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.


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Casa Tosquella: The Mending of the Commons

Heritage is not memoryHeritage is Production + Community In the dense urban fabric of Sant Gervasi, Casa Tosquella sleeps a Modernista jewel originally conceived as a summer retreat, now stranded in a city grappling with permanent heat. This project explores the tension between heritage preservation and climatic urgency. The proposal views the building not as … Read more

The Can Ricart Regeneration Project

Design Ethos This project seeks to explore how issues of stagnation and obsolescence can be tackled whilst still enabling socio-economic and technological developments of our urban spaces. It will explore how they can be applied within architecture to evaluate how we can more effectively address issues of erasure whilst still permitting modern interventions and advancements … Read more

The Timber Wave

This pavilion explores the dialogue between wood and waves through a parametric system of assembled timber elements shaped by coastal forces. Inspired by the rhythm of tides and the grain of wood, its fluid geometry oscillates between structure and motion, shelter and openness. The project merges digital design with natural material intelligence, creating a lightweight … Read more

The Woven Contrast

Cover page for the IAAC Computational Design I Seminar. The image features a parametric, twisted wooden structure in the foreground against a dark, point-cloud digital background. Text lists the Faculty as Akshay Madapura and Shrey Kapur, and Students as Kalaitzidis Nikolaos and Sejin Park.

COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN I SEMINAR25/26 MAA01 (Level2) Abstract: Computational Weaving. This project, developed for the Computational Design I Seminar, explores the algorithmic generation of complex, recursive geometries through the logic of “Digital Craft”. Inspired by the material constraints of steam-bent timber, the design creates a “volumetric weave” rather than a simple surface. The computational workflow is … Read more

Digital Fabrication Library

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

Morphologies of Making: Four Experiments in Digital Craft

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

Tectonics of Digital Craft

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

TriAxial Dynamics

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

Directional Strength: Glulam Components in Force-Responsive Design

This research explores the optimization of glulam in architectural design by aligning material grading and grain orientation with force trajectories. Combining glulam offcuts and higher-grade timber, the study minimizes waste while maximizing structural efficiency. Computational workflows and generative algorithms are used to design force-aligned components for scalable applications. Prototypes demonstrate enhanced performance and sustainability, offering … Read more

Optoppen (City above the city )

AIM The housing crisis in Spain stems from rising prices, stagnant construction, and growing demand, leaving many unable to afford housing, highlighting the need for urgent, sustainable solutions. Spain Time line of the Housing crisis Long Term trend Housing crisis AFFORDABLE HOUSING by 2035 Material comparison Homeless people Data Site documentation Typology – I Joint … Read more

BUSINESS INNOVATION

Introduction The global housing crisis highlights the urgent need for affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing solutions worldwide, Rapid urbanization, rising costs, and unequal access to resources have left millions without adequate housing. A lack of affordable housing options is deepening social inequality in cities across the globe. How Global Housing prices have changed since 2010 … Read more

ROTATIONAL COLUMN – CIRCULAR WOOD DESIGN

STATE OF ART Part to Whole HG-A, South Korea – 2014 Building Traditions with Digital Research Rui Oliveira, Jose Pedro Sousa – 2016 Columns are analyzed as primary element of Ferreira’s designs. Columns, traditionally crafted through meticulous layering of bricks, are viewed both as structural and visual elements in his designs. RESEARCH QUESTION; “In what … Read more