On Friday, 5 September 2014, Estévez presided over the conference’s first session and roundtable discussion. The conference was attended by numerous renowned architects, including Kas Oosterhuis, Lars Spuybroek, Bob Sheil, Marcos Cruz, Manuel De Landa and Mark Burry. After being introduced, the speakers discussed subjects related to the conference’s focus. This was followed by a discussion on the challenges of materialization in computer design and digital manufacturing.

The conference invited architects and designers, engineers, software developers, mathematicians, biologists, material and computer scientists, philosophers, theoreticians and educators to share their thoughts on the question: What’s the matter when rethinking materiality and materialism in small- and large-scale design (from objects to cities) in the computer age?

The conference considered materiality in architecture from theoretical, technological and philosophical points of view. It attempted to bring together the different faculties that contemplate architecture, materiality and material, and bring the academic world closer to the world of practice and industry.