Materialisation Processes

One of the first terms used to identify stereotomy as a body of knowledge is couper les pierres (de l’Orme, 1567), which means to cut the stones. This idea of action exerted towards a material is more abstract in the word Stereotomie (Curabelle, 1644), which can be decomposed in two greek words meaning solid/ volumetric and section/slice. The common denominator is the human action of shaping a volume of material through a specific process. Classically, chisel and mallet was the sole process used to create the awe inspiring stereotomic works that have marvelled people for centuries. More recently, with the electronic industrialization, new processes have arisen which allow for a broader range of possibilities for creating voussoirs.

The processes implied by this signifier have been used successfully within stereotomic constructions. Processes not yet experimented within stereotomy are not discussed and are notincluded in (the present version of) this classification. This signifier is subdivided in three categories, based in the division proposed by Kolarevic (2004). These categories (Subtractive, Additive and Formative) refer to the amount of material existent before and after the materialisation process, and are further subdivided in process types.