Corneel Cannaerts

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About

Corneel Cannaerts is a leading voice in the intersection of architecture, digital fabrication, and material computation. His research fundamentally rethinks the creative design process, challenging the dominance of virtual modeling by advocating for direct, hands-on engagement with materials. Cannaerts’ most cited work, "Material Sketching" (2019, 6 citations), introduces a paradigm where designers work intuitively with physical materials and robotic tools, allowing for emergent, unpredictable forms that digital prediction alone cannot achieve. This approach expands the creative design space, bridging the gap between digital control and material agency. Through his teaching and research at the University of Leuven, Cannaerts has become a key figure in the "material turn" within architecture, influencing how students and practitioners conceive of fabrication not as mere execution, but as a generative, exploratory act. His work is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of making, where the line between designer, material, and machine becomes productively blurred.