Each and every material has certain inherent characteristics. When successfully evaluated for these characteristics a material’s true spirit becomes clear. Only when a material is completely understood can it be used properly. It is through the sensitive use of materials that architecture becomes rich.

When considering materials, several issues come to bear. What "work" do they do? How do the materials interact most harmoniously? How do the materials touch? Do they need an intermediate material? How do they begin? End? To what level are their details taken? A whole world of consideration becomes apparent. The answers to these questions become an operational language through which design can occur. This language when applied to the built environment then becomes a structural language.