and local availability all influence choices. The same material can be expressed very differently depending on finish, scale, and context—polished marble reads differently than honed, large format differently than mosaic.

Contemporary architecture increasingly emphasizes honest material expression, where materials appear as themselves rather than imitating something else. This authenticity extends to revealing construction methods and celebrating the inherent qualities of materials—the grain of wood, the texture of concrete, the reflectivity of metal.