Tectonics I investigates the architectural potential of materials, fabrication techniques, and construction assemblies. Students engage in hands-on experimentation, prototyping, and material testing to understand how tactile, aesthetic, and environmental properties of materials inform architectural form and spatial experience. Emphasis is placed on exploring the relationship between making and design thinking, cultivating strategies that integrate materiality with conceptual and formal development. Prerequisite: ARCH 5382 Corequisite: ARCH 5694.