Mattaforma is a design practice that draws on a parallel project of material and environmental research to conceive of the built environment as an actionable medium towards a more equitable planet.
Approach
Shaping the next generation of buildings in our built environment requires an ethical underpinning, a new perspective towards resources. Material choice is one of the greatest levers we have in this regard; it’s the moment we actively eliminate carbon from our palette. It’s when existing or new supply chains are affirmed or denied; which is why we invest in research focusing on contextual technical, historic, and cultural material values.
From high-rise residential towers to small family houses, from a worker's view on the factory floor to the sounds of bamboo chimes above an outdoor classroom, the office is interested in architecture that fosters a connection between people and the rest of the natural world, at any scale. We are dedicated to environments that are welcoming and equitably navigated, where communities feel free to create and build cultural narratives over time.
One of the ways we bring together the many stakeholders in a project and manage the complex stewardship of resources is by integrating data and applying the power of computation. This approach helps us generate a wide range of possibilities that would not otherwise be possible. We work with clients and experts to jointly imagine opportunities for improving forms of wellness and expanding the types of spaces that we enjoy spending time in. After all, architecture is an investment on behalf of one's mental and physical health, a foundation to grow community, and a gift to future generations.
Shaping the next generation of buildings in our built environment requires an ethical underpinning, a new perspective towards resources. Material choice is one of the greatest levers we have in this regard; it’s the moment we actively eliminate carbon from our palette. It’s when existing or new supply chains are affirmed or denied; which is why we invest in research focusing on contextual technical, historic, and cultural material values.
From high-rise residential towers to small family houses, from a worker's view on the factory floor to the sounds of bamboo chimes above an outdoor classroom, the office is interested in architecture that fosters a connection between people and the rest of the natural world, at any scale. We are dedicated to environments that are welcoming and equitably navigated, where communities feel free to create and build cultural narratives over time.
One of the ways we bring together the many stakeholders in a project and manage the complex stewardship of resources is by integrating data and applying the power of computation. This approach helps us generate a wide range of possibilities that would not otherwise be possible. We work with clients and experts to jointly imagine opportunities for improving forms of wellness and expanding the types of spaces that we enjoy spending time in. After all, architecture is an investment on behalf of one's mental and physical health, a foundation to grow community, and a gift to future generations.
Architect Lindsey Wikstrom is the founding partner of Mattaforma. Her forward-thinking work weaves together ideas of care, ecosystems, and the positive influence that design can have in society.
Drawing on environmental relationships and an embrace of temporality, her approach to design, academic leadership, research, and writing, expands the way materiality and form can benefit more people than traditionally imagined, reduce carbon emissions, improve biodiversity, and create new ways for people to connect with each other and to nature.
Recently completed projects include The Nursery at Public Records in Brooklyn, which Hypebeast called “unpolished, unpretentious and provides a thoughtful solution to the typical waste involved in building – and eventually dismantling – urban infrastructure...”
Her work has been published in Architect’s Newspaper, Architectural Record, Surface, Dezeen, Hypebeast, Faktur, Cite, e-flux, and others.
Intertwined with built work, Lindsey speaks publicly, publishes, and exhibits her research. Most notably her acclaimed book Designing the Forest and Other Mass Timber Futures (2023), published by Routledge, with foreword by Kenneth Frampton; along with opinion pieces and scientific articles regarding the trajectory of forestry and biogenic materials for urban use. She was also the organizer and moderator of Material Worlds, a speaker series hosted by MoMA's Emilio Ambasz Institute which invited experts from around the world to envision the future of the most ubiquitous materials on earth. Most recently, the research was exhibited at The New York Skyscraper Museum and University of Texas at Austin.
Lindsey has taught at Columbia GSAPP, Cornell AAP, Syracuse University, and Yale School of Architecture. She holds an M.Arch from Columbia University, where she was awarded the Charles McKim Prize, Visualization Award, and Avery 6 Award. Lindsey is also the recipient of the SOM Prize.
Drawing on environmental relationships and an embrace of temporality, her approach to design, academic leadership, research, and writing, expands the way materiality and form can benefit more people than traditionally imagined, reduce carbon emissions, improve biodiversity, and create new ways for people to connect with each other and to nature.
Recently completed projects include The Nursery at Public Records in Brooklyn, which Hypebeast called “unpolished, unpretentious and provides a thoughtful solution to the typical waste involved in building – and eventually dismantling – urban infrastructure...”
Her work has been published in Architect’s Newspaper, Architectural Record, Surface, Dezeen, Hypebeast, Faktur, Cite, e-flux, and others.
Intertwined with built work, Lindsey speaks publicly, publishes, and exhibits her research. Most notably her acclaimed book Designing the Forest and Other Mass Timber Futures (2023), published by Routledge, with foreword by Kenneth Frampton; along with opinion pieces and scientific articles regarding the trajectory of forestry and biogenic materials for urban use. She was also the organizer and moderator of Material Worlds, a speaker series hosted by MoMA's Emilio Ambasz Institute which invited experts from around the world to envision the future of the most ubiquitous materials on earth. Most recently, the research was exhibited at The New York Skyscraper Museum and University of Texas at Austin.
Lindsey has taught at Columbia GSAPP, Cornell AAP, Syracuse University, and Yale School of Architecture. She holds an M.Arch from Columbia University, where she was awarded the Charles McKim Prize, Visualization Award, and Avery 6 Award. Lindsey is also the recipient of the SOM Prize.