2026 SYMPOSIUM
MATERIAL AND BEYOND:
ON THE SPECTRUM OF MEANING IN MATERIALITY
November 9, 2026 | Surabaya, Indonesia
About AR+DC
The International Conference and Symposium on Architecture Research and Design (AR+DC) is an annual event organized by the Department of Architecture, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). Established in 2009, AR+DC brings together academics, researchers, and professionals.
In 2026, the event returns in a symposium format under the theme Material and Beyond: On the Spectrum of Meaning in Materiality.
Symposium
Theme
Sub-Topics:
Material and Beyond:
On the Spectrum of Meaning in Materiality
What was once an integrated understanding of material, held together across its technical, practical, and symbolic dimensions, has undergone significant transformation through technological advancement.
This shift is reflected in the reconceptualization of phenomena such as light, sound, air, and environmental forces as building materials; in the treatment of data as a material resource; and in the emergence of hyperreal material embodied in the synthetic imagery of the post-digital age. The developments of the past half-century have led to unprecedented collective knowledge within each dimension, yet their relationship has become a subject of fragmentation.
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AR+DC 2026 sits with this condition and asks what it means.
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How do environmental substances and emerging technologies transform the way we build and inhabit space?
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And how should we reintegrate technical, practical, and symbolic dimensions of materiality?
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Ozgur Gocer
University of Sydney
Dr. Gocer will delve into Data-Driven Exploration of Material, exploring how computational methods and performance simulations can expand the boundaries of material optimization and virtual inhabitation in architecture. Drawing from data-driven design research, it examines how digital tools reshape the way materials are tested, experienced, and understood, revealing new possibilities for architectural practice in an increasingly computational design landscape.
Kulthida Songkittipakdee
Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research
Professor Songkittipakdee's presentation, titled “Beyond the Physical: Material Innovation and Environment-Driven Spatial Experience,” will explore how architectural practice and research can move beyond physical form to create meaningful spatial experiences. Drawing from Thailand and broader Asian urban conditions, it examines material innovation, environmental forces, cultural context, and ecological thinking, revealing new possibilities for architecture in rapidly transforming cities.
Ir. IGN Antaryama, Ph.D.
Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
Ir. Antaryama will examine Meaning Without Mass: Light, Air, and Sound as Spatial Material, focusing on how architectural experience can be shaped by elements beyond solid form. It examines light, air, and sound as transient environmental conditions that carry spatial meaning, revealing new ways of understanding presence, atmosphere, and perception in architecture.
Symposium Contributors
Technical and Practical
The instrumental role of material as mediator of environmental forces and its functions in relation to human activity.
Sub-Topic
A
Susan, S.T., M.T.
Universitas Ciputra Surabaya
Ar. Andy Rahman, S.T., IAI
Andy Rahman Architects
Graciani Cahyadresta Dewanda, S.Ars., M.Ars
Green Building Council Indonesia
Slot for Open Call Contributor
Symbolic
Material's function as a system of sign in relation to cultural, perceptual, and representational dimensions.
Sub-Topic
B
Dr. Ir. Ar. R.A Retno Hastijanti, M.T, IPU, IAI, APEC.Eng
Universitas 17 Agustus 1945
Dr. Bramasta Putra Redyantanu, S.T., M.T., IAI
Petra Christian University Surabaya
Anas Hidayat, S.T., M.T
Universitas Katolik Darma Cendika
Slot for Open Call Contributor
July 25 - September 5, 2026
Open Call for Extended Abstract
Registration Fee
Public: IDR 500.000,00 | Students: IDR 450.000,00
AR+DC 2026 Symposium invites one contributor per subtopic (2 total) to explore the transformation of material knowledge across two themes: technical-practical and symbolic dimensions, and its implications for architectural thought amid technological acceleration.
Further information and updates regarding this event will be announced soon. Please stay tuned for the latest news and announcements.