Within the current global context of rapid change, integrated with the potentials of digital technologies, IAAC’s Master in Advanced Architecture (MAA) is committed to the generation of new ideas and applications for Urban Design, Self Sufficiency, Digital Manufacturing Techniques and Advanced Interaction.
In this context IAAC works with a multidisciplinary approach, facing the challenges posed by our environment and the future development of cities, architecture and buildings, through a virtuous combination of technology, biology, computational design, digital and robotic fabrication, pushing innovation beyond the boundaries of a more traditional architectural approach.
How to think of the notion of Utopia when articulating the futures embedded within phygital urban environments? ACT 1 – POWER Scene 1: Phone call between Patrick and Carmen. Patrick is in his sleek, high-tech San Francisco apartment . Carmen sits in a park in Seoul, a city filled with the hum of rapid urban … Read more
Too late capitalism: Does style become lost in immediacy? . ACT ONE It is late morning in the famous Khan el-Khalil market of Cairo, Egypt. (Fig 1) The air is filled with the aroma of the local spices and each stall is filled with different colors of fabric, textures and souvenirs. There is a steady … Read more
What could it mean to be An Activist in a Post Anthropocene Planet? Abstract Set at Reggio School, Madrid, on Earth Day, this play critically evaluates the differing approaches to environmental activism in an Anthropocene planet. The narrative begins with a guest lecture by Margherita, a visiting environmental thinker, who introduces the concept of a-human … Read more
The proposed vision for Tempelhof is articulated as a ‘city within a city’ arranged along the two airstrips of the former airport, extending perpendicularly to emphasise a dual directionality. Buildings are conceived as flexible micro-communities built on organic/biodegradable materials, with the possibility of growing or ‘de-growing’ through time.The design strategy aims to trigger a need … Read more
“Ready Player One,” portrays a dystopian future where ‘people stopped to try to fix problems and instead try to outlive them’. The movie plays out in an informal urban landscape of juxtaposed favela-like settlements forming organic superstructures, as well as in a virtual environment supported by a virtual reality headset. These worlds exist in symbiosis, … Read more
Harmonising Coastal Futures, Restoring Balance in China’s Maritime , A Speculation of Communal Synergy in the context of Houtouwan THE PROBLEM // RESOURCE EXPLOITATION | OVER FISHING China’s over fishing crisis looms large, statistics revealing a stark reality of declining marine resources. With the majority of the worlds fishing resources coming from China, the country has … Read more
Our project investigates how bacteria living in historical buildings contribute to decay. We aim to enhance resilience of architectural elements and harness microbial interactions to create sustainable and self-repairing building materials.
Keywords : TROPHIC CASCADE – A trophic cascade occurs when a change at one level of the food web (often due to the addition or removal of a keystone species) causes a series of indirect effects on lower trophic levels. This can lead to significant and widespread changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling. KEYSTONE … Read more
This square building was designed by Elies Regent in neo-Gothic style. From thi lodge the reservoir keeper controlled water levels and managed the opening and closing of the dam gates. This building has been restored as ,faithfully as possible to the original. At present the ground floor hosts an exhibition of the reservoir’s history and … Read more
SITE The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation DESIGN PROCESS Form Finding and Computational Elements FORM FINDING Massing FORM FINDING Perforations FORM FINDING Decorative Perforation – Spikes FORM FINDING Columns FORM FINDING Split Columns FORM FINDING Mezzanine FORM FINDING Interior Space SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION FINAL PROPOSAL FINAL FABRICATION FINAL RENDERS
Abstract: The Anthropocene has seen exponential growth in technology, enabling humans to transform their environment and exploit natural resources on an unprecedented scale having led to widespread environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and alterations in the Earth’s landforms and water systems. However, the unequal distribution of resources and power has also led … Read more
“First Life, then Spaces, then Buildings, the other way around never works” – Jan Gehl The proposal is an intervention at the site situated in Diagonal Mar, neighborhood, inspired from the fundamental idea of Placemaking. The intervention goes beyond development, aiming to activate the site and create a vibrant community. Grounded in functionality, the approach … Read more
How to imagine Walter Benjamin’s notion of Aura in the field of NFT art? In the heart of Barcelona, the Moco Museum hosts a groundbreaking NFT art auction, igniting a heated debate about the concept of aura in the digital realm. Dr. Alexandra, a nostalgic art curator, Leo, a proud copycat artist, Max, a wealthy … Read more
How to activate uncertainty as a design-tool? Credits Characters Maya- Architect Charlett- Daughter of Architect Alex- Engineer Oliver- Worker It is autumn in Sandouping. The leaves, unsure of their directions float on the edges of a large lake. The lake is shadowed by the construction work of a dam on one of its edges. On … Read more
How do body stereotypes glitch through digital and physical realms? [AuthenticMeNow] : Mhysa started a live video. Watch it before it ends! “?…Who Can Tell What Magic Spells We’ll Be Doin’ For Us? And I’m Givin’ All My Love To This World Only To Be Told I Can’t See, I Can’t Breathe No More Will … Read more
What modes of activism does the Anthropocene unleash? ABSTRACT “Activism takes various forms: from Guendalina’s digital activism to Gail’s passionate protests, Stephen’s data-driven focus, and Patricia’s philosophical reflection. Each approach offers unique perspectives in the fight for social and environmental change.” CHARACTERS ??????? ?? ?[Philosopher] – Patricia??????????????[Influencer] – Guendalina???????????[Scientist] – Dr.Stephen Numb ???????????[Local] – José … Read more
How to inhabit the ends of the world? ACT 1 After a fire in the Amazon Rainforest devastates a nearby town, a politician during his election campaign period travels to the site to show his support and comfort to those affected along with other prominent community members. POLITICIAN – Welcome everyone, I would like to … Read more
Discourses of Verticality: Vignettes on (post)Metropolitan Urbanisms It all started from the Manhattanism proposed by Rem Koolhaas in Delirious New York. The theory explains the product of the verticalization of the city – skyscrapers, which stand neatly and compete with each other. The only thing in common is the small squares extruded by the grid- … Read more
A Speculative Catalogue of Programs, Structures, and Forms INTRODUCTION Abstract Skyscraper is a typology occured in specific conditions of capitalism that became a universal tool for urban development or a “large scale architectural machine” as Ciro Najle characterizes it in his The Generic Sublime text. But what are the mechanisms of this machine? Contemporary culture … Read more
How can we design for a world of increasing uncertainty despite ever growing predictive power? ACT -1 Plane taking off. Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, welcome aboard this Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Berlin to Jeddah. Currently entering Polish airspace, our route will take us across eastern Europe, where you will … Read more
Is AI reformulating Walter Benjamin’s notion of Aura? In the Expansive Theory course, our group is challenged to create a plot regarding the above question, with ideas and citations from bibliographies given by the faculty. Our plot happens in a metaverse gallery. Act 1 introduces opposite opinions regarding the aura of aesthetics through history. Act … Read more
When does the landscape become a machine? Abstract The fictional short narrative that follows develops in a construction site of Nile’s dam. It aims to analyze the relationship between host and guests, in an assumption where the Nile is the changing landscape that welcomes each species. The plot consists of three acts, the first act … Read more
