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.
THE PROBLEM Wild pollinators are declining in Catalonia, and the regional plan PIPOL aimed to reverse this loss by 2030. In May 2025, the Barcelona City Council began installing 100 nests for wild bees and wasps across 25 parks (Barcelona City Council, 2025). But a nest is only a shelter. It is fixed, while a … Read more
Concept EcoStation is a modular, low-cost environmental monitoring system designed to investigate the changing conditions of a place through temperature, humidity, air-quality signals, sound and soil moisture. By translating environmental signals into accessible readings, the station provides a starting point for observing differences between locations, identifying patterns and asking questions about the relationships between environmental … Read more
Autonomous Environmental Guard and Intelligence System – A Physical Computing Prototype for Disaster Monitoring and Early Warning Team Members: Pratik Kurtarkar, Varad Hande Prototype Model The objective of the project is to create an intelligent system to monitor remote and inaccessible areas that are fragile, sensitive and vulnerable to natural disasters. In light of recent … Read more
Exploring responsive topography through physical computing and adaptive water management. Rethinking the Relationship Between Water and Terrain Water is one of the most fundamental resources on Earth, shaping landscapes, sustaining ecosystems, and supporting human life. However, challenges such as flooding, drought, and soil erosion highlight the increasing need for more adaptable approaches to water management. … Read more
Breathing Shade explores a lightweight, modular inflatable canopy for reducing heat exposure in urban public spaces. The system uses triangular two-chamber modules with a transparent outer envelope and an opaque inner chamber. As the inner chamber inflates, it increases shade, expands the module, and reduces gaps between neighbouring units, allowing opacity and porosity to change … Read more
Infrastructure doesn’t just move people. It shapes who they are, where they go, and what kinds of lives are possible. At the northern edge of Barcelona — at the junction of Nou Barris, Sant Andreu, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet — Avinguda Meridiana does all three. It connects the city to its northern territories efficiently. … Read more
This research explores the use of Wallacei X to optimize a parametric facade for a site in Dubai, UAE. The study evaluates facade performance based on four objectives: maximizing sun hours, minimizing solar radiation, minimizing material consumption, and maximizing views. Through evolutionary optimization, hundreds of design variations were generated and assessed, revealing the trade-offs between … Read more
Using climate clustering, vernacular precedent research, and evolutionary optimisation to create climate-responsive design typologies when no established local precedent exists Overview Lovingly named after the very first test location, Project Michigan is a tool that provides climate-responsive design guidelines when no local vernacular precedent exists. Through scraping climate data and global vernacular information, it helps … Read more
– Reimagining the Northern Green Corridor of Lisbon – Location The project site in Lisbon is strategically located within a dynamic urban fabric characterized by a mix of historic layers and contemporary development. Positioned between key mobility corridors and densely populated neighborhoods, the area experiences a high level of pedestrian and vehicular activity throughout the … Read more
…digitizing terrain to understand runoff & delivering local NBS solutions… …there are 3 types of floods… …the mountains affect runoff… GREEN CITIES AROUND THE WORLD NBS (Nature Based Solution) Bank …Prototyping Phase… …understanding the prototype… THE PROTOTYPE
Contexto During much of the 20th century, the Besòs River was transformed by industrialization and urban growth into a highly engineered system. Its new rigid structure, designed to control flooding, disconnected the river from its natural processes, accelerated water flow, and reduced ecological habitats Today, these structural modifications continue to generate major problems. Difficulties in … Read more
Dhikwani, Rajasthan Dhikwani is a Village in Shahbad Tehsil in Baran District of Rajasthan State, India. It belongs to Kota Division . It is located 67 KM towards East from District head quarters Baran. 16 KM from Shahbad. 279 KM from State capital Jaipur. Dhikwani lies in the semi arid region – high solar radiation, … Read more
Our project for the Large-Scale 3D Printing with Biomaterials workshop focuses on the transition from conventional, high-emission construction to a circular, bio-based architectural model. Utilizing a 6-axis robotic arm, we have developed an acoustic envelope system composed of a cork-based bio-composite sourced from recycled stoppers. The research prioritizes a “File-to-Factory” workflow where computational geometry is … Read more
“Planetarity” is a philosophical concept that examines how the ways we visualize the Earth shape how we interact with it. Coined by Gayatri Spivak in her 2003 book Death of a Discipline, the term challenges us to move away from viewing the Earth as a controllable resource. Instead, Spivak argues that we must think beyond … Read more
