Within the current global context of rapid change, integrated with the potentials of digital technologies, IAAC’s Master in Advanced Architecture (MAA) is committed to the generation of new ideas and applications for Urban Design, Self Sufficiency, Digital Manufacturing Techniques and Advanced Interaction.
In this context IAAC works with a multidisciplinary approach, facing the challenges posed by our environment and the future development of cities, architecture and buildings, through a virtuous combination of technology, biology, computational design, digital and robotic fabrication, pushing innovation beyond the boundaries of a more traditional architectural approach.
Modifying terrain slope to optimize drainage and building footprint. Can we optimize cut and fill for terrain modification to optimize water drainage and maximize building footprint? The “Sponge City+” toolkit is a Grasshopper-based platform that helps architects integrate low-impact development (LID) strategies into early-stage urban design. Tested on three Chinese university campuses, it combines runoff … Read more
This project explores a parametric pavilion designed for Plaça de Tetuan, where variations in canopy height generate different spatial and shading conditions. A lightweight steel framework supports tensile textile panels, creating a porous roof that filters sunlight while maintaining an open public space. Using environmental analysis and Wallacei optimization, multiple alternatives were evaluated to balance … Read more
TOTEM INTERFACE ELEMENT STONE WALLS SLOPE WALL INITIAL RAMMED PROTOTYPE FINAL RAMMED PROTOTYPE FINAL RENDERS WALKTHROUGH VIDEO
Concept: Corrosion Species: Interface elements Multi-Species Viewing Devices The Multi-Species Viewing Devices are ecological interface elements that frame different layers of the riverside habitat. Through varied openings, heights, and orientations, they guide people to observe birds, plants, water, and ground-level species, turning the ramp edge into a shared space of awareness between humans and non-humans. … Read more
Abstract This project uses parametric design and multi-objective optimization to develop an interlocking masonry brick. A Grasshopper workflow generated brick geometries by varying sinusoidal width, depth, and cavity parameters. The designs were evaluated using structural and geometric performance criteria, including load transfer, web thickness, horizontal area, volume, and interlocking capacity. An evolutionary optimization process identified … Read more
ELEMENT 01 – TOTEM – Species Selection ELEMENT 03 – RAMP – SPECIES SELECTION ELEMENT 04 – WAYFINDING – SPECIES SELECTION ELEMENT 05 – PARAPET – SPECIES SELECTION FINAL RENDERS
“If the architecture is any good, a person who looks and listens will feel its good effects without noticing.” — Carlo Scarpa Introduction The GreenInCities Seminar at IAAC explores the potential of circular construction practices and multispecies design within contemporary urban environments. Framed by the GreenInCities initiative in Barcelona, the seminar challenges students to rethink … Read more
Reciprocal Frames Reciprocal frames are self-supporting 3D structures. They consist of three or more sloping beams arranged in a closed circuit. Each beam rests on the preceding one and supports the next, creating a completely interdependent grid. This design eliminates the need for a central pillar or column. Traditionally these frames were made of wood, … Read more
A Prehistoric Imagination for Urban Ecology We imagined the park at the mouth of the Bèsós River as feeling unearthed rather than built. Inspired by prehistory and the atmosphere of ancient landscapes, this project designs a family of rammed earth elements for the Bèsós River Estuary in Barcelona. Through monolithic forms, organic textures, animal reliefs, … Read more
We identified the main problems while producing the roof of our Digital Matter studio, where we are making a system of bendable cork panels with jute and caesin, for that we needed molds to bend the panel according to curvature, To optimise the mold and reduce waste we used galapogos to define the bounding box … Read more
Project Brief Barcelona faces overlapping pressures: migration, demographic shift, and housing scarcity, that demand housing which can absorb change rather than resist it. InBetween proposes a transitional housing system based on Poblenou’s Cerdà blocks: not a fixed building, but a rule-based system that generates adaptable dwellings around the chamfered-block courtyard logic the city already knows. … Read more
Abstract Morphologies of Shade explores the design of a computationally optimized pavilion for the rooftop of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) in Barcelona. The project responds to the environmental challenges of excessive solar exposure and strong wind conditions that limit the usability of the rooftop throughout the day. Inspired by natural canopy … Read more
This project investigates the use of construction and demolition waste (CDW) as a primary material resource for the development of prefabricated concrete slabs. It combines computational design, material optimization, evolutionary algorithms, and physical simulation to explore how reclaimed concrete and ceramic aggregates can be systematically incorporated into new construction products. A parametric workflow was developed … Read more
The Ripple Network is a multi-detached project consisting of two investigations. The first, El Xarxaire Pabellón, is a form-found waffle shell pavilion for Plaza del Mar, Barceloneta an exposed heat-island space with a critical lack of shade. Wallacei multi-objective optimisation evolves the canopy form across three objectives: solar radiation, direct sun hours and open views. … Read more
For this assignment, we decided to use the biochar + clay panel project that we have been developing in the Digital Matter class, since it was already an advanced material system and we could take advantage of the tests, geometry, and resources developed throughout the course. From this, we wanted to analyze which geometry could … Read more
