What is architecture? For some, its traditional role is to bring together imagination, technical knowledge, and problem-solving, allowing architects to design and construct while balancing ideas with the means to realize them. From the stone and wood of early buildings to the steel and concrete of the 20th century, each era demanded not only an understanding of form but also of the properties and potential of the materials in use. This grasp of materials has always been a core part of the creative process, though its scope was limited by the know-how and technologies available.
Over time, that balance has begun to shift. Architects have moved from merely using materials to actively designing them, applying scientific principles and experimenting with biological, chemical, and computational processes. This evolution has expanded the possibilities of architecture, intersecting nature, technology, and art, while pushing the role of the architect into a more experimental, science-driven dimension, where the manipulation and creation of materials becomes central to the creative act rather than merely a means to achieve forms or structures.
In his time, Vitruvius defined architecture as “a science arising out of many other sciences, and adorned with much and varied learning”, highlighting its artistic and cultural dimensions. This multidisciplinary character, still central to university education, provides tools for exploring related fields such as urban planning, sculpture, and graphic representation. However, until a few decades ago, the technological aspect was largely absent. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, architects worked with steel produced by the industry; the same steel used for cars and industrial structures also served for skyscrapers, which directed the architectural process more toward creating forms than designing materials.
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The Expanded Role of the Architect in Techno-Scientific Fields
Disciplines such as computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering, and biotechnology have gradually entered the architectural vocabulary. Many of these concepts did not originate within the field, yet over time they have converged with it, broadening the very notion of workshop and studio practice. This integration has fostered a vision of architecture that is not only designed, but also programmed, synthesized, and, in some instances, harvested. The development of technologies like 3D printing has opened the door to scenarios where digital information, chemical formulas, and knowledge of organic matter combine to shape complex structures. Today, multidisciplinary teams commonly bring together designers, biologists, chemists, and software developers, collaborating from conception to realization.
Figures such as Achim Menges and Neri Oxman have marked a turning point in how design is conceived. Their approaches move away from the mechanistic vision of the past and instead frame design as an ecology, where objects are not closed systems but entities in dialogue with both the natural and the technological. Oxman, for instance, has developed research and prototypes that merge biology and technology, such as water-based programmable biocomposites inspired by ecosystems, capable of generating materials without producing waste. This and other projects, materialized in the form of a pavilion, demonstrate that we can conceive of materials as living processes, with design serving as a scientific mediator that actively engages with its environment, rather than functioning in isolation, as in traditional approaches.
Oxman’s work began to gain public recognition in the early 2000s, at a time when the next practices were emerging, drawing on processes and resources from other disciplines to expand the possibilities of design. Some of these practices were influenced by her work, including the development of materials from algae, fungi, and agro-waste. Her research not only pushes the boundaries of material design but also challenges conventional manufacturing, proposing non-extractive, sustainable, and adaptive alternatives. The approaches shaped by this vision create opportunities for both institutionally supported research and small-scale experimentation driven by individual inquiry and the expanded role of the architect, who, by learning from fields such as biology, chemistry, and computer science, can explore new ways of creating, programming, and mediating the relationship between objects and their environment.
Emerging Roles, New Materials, and Their Implications for Future Architecture
At a time of transformation and generational change, emerging roles are beginning to define new ways to teach and practice architecture. Where is it headed? Under this approach, the architect of the future could be determined less by the buildings they design and more by their ability to connect knowledge, anticipate processes, and experiment with complex systems. The application of analytical methods, based on experimentation, data collection, and hypothesis validation, would enable the creation of materials and structures capable of interacting with their environment, establishing new guidelines for designing with greater environmental and regenerative potential.
Building standards are crucial for the adoption of new materials. Most regulations were developed with conventional materials (such as concrete, steel, and glass) in mind, which can make it more challenging for bio-based or experimental composites to fit within existing frameworks. Public trust also plays a role: unfamiliar aesthetics, irregular finishes, or even “living materials” can spark doubts about durability. A historical case is the Ingalls Building (1903), the first reinforced concrete skyscraper in the U.S. At 16 stories, many at the time considered concrete too risky for such a tall structure, yet it proved entirely sound. This example illustrates the broader pattern that acceptance often lags behind innovation, highlighting the need for clear guidelines and cultural understanding to build confidence among developers, insurers, and users.
As suggested by the title of this article, architects are increasingly adopting a scientific approach that sees nature as a teacher, acting as translators who connect culture and space, science and materials, as well as users and built environments, through interdisciplinarity and new synergies. This role involves not only integrating knowledge from different disciplines, but also experimenting, anticipating processes, and rethinking the materials and ways in which we inhabit spaces. By taking on this position, architects can generate more conscious, flexible, and regenerative designs, capable of dialoguing with their environment and responding to social, cultural, and environmental challenges.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Architecture Without Limits: Interdisciplinarity and New Synergies. Every month, we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.