Woven Threads

Author: Rebecca McKay

Supervisors: Sue Hillery col Fay

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27 February 2026

 

McKay, R. (2025). Woven threads [Master's thesis, Otago Polytechnic]. Research Bank. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.7292

 

Abstract

This thesis investigates the translation of weaving principles into architectural form, framed through the theoretical lens of Gottfried Semper. Semper’s framework, which focuses on the ideas of tectonics and narrative, provides a foundation for understanding how craft can conceptualise architectural design. At the core of the project is the exploration of weaving not only as a craft, but as way to think about designing. Weaving is approached as a method of production that encompasses the process, sequences and structural relationships of its material makeup. Through a detailed study of the mechanics and choreography of weaving, this thesis investigates how the elements of architecture can embody the principles of warp and weft, tension and stretching, and repetition and rhythm. The research positions making as central to the formation of space, suggesting that architecture can serve as a vessel for the continuation of craft knowledge and practice. The selected site, 79 McMaster Road, was chosen for its loss of production. At its centre stands a woolshed, that was once the heart of production and labour, but is now largely redundant in the face of reduced land. The woolshed provides a poignant setting for the exploration of how architecture might reactivate lost capacities for making. This thesis proposes to rejuvenate the woolshed as a renewed production, but by reorientating it through the typology of an artist residency, focusing on the ties between weaving and carpentry as a means for generating and disseminating knowledge. The design seeks to weave practices within a simplified, immersive space, that ultimately strengthens the relationship between people and craft. Through careful engagement with the multifaceted issues of production, the thesis aims to contribute to the strengthening of connections between people and making, in the face of increasing industrial abstraction.

 

Keywords

architectural form, weaving principles, Gottfried Semper, architectural elements

 

Licence

A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license

This licence applies except where otherwise indicated, especially for images.