Agential Realism in Architecture: Exploring Matter and Meaning

The theory of agential realism (first proposed by physicist-feminist-philosopher Karen Barad) posits that the material world and human agency are entangled in a dynamic relationship, constantly co-creating each other in ways that are“bound up with issues of responsibility and accountability.”1By applying this theoretical framework to the realm of architecture, this paper explores ways in which designers and materials intra-act as co-constructing operatives. Beginning with the phenomenological analysis of various materials– wood, brick, plastic– we come to understand their connection to human perception, cultural context, geography, and ecology. Then, drawing on Barad’s concept of intra-action, which emphasizes the inseparability of matter and meaning, this paper argues that building materials possess an inherent agency that can be perceived in greater complexity when viewed through Barad’s lens of agential realism. In acknowledging the agency of materials, architects not only engage in a more reciprocal relationship with them but also recognize the material world as an active participant in the co-creation of the built environment. Finally, through a somewhat literary lens, this investigation will consider the risks and rewards associated with animism and anthropomorphism in relation to architecture, including the ethical dimensions that arise from projecting human and/or life-like qualities onto buildings and their material parts.2 In conclusion, this paper illuminates the radical interplay between matter and meaning as a way to foster a deeper, more empathetic understanding of buildings and their materials, including personalities,3 behavior, and attitude.This widely cross-disciplinary postulation contributes to the broader discourse on architectural materialism urging designers to embrace an agential perspective that transcends the human-centric paradigm and promotes more sustainable and responsive built environments.