In June 2020 I defended my PhD thesis entitled “Reconstruction of a Stereotomy – for a multi-semantic stereotomic approach”. The PDF document has Open Access and can be download in Universidade do Porto website here.
https://sigarra.up.pt/faup/pt/NOTICIAS_GERAL.VER_NOTICIA?p_nr=69842
Abstract:
Stereotomy is the classic body of knowledge which deals with stonecutting for building arch like structures. The interest in this way of designing and building seems to have faded since the introduction of new materials and technologies in the Industrial Revolution, creating an apparent dormancy of the subject. In the recent years, various researches have shown a renewed interest in stereotomy, tightly connected to the accessibility of digital technologies which has enabled the architect to design and realize complex geometries. This exploration with current tools has created new expressions and materialities which do not find a direct correspondence in the important theory corpus set by the classic treatises on stereotomy. Thus, this thesis investigates the gap between classic and contemporary practices in order to examine the place and role of stereotomy today. By investigating those questions, the research departs from previous classification systems and develops a new proposal encompassing the various dimensions which stereotomy presents today. The semantic dimension of stereotomy is explored, allowing for understanding this construction method under varied lenses which differ from the classic stone cutting. These lenses, called signifiers, are grouped in three main categories: Tomotechny, Equilibrium and Voussoir. This new system of classification based in multiple signifiers fosters a clear identification of various building experiments which, although may seem to diverge from the classic art of stonecutting, are are argued to belong within that enlarged concept of stereotomy. This continuity from classic to contemporary stereotomy is demonstrated through an analysis which uses the proposed semantic classification. As in the past the treatises demonstrated the practical know how of stereotomic materialisation, it is also important now to inquire and demonstrate how current digital design and manufacturing technologies are supporting the conditions that are prompting a renewed and expanded interest on stereotomy today. To do so, a specially tailored system for voussoir production is created, in which a novel system of variable geometry moulds with reusable parts is developed using digital design and robotic fabrication as support. The reusable and reconfigurable nature of this moulding system promotes an accessible and sustainable method for the construction of stereotomic structures, which is discussed through a set of prototypes, while a complete proposed stereotomic project illustrates the various stages of an updated digital flow of design and construction under an expanded concept of stereotomy, demonstrating the continuity and present day relevance of stereotomic innovation.