This paper focuses on a workshop entitled “Matter of ambiances” which takes place at the School of Architecture of Nantes (France). The aim is to help the future architects and urban designers to question the atmosphere of spaces through to materials to make them more aware of working invisible matter (ambiance) with visible matter. Materials testing and experimentations are the principal teaching method thanks to partnerships with materials producers. Materials manipulated by students come from removal of barriers between industrial fields. New architectural process actually lead us to think that ambiances could be the result of their application.