Material Selveges






“Indeed, our ancestors were material scientists” - Akinwumi Ogundiran


  1. Air. Atmospheric Dynamics
  2. Sound. Acoustical Structuring
  3. Mass. Graviceptive Force
  4. Smoke. Aerosol Transience
  5. Scent. Olfactory Ecology
  6. Time. Processual Temporality
  7. Temperature. Thermo-affective Fields
  8. Soil. Earthen Foundations
  9. Glass. Silicate Transparency
  10. Digital. Sensory Futures



About Material Selvedges


pronunciation: /məˈtɪəriəl ˈselvɪdʒɪz/
noun (used with a singular verb)

1. A radio-making project examining materiality through Global Majority First Nations perspectives, with a focus on Southern and West Africa.

Etymology: From material + selvedges (plural of selvedge, also spelled selvage), from Middle English self + edge. The term performs deliberate wordplay with salvage (from Old French salvage, meaning "to save"), invoking both the textile concept of a self-finished fabric edge and the act of recovering suppressed knowledge systems.



Field Notes

  1. A Cartography of the Invisible


About with another



Material Selvedges is based on with another’s third design principle:
‘Multi-Sensory Materialism’ as featured in: designmanifestos.org and designprinciplesftw.com.

In partnership with African Life-Centric Design + 16/16


Material Selvedges - Temperature

Temperature. Thermo-affective Fields


"Fire is the most tolerable third party."- Henry David Thoreau

Research summary:
Thermoregulation research reveals temperature's effects on cognitive function, immune response, and social behaviour. Indigenous climate knowledge systems demonstrate sophisticated understanding of microclimates, thermal mapping, and temperature's role in ecosystem health. Traditional building techniques encode thermal management principles now validated by contemporary architecture.

Temperature as a material:
Heat and cold create measurable physiological and social effects, influencing everything from decision-making to community gathering patterns. In healing and land-care traditions, thermal variation is used for treatment, preservation, and environmental management. Temperature gradients also affect local weather patterns and ecosystem boundaries.

Ideas we are curious to explore:
1. How thermal management techniques could inform sustainable building design.

Senses:
Thermoception, Tactility, Vision, Interoception, Audition.