This studio-based course facilitates an exploration into the convergence of vernacular material traditions and contemporary robotic fabrication within the specific geographical landscape of Catalunya. Students begin by conducting a comprehensive material survey of endemic natural resources to analyze their physical properties, extraction methods, and regional cultural significance. The final phases emphasize the development of a digital-to-physical feedback loop, utilizing computational tools like Grasshopper to simulate toolpaths and refine robotic interactions.
Learning Objectives
This studio led by Edouard Cabay and Pit Siebenaler is an ongoing research project into how robotics and advanced architectural methodologies can be used in partnership to the vernacular construction techniques of Catalonia to produce viable modern typologies for today’s industry. The studio is ecologically minded with an emphasis on local craft, traditional techniques but … Read more
IAAC is a school built on collaboration. The energy of shared spaces, the visibility between disciplines, and the flow of natural light are all part of what makes it work. But as students, we know the other side of that coin, finding a quiet corner for deep focus can be a real challenge. The school’s … Read more
This work explores how clay can be used to introduce compression strength into flexible surfaces. By using robotics for controlled deposition, the process becomes parameterised, allowing a traditional material to be developed into a precise and predictable building system. Continuation of https://blog.iaac.net/robotics-for-ecological-buildings-clay/ Introduction This project proposes a system, how stitched textiles can be turned into lightweight architectural surfaces through robotic clay … Read more
The Problem of Friction The fabrication hall of the new IAAC building is a single volume asked to do many incompatible things at once. Robotic arms run beside coworking desks; CNC routers and laser cutters share air with lectures and exhibitions. Across a typical academic year, from the September machine inductions to the July exhibition, … Read more
MAA/MRAC Studio Term 3 — 2025/2026 | Robotics for Ecological Building When you think of wool, construction probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But wool has a longer history as a building material than most people realize, and it carries inherent properties that make it genuinely compelling for architecture: moisture regulation, thermal … Read more
Understanding reed column systems (from robotics for ecological buildings studio) through Karamba structural analysis and drawing methods.
The Living Fibers MAA/MRAC, Studio Term 2, 2025/2026 Group 1: Brooklyn Edsall, Elias El asmar, Leonard elias Böker, Nikolaos Kalaitzidis, Nisanth Anil Menon Abstract:This project challenges the hyper-standardization of modern construction by investigating the architectural potential of raw, locally sourced Catalan wool. Our research elevates wool from a passive insulation material into an active, rigid, … Read more
Introduction Can centuries-old vernacular intelligence inform the future of robotic construction? Willow Protocols is a research project developed at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) that bridges traditional Catalan basketry techniques with advanced robotic fabrication. By re-evaluating historical construction methods like Zarzo and Wattle and Daub, this project proposes a highly sustainable, hyper-local … Read more
