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
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
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
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
Problem Tersa is a public company that runs a waste incineration plant in Sant Adrià del Besòs, serving much of the Barcelona metropolitan area. Over the years, local associations and residents have raised concerns that the plant may exceed emissions limits of toxic substances and caused pollution. Despite all the concerns, the investigating judge archived … Read more
Located in the quiet community of Sant Adria De Besos lies the Besos Power Station. This waste to energy power plant is responsible for providing power to over 10 municipalities of Spain and takes care of nearly half of the waste that comes into Barcelona. While this factory proves to be highly effective, several negative … Read more
TRANSFORMING WASTE INTO SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL RESOURCES The goal is to convert various types of waste into sustainable resources, establishing a circular economy that enhances environmental benefits by repurposing waste, promoting renewable energy, and encouraging innovation in bioproducts. This site, like many others around the world, holds the memories of a different time. What happens when … Read more
ABSTRACT This project seeks to transform a plot in Poblenou’s 22@ district into a pioneering model of metabolic co-living and circular urbanism. By leveraging the district’s technological ecosystem and repurposing e-waste from nearby Green Points, the project integrates a localized recycling and up-cycling facility with innovative prefabrication techniques. Modular co-living units, structural frames, and facades … Read more
