Architects and designers routinely reorganize the earth’s matter and form, using complex material ecologies. Hong’s project aims to investigate the hidden histories of materials used in the construction and manufacturing of Roman architecture and urban infrastructure. Moreover, she will examine how specific materials have shaped and been shaped by contemporary shifts in climatic zones, geopolitical territories, regional to global economies, and emergent technologies. Her research will begin with the study of a single material—one that is environmentally and symbolically foundational to the history, present, and future of Rome—Carrara marble.