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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TERRANOVA: Organic Waste to Ecological Wealth

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

BACK TO ZERO

NARRATIVE Back to Zero is a regenerative concept that targets oil refineries and other aging infrastructures that pollute our world. The narrative is inspired from the “skin in the game” concept, and calculates lifetime co2 emissions for high emitting “hosts”, which then becomes a target for that same “host” to sequester through the carbon sequestration … Read more

BIOGENESIS

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

EntoNest

This project seeks to transform La Fira, an industrial zone in Barcelonès, into a sustainable insect farming hub. By embedding insect farming within the existing infrastructure, it will leverage local resources to efficiently produce high-protein insect products. Traditional agriculture faces growing pressures including water scarcity and limited space, especially in urban areas like Barcelona. Insect farming … Read more

Roots & Routes

BIODIVERSE PUBLIC SPACECollaborative Design with Humans and Non-humans The Besòs River in northeastern Spain flows through Catalonia from the Montseny mountains to the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona, covering about 17 kilometers. Once heavily polluted by industrial waste and urban runoff, it has undergone significant environmental restoration, improving its water quality and accessibility for wildlife and … Read more

Pixel ecology

Succession Landscape Strategy of succession through the creation of ecological island Site ANALISIS PROJECT MATRIX CONCEPT Strategy of succession through the creation of ecological island MASTERPLAN THE COMPONENT THE ISLANDS Island 01 Island 02 Island 03 SUSSECCION STRATEGY HOW IT WORKS VIDEO MODEL

ROOTED ECO-SCAPES

An exploration of Root Architecture and Material Study By uniting Ecological Restoration techniques with an adaptable architectural system, this project envisions a scalable, self-sustaining model that harmonises with natural ecosystems. Although the approach is contextualised within specific urban challenges, it offers a flexible framework adaptable to various environmental conditions and site-specific needs, ensuring its broader … Read more

Reconnecting Urban Fragments

“Reimagining Urban Corridors: From Rigid Infrastructure to Inclusive Green Networks” “Urban environments today face critical challenges—population growth, rapid urbanization, and the fragmentation of ecological systems. As cities evolve, their rigid infrastructure often alienates natural systems and creates barriers to inclusivity and sustainability. This thesis focuses on reconceptualizing rigid urban environments by integrating transportation and ecological … Read more

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX FOR ADAPTIVE URBAN DESIGN IN COASTAL CITIES Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster worldwide. By the report from The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), floods cause more than 38 billion euro in damages worldwide per year. Due to climate change, floods are becoming more extreme and frequent. Coastal areas … Read more

Extending Habitats: Biotic Hut

Our studio project is focused on reinventing this site near the Bésos Rivermouth as a biodiverse public space. To approach this project, we started by studying the site through the lens of multiple species, both human and non-human. In understanding what the flora and fauna of this area look like we began posing specific questions … Read more

Digital Tools for Environmental Analysis:

A Case Study in Cairo, Egypt In today’s rapidly urbanizing world, environmental analysis has become a cornerstone of sustainable design. Team AS08, comprising Amira El-Saeed and Mohamed Attay, presented their findings on environmental analysis for Cairo, Egypt, using advanced digital tools. Their presentation, titled “Digital Tools for Environmental Analysis,” explored a range of climate-related challenges … Read more

CATALUNYA’s ‘TABLE’

Bringing Producers, Consumers and Nature Together This project aims to connect local food producers, consumers, and nature in a symbolic way. The metaphor of a “table” represents unity and sustenance, gathering people across different genders, ages, and social classes. This installation, built from waste materials and invasive plants like Pontederia Crassipes, doubles as an ecosystem, … Read more

Changing Landscapes

ReCitying is a Workshop hosted by IAAC and Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat to explore sustainable design and creative recycling in rural spaces. The first phase of the Workshop, in October 2024, focused on developing proposals for an installation using waste from Parc Agrari and planting crops to integrate into the project. We explored initial … Read more

PARQUE ARBORESCENTE VASCO DE QUIROGA

La creación de Santa Fe fue resultado de la intensa expansión que experimentó la Ciudad de México en los años setenta, concebida como parte de una estrategia de reordenamiento urbano. Aunque en ese entonces no se hablaba en términos de reciclaje urbano, esta iniciativa abordó aspectos que hoy se consideran fundamentales en ese concepto. Las … Read more

Tiny Topographies

Optimizing Bar Buildings for Sunlight and Pathways The aim of this project was to design a typology of housing is needed that resembles small, artificial terrains. The Bar Building typology will have set of long, dense buildings that will mimic the form of a topography. The forms will need to be optimized to allow for all the … Read more

Gardens of Tempelhof

Project Objective: Provide sustainable urban regeneration, and equal access to public spaces in dense cities, and create sunlit gardens while providing shade on the ground floor for public squares and corridors. Project Goals: •Maximizing sunlight exposure on gardens •Maximizing green space •Finding the optimized height with respect to the views. •Creating pocket gardens in between … Read more

A FISHERMAN’S TALE 渔夫的故事

Harmonising Coastal Futures, Restoring Balance in China’s Maritime , A Speculation of Communal Synergy in the context of Houtouwan THE PROBLEM // RESOURCE EXPLOITATION | OVER FISHING China’s over fishing crisis looms large, statistics revealing a stark reality of declining marine resources. With the majority of the worlds fishing resources coming from China, the country has … Read more

Optimizing green spaces

Optimizing green spaces is a project that aims to spot potential areas (plazas) around the cities, that are “dry” spaces, meaning that are composed mainly by pavement, and transform them into green areas, to enhance the quality of life who lives around and who is walking by, taking in consideration how people occupy the space … Read more

Vallvidrera Reservoire

Context Frogs as An Indicative Species: The Pelophylax Perezi frogs, native to the reservoir are an indicator of the ecosystem’s biodiversity, and require a permanent body of water to thrive. These amphibians traverse through ecotones and patches, evidently providing us an indication of a diverse ecosystem.  Why Frogs? Analysis Methodology Could we use the behaviours … Read more