Non-Disciplinary Tools in Architecture I: The Experimentality of Found Objects

Abstract

Non-disciplinary tools that extend the traditional boundaries of architectural practice provide a strong foundation for experimental design practices that foster creativity and innovation. With this understanding, this study focuses on found objects as a non-disciplinary tool, investigating how they function within architectural design processes to initiate experimental approaches, foster creative formations, and reconfigure disciplinary boundaries through transdisciplinary and participatory practices.

This study adopts a qualitative methodology based on theoretical analysis, thematic case analysis, and critical synthesis. It examines three architectural projects from Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, selected for their contextual diversity and relevance to experimental design practices. Each case is analyzed through four thematic categories—form-making, program generation, structural innovation, and social engagement—developed to reveal how found objects enable architectural experimentation. Through this structure, the study aims to bridge conceptual thinking with practical reflections and to highlight the transformative potential of found objects as catalysts for experimentation in architectural design practices.

The research provides a critical and exploratory perspective on the transformative impact of non-disciplinary tools in architectural design, developing a theoretical understanding of the experimental use of found objects while offering practical suggestions to promote their creative application in design processes.