How, What and Where is it Possible to learn Design Materials?

The aim of the dissertation is to deepen the understanding of the modality on which the Didactic of the materials in the formation of the designer could be based. The research encompasses the past and present didactic of materials and focuses on future developments with a cautious view on the possible cross-fertilization with other didactic methods developed in other disciplines. Fundamental to this scope is to illustrate in detail the actual phenomenon of the birth of library of materials as research centres on materials for design. Substantial differences will be evidenced between different typologies and reality, such as private and universitarian. An explicit table will be compiled of existing didactic material (books, experts, manuals, data banks, publications, magazines) formulating a classification based on diverse typologies and scopes. What needs to emerge is the potential utility of each typology during the formative period of the designer. The Bauhaus approach to materials’ theme is here considered as the first exemple of effective and contemporary teaching methodology. The focus shall be on the case study of a project for a didactic laboratory of materials for design. The prefixed result is that of showing which of the tools reveal themselves useful on the modality of the project. Individualized the positives and deficiencies, the guideline will emerge explicitly for an adequate set of instruments available for the didactic of the material in a context of the project. From a conceptual point of view the basic theme of the dissertation will focus on the possibility of consolidation and/or creation, where non-exists, points of contact between the culture of engineering and that of design, reflecting on possible interactions and feedback useful for a possible enrichment of both.