Abstract

Taoist and Zen texts contain a number of commentaries on the nature of materiality. This research explores how those observations might be applied to the design of built forms. It argues that the characteristics of materiality are particularly relevant to built form because materiality and its absence, space, are its fundamental components. The article suggests that in order to make these characteristics operational in building design, they need to be decoupled from their particular philosophical and cultural associations and translated into a more neutral formal language. With this in mind, the article first illustrates how these characteristics are manifested in the natural world; it then explains their expression in a range of Zen-inspired traditional Japanese art forms; and finally, it suggests how they might be translated into building design principles. It is suggested that because of their familiarity, these characteristics not only have the capacity to resonate across time and culture but also the potential to convey insights into the nature of our own being.