Process

Material investigation is a fundamental element of Pollen Architecture. Our firm’s appreciation of hands-on, craft-based building techniques influences our design process at every scale of work, from smaller residential projects to larger commercial or institutional work. Developing material samples and mock-ups at full-scale, as a way to understand the tactile and experiential nature of our projects along with testing constructibility, is key to our work.

Principal and Artist-in-Residence, Michael Young, with his background as an artist, leads our material study process to realize design solutions that are both artistically formed while architecturally functional. His ongoing investigations have resulted in a series of prototype material assemblies ranging from polycarbonate, sand, wood, epoxy, concrete, and felt.