Material Variance Edited by Lola Ben-Alon

Material Variance explores the possibilities of earth and bio-based materials, examining how their properties, life cycles, and fabrication processes shape the built environment. Bringing together research across architecture, material science, and design, the publication considers how working with natural materials can inform new approaches to making and building.

Edited by Lola Ben-Alon, Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the book draws on her research into sustainable building materials, material supply chains, fabrication techniques, and policy. Ben-Alon directs Columbia’s Natural Materials Lab and the Building Science and Technology curriculum, advancing research into the potential of natural materials and their applications in architecture.

Ben-Alon’s research and material investigations informed the development of the Center for Craft exhibition Crafting Variance, which explores how artists work with natural, living, and discarded materials.