Designed matter
3D surfaces between digital processes and sensory perception
Abstract
The article explores the design of three-dimensional ceramic surfaces as a field in which digital processes, materiality, and perception intersect. Through a ‘research through design’ approach, the study interprets ceramics not merely as a cladding material, but as a designed material capable of integrating spatial configuration and sensory response. The research analyses 3D ceramic surfaces developed using parametric tools and digital fabrication technologies, highlighting how geometric microvariations influence depth, light and perceptual continuity. The comparison between ceramic and stone materials is reinterpreted as a design translation of geological processes such as stratification and erosion. The results show how three-dimensional surfaces can act as atmospheric and perceptual devices, capable of mediating between industrial seriality and controlled formal variation. Finally, the article offers a reflection on the role of additive manufacturing in contemporary design, highlighting the surface as an active field of research and knowledge production.
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