The MAA is a visionary master program with an innovative and open structure, mixing diverse disciplines, shaping professionals capable of producing theoretical & practical solutions towards responsive cities, architecture & technology.
In today’s architectural landscape, digital fabrication has significantly expanded the way we design and construct building elements—offering unprecedented accuracy, efficiency, and formal freedom. Techniques such as laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, and robotic manufacturing each bring distinct advantages in terms of material behavior, geometric complexity, and performance potential. RE:CELL Concept The Re:Cell is a … Read more
A series of four fabrication exercises completed over eight weeks, each using a different digital manufacturing method at IAAC: CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting and robotic clay extrusion. Although each piece explores a distinct workflow, we maintained a consistent design logic by referencing coral ecologies and seabed morphologies. CNC Milling – Coral Veil Coral … Read more
Our digital fabrication journey unfolds through four experiments that explore how material, geometry, and technology negotiate form. Each project challenges a different fabrication technique: laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, and robotic manufacturing, while asking a deeper question: How does digital logic reshape the language of craft? Laser Cutting Tessellated Lightfield This project explores the … Read more
Digital fabrication enables designers to explore geometries that go beyond traditional construction constraints. The exercise focuses on translating complex geometries into constructible systems that integrate material behaviour, joinery logic, and mass customisation. Each technique allows experimentation with unique fabrication constraints, informing the evolution of the vertical element design. The outputs serve as material and geometric … Read more
THE W-E SERIES WALL-E 3D PRINTING DESIGN INSPIRATION OBJECTIVE To create a modular vertical element that explores the capabilities of 3D printing and is simultaneously architecturally attractive, is structurally strong whilst using minimal material. DESIGN OPTIONS FINAL DESIGN CONCEPT By blending elements from previous prototypes, the final piece combines 2D and 3D forms to exploit … Read more
Architecture is entering a moment where the boundaries between design, technology, and material production are dissolving. As cities demand faster construction, customized spaces, and environmentally intelligent solutions, traditional methods alone no longer match the pace or precision required. Digital fabrication has emerged not just as a complementary tool, but as a transformative force reshaping how … Read more
This term’s digital fabrication explorations investigated the expressive and technical potential of multiple fabrication methods laser cutting, CNC milling, robotic clay extrusion, and 3D printing. While each technique demanded a different workflow and material logic, a common thread emerged: the use of material duality to create depth, contrast, and spatial effect. By combining two materials … Read more
Introduction to Digital Fabrication Team : Sejin Park & Hasan Hirji CNC Milling During the CNC Milling process, RhinoCAM software automatically creates bridges; a necessary milling process outside of commands that one might use to manipulate material. We began with the idea of testing the frequency and depth of 2-axis bridging path movement presets to … Read more
Introduction to Programming and Physical Computing Seminar Faculty: Daniel Mateos, Adai Suriñach, Antoine Jaunard Group Members: Amalia Anna Korgiala, Camilo Hernán Contreras Concept The project aims to design a sensor that can work with light or sound sensors, inspired by a library luminaire. The sensor can be placed in various areas and scales, such as … Read more
Introduction to Digital Fabrication Seminar Faculty: Ricardo Mayor, Hamid Peiro, Shyam Francesco ZoncaFaculty Assistant: Sheikh Rizvi Riaz, Federico Caldi, Vivek Venkateshappa In our Introduction to Digital Fabrication course we developed a small ecosystem of “bio” prototypes that test how code, machines and matter can co-evolve. Across four exercises we treated each fabrication tool as a … Read more
This project explores how human motion in space may be sensed, interpreted, and recorded with physical computing. The project integrates digital sensing with spatial interaction. With three ultrasonic sensors, LEDs, a servo motor, and an OLED display, the system not only senses but also displays directional flow — i.e., whether people are coming or going … Read more
Vertical architectural elements play a defining role in shaping thresholds, filtering light, and guiding how we perceive both interior and exterior spaces. In this project, we explored their spatial and expressive potential through a sequence of hands-on fabrication experiments. Drawing inspiration from natural forms and behaviors, each design aimed to reinterpret organic patterns into façade … Read more
Introduction to Digital Fabrication In contemporary architectural practice, digital fabrication has opened new possibilities for designing and producing building components with precision, efficiency, and expressive complexity. Among the most widely used methods—laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, and robotic fabrication, each offers unique material, geometric, and performative potentials. For this assignment, we explore these techniques … Read more
The Digital Fabrication Collection showcases four prototypes developed through distinct making techniques. Each project explores how form, material, and geometry respond to CNC milling, laser cutting, 3D printing, and robotic fabrication, highlighting the diverse possibilities of digitally driven design. Light Lattice The Light Lattice project explores how laser cutting can translate digital geometry into tangible … Read more
Vertical elements shape how we experience architecture-defining boundaries, filtering light, and giving character to both interiors and facades. In this exercise, we explored their potential through hands-on digital fabrication, rotating between 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling, and robotic manufacturing. Working within a fixed wooden framework, each technique challenged us to rethink material behavior, structural … Read more
3D Printing | Kinetic Facade | CONCEPT | The project draws its primary inspiration from the dynamic, sun-responsive mashrabiya system of the Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi. What captivated me was the sharp visual contrast between conventional, static façade geometries often rectilinear or triangulated and the refined kinetic intelligence embedded in these triangular adaptive … Read more
