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.

Filters
Course

from Earthly Trials to Martian Triumphs

“from Earthly Trials to Martian Triumphs” explores ways to create a sustainable and self-sufficient architecture for uninhabitable spaces on Earth that can adapt, develop, and learn from itself over a long period of time, as a Mars simulation project. This will involve investigating comparative planetology, considering possible challenges of Mars, identifying safe and similar sites … Read more

The Housing Factory

The Housing Challenge in Sub Saharan Africa In most sub saharan countries, a case of uganda; despite the challenges with informality, this sector provides housing to over 60% of the urban population with the “tenement” as the most common housing typology.  Part of the housing challenge stems from the evolution of housing policy in Uganda … Read more

Digital Heritage

In the past years, the number of 3D Concrete Printed projects has been increasing exponentially. Even though it is becoming an important part of the construction industry, large-scale 3D-printed buildings have shown a lack of aesthetics, as flat walls are normally used, and sometimes even plastered. On the other hand, small-scale printed projects have shown … Read more

Beyond Corals

The world’s coral reefs face significant threats due to rising ocean temperatures. They play a critical role in supporting biodiversity, providing habitats for marine species, and acting as natural barriers against storms and erosion. However, coral bleaching caused by the rising ocean temperatures are causing substantial risks to their survival. Efforts to address these challenges … Read more

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

Shape Diver // Digital Heritage

Create a design interface where you can visualize columns from gothic, islamic and neoclassical styles, translated into a contemporary proposal that can be fabricated using additive manufacturing with concrete. Using JSON files to work with predetermined parameters which allow the files to load faster in the Shape Diver platform. follow this link to Shape Diver: … Read more

Internet of ME

This research project aims to create a personal sense-making tool with an intent to facilitate data driven self reflection, analysis and understanding of our digital consumption. The tool extracts and categorizes the textual information and then uses AR visualization to establish an experiential understanding of the same. Augmented reality facilitates a deeper understanding and enhanced … 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

Procedural Morphologies

Leveraging the Wave Function Collapse Algorithm for Application on Layered Quadrilateral Meshes Abstract Procedural Morphologies is a novel computational design workflow in the field of discrete design. It leverages the Wave Function Collapse Algorithm for application on any quadrilateral mesh. Thus a coherent three-dimensional aggregation solution can be generated for any quad mesh using a … 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.

MODERN MODERNISME

Posidonia Oceanica: The Aquatic Seagrass Species Posidonia oceanica is a species of aquatic seagrass that belongs to the Posidoniaceae family. It possesses roots, a rhizomatous stem, and ribbon-like leaves, resembling those of terrestrial plants. These features allow it to anchor itself to the seabed and spread horizontally, forming extensive meadows in the Mediterranean Sea. These … Read more

ShapeDiver for Panton Chair

ShapeDiver is an online platform that simplifies hosting and sharing Grasshopper files online. This project is aimed at creating a pantong chair in shapediver platform where the users, partners, clients, or other non-technical stakeholders can customize the design by using the provided parameters like The Size of Seat, The Material Thickness, the Chair’s Width or … Read more

Corteza // Pitch Deck

Introducing Corteza, the innovative solution to noise problems in buildings. Corteza is a line of 3D-printed cork furniture designed to reduce indoor noise levels. Traditional sound-absorbing materials can be unattractive and bulky, but with Corteza, you can have both form and function. The unique texture and design of cork make it an ideal material for … 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

Morph_Designer

Morph_Designer is a project that researches the potential of available building footprint morphological data, and how this can become a design-aid tool in architectural practices, aiming to give a new scope of data driven design that can be used globally. “Architecture and the city are mutually constitutive, each influencing and shaping the other in a … 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.

Reforming Scrap

GLOBAL WASTE GENERATION LIFE CYCLE This project takes into account the potential of Aluminum and branches out just before recycling to reduce energy consumption in comparison to recycling. Although aluminium is highly recyclable, and energy efficient that only 5% of energy is needed to recycle it in comparison to primary production.  It is still energy … Read more