Faculty of architecture students (Bono Adžamić, Tomislav Bagić Petrov, Helena Bajsić, Ida Bajtek, Nina Barać, Matej Barić, Ana Barišić, Lara Barjaktarić, Karla Bastalić, Helena Bauer, Rebecca Bobetko, Dora Bogut, Krešimir Borošak, Ana Bošnjak, Matija Brnetić, Damjan Brundić, Marta Bunjan, Noel Bucul, Matija Cepanec, Roberta Cinkopan, Mihaela Cobenzl, Ivan Čilić, Sara Galić, Fran Hodalj, Ivana Jarak, Teodora Jelić, Tina Jurić, Laila Kasumagić, Igor Kosić, Paola Kostrenčić, Karlo Lauc, Marija Lukačić, Nikolina Lukenda, Mate Markežić, Lucija Maroević, Paula Mazarekić, Branko Mihaljević, Lara Mikša, Kristina Milin, Nina Milina, Mirta Moravec, Tomislav Neumann, Marija Katarina Novak, Petra Ojvan,Franka Omazić,Petra Omazić, Iva Orešković, Sara Pavlović, Sara Pelc, Marko Perać Kovač, Dea Peruško, Mateo Peruško, Mirna Pezerović, Matea Pinjušić, Matija Pogorilić , Fran Polan, Tea Poljak, Marin Ponjević, Karla Radović, Dora Raić, Fran Rezar, Magdalena Runje, Božica Sršen, Luka Šarić, Vid Šešelj, Vid Šobat, Stela Trešćec, Ivan Tusun, Tin Vukušić)

Speculations on Material is the title of an empirical-speculative research conducted at the end of architectural studies in the form of an open workshop. We explore the specificities and spatial potential of materials with the aim of cultivating curiosity about physical reality. On the threshold of a new technological era, it seems important to redirect attention back to the physical world. Material forms the fabric of the built environment. Like drawing or writing, it can be used to develop abstract ideas and consistently transfer them back into space. We explore material through study, empiricism, and speculation.

The purpose of this research is to open and develop a different perspective on normalized reality and the ways we use techniques and technologies. It does not aim to find new models of construction, but rather to examine the possibilities of what already exists, reinforcing conceptual thinking in the fields of materiality and technology. By linking abstract concepts with the real and material, the aim of the research is to sensitize students to perceive the invisible potentials of the built environment, to question existing modes of action within contemporary spatial practice, and to expand their own field of interest. An important part of this process includes visiting the workshops of artisans for whom material is the essence of creation.

The workshop unfolds methodologically through three parallel lines: research, experiment, and speculation. Students choose which line to begin with or which will dominate their research.

The research approach involves establishing a theoretical framework, analyzing case studies from scientific and artistic fields, gathering specific knowledge, conducting field research, and documenting the entire working process.

The experiment represents hands-on work using simple techniques, basic skills, and available tools. While craftsmanship aims to create a finished product, the experimental approach generates new knowledge with unpredictable and uncertain outcomes.

The speculative approach questions existing building models in the form of texts, drawings, or installations, and proposes alternatives both for the present and the near future.

The exhibition presents a selection from four years of research on various materials and material phenomena in the form of a repository of physical exhibits and study booklets. It includes 44 material phenomena explored by 69 students. The occasion for the exhibition is the opportunity to open a discussion on different perspectives of material reality beyond the narrow academic circle.

speculations on material form a protected micro-utopian space for experimentation, free from the imperative of the product
speculations on material point to the hidden potentials of built space
speculations on material raise awareness of the multitude of material phenomena
speculations on material speak of the influence of materials on biodiversity
speculations on material enable the transfer of material phenomena into spatial concepts
speculations on material strengthen the investigation of the physical world
speculations on material encourage a holistic view of biological and social systems
speculations on material emphasize the importance and complexity of processes
speculations on material connect diverse fields beyond the boundaries of the discipline
speculations on material allow for the creation of new knowledge and personal insights