During the second year of the Master in Advanced Architecture + Thesis Project (MAA02), students have the unique opportunity to work for a period of 1 year on an Individual Thesis Project, focused on the development of a research or pilot project based on the student’s interest, and the learnings of the first year. IAAC supports the student in selecting their Thesis Project topic in order to better orient them according to their future career interests and opportunities. Each student, according to their specific topic, is assigned one or more Thesis Advisors that follow the development of the work throughout the year.

In parallel to the development of the Individual Thesis Project, the second year of the MAA02 offers a series of seminars enhancing the theoretical, practical and computational skills of the students.

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Controlled Creativity

Empowering Architectural Design with AI Diffusion This research explores the use of ControlNet with Stable Diffusion to enhance architects’ control over AI generated designs made by diffusion models. The objective is to expand the creative scope in architecture and transform the perception of AI from a potential threat into an opportunity for innovation and increased … Read more

Metro.Morphosis

Embarking on a project set within the bustling cityscape of New York, we aimed to unveil latent development potentials in urban spaces. Bulk, or the capacity for expansion or extension of a structure within the constraints of zoning laws and local regulations, harbors unexplored opportunities. Often, significant development potential lies hidden within existing building envelopes, … Read more

R-ERA [ Realtime – Emotion Responsive Architecture ]

R-ERA [ Realtime – Emotion Responsive Architecture ] is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the Master in Advanced Architecture 02 – by the student: Preetam Prabhakar and Research Thesis Advisor: David Andres Leon during the course MAA02 22/23 Thesis under the Algorithmic Design research thesis cluster.

Strata – Green

Context 1 (2022) Europe’s air quality status 2022 [Preprint]. European Environment Agency. Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/status-of-air-quality-in-Europe-2022/europes-air-quality-status-2022 2 WHO global air quality guidelines. Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Licence: CC?BYNCSA?3.0?IGO Problem Statement Urban designers and city planners are not able to predict the impact … Read more

ARCHIBUDDY – The World Is Your Friend

Introduction Archibuddy is a unique and innovative project that aims to create adaptive architectural elements to make environments emotion-responsive. Archibuddy will leverage the latest technologies to provide personalized experiences to users, optimizing their well-being and productivity using Emotion Detection Technology and the Algorithmic workflow that was developed over the course of the Master’s Research Thesis … Read more

Democratizing Architectural Design: A Participatory Approach through AI

The democratization of the design process through artificial intelligence is the focus of my Master’s thesis. Recent advancements in AI have revolutionized the field of architecture by making it more accessible and inclusive. The necessity for years of experience with professional software is no longer a barrier, as text-to-image AI systems enable non-experts to visualize … Read more

Reinforcement Learning

Group 5 How can apartment typologies be designed to create communities within buildings, addressing social exclusion and isolation caused by modernist architecture?  Can reinforcement learning be used to optimize the distribution of public and private spaces, such as apartments, balconies, patios, and courtyards, to create sub-communities within the building.

Terrace Hunter

CONTEXT: Pedro always has visitors and enjoys exploring the city while finding new patios to have a drink in the city of Barcelona. Often with larger groups of people, the patio size can’t always accommodate.  Before choosing a spot, he wants to know how big the patios are and where within the city they are … Read more

Impact of Facade Materials on UHI Values

Introduction This project aims to investigate the extent to which different facade material choices can influence the urban heat island effect in the surrounding area. Urban Heat Island There are many factors that affect urban heat island and the three main branches are urban morphology, meteorology and surfaces.  Out of all the factors three were … Read more

Proposal for Enhancement of Semantic Segmentation Model for Architectural Purposes

The current semantic segmentation model for ControlNet provides a list of usable materials, but they are not specific enough for architectural purposes. By generating new tokens (colours) that extend the existing model with new material types, we aim to improve the process by which stable diffusion operates and make it more suitable for architecture applications.

AER – Artificial Empathic Response [DIGISCAPES ver 2.0]

AER – Artificial Empathic Response [DIGISCAPES ver 2.0] is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the Master in Advanced Architecture 02 – by the student: Preetam Prabhakar and Research Thesis Advisor: David Andres Leon during the course MAA02 22/23 Thesis under the Algorithmic Design research thesis cluster.

VISITORS IN MONEGROS

How Artificial Intelligence Is Reformulating The Notion Of Authorship In Architecture? Also published here: https://readymag.com/u3829384181/4130564/ Abstract Cosmic Dust Laboratory (CDL) is an experimental startup where humans and Artificial Intelligence Systems work together to come up with new architectural solutions for Extreme Climates and Conditions in Monegros Desert. An eloquent sponsor named Hannah goes to CDL … Read more

Internet of ME (term2)

The data we engage with everyday is growing rapidly, and our digital footprint is increasing! With the cyber-physical convergence and the fast expansion of the Internet, Volume of information created, copied, captured, and consumed worldwide went form 33 zettabytes in 2018 to an expected 175 zettabytes in 2051! That’s close 500% increase in 5 years. … Read more

ALGOSurfboards: how design drives performance

Over the last decade, the surf industry has been rapidly expanding, as an increasing number of people worldwide are embracing the sport. However, despite the rising demand, traditional surfboard design approaches have yet to fully embrace the potential of tailored equipment that takes into account the unique needs and preferences of individual surfers. As a … Read more

Re-Innovate

The aim of this project is to create a workflow which would help in in the preliminary analysis of physical and materialistic damage using computer vision to enhance sight and successfully pinpoint the defects that can be seen by the camera. The Construction industry follows a very linear approach in terms of usage of materials … Read more

Digital Deconstruct

Algorithmic Design II – Term 1 Standardizing a kit of parts within a local neighborhood has potential to encourage a circular system of material exchange and allow for deconstruction of buildings rather than demolition. This research aims to design a discrete modelling framework focused on generating spaces that can be assembled and disassembled into various … Read more

DIGISCAPES ver 1.0

DIGISCAPES ver 1.0 is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the Master in Advanced Architecture 02 – by the student: Preetam Prabhakar and Research Thesis Advisor: David Andres Leon during the course MAA02 22/23 Thesis under the Algorithmic Design research thesis cluster.

RE-GENERACIÓ / RE-GENERATION

This immersive installation was developed for Barcelona’s LLUM festival Feb 3-5, 2023. A series of dynamic visuals projected on the ground integrated with ambient audio, where visitors’ movements are tracked using a depth camera and processed in a computer to produce interactive visuals. The volume of the audio is responsive to the number of people … Read more