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.
The project People’s Theatre addresses the growing obsolescence of cultural heritage buildings under overlapping social, economic, and climatic pressures. Using Teatre Arnau in El Raval as a case study, the project investigates how adaptive reuse can reposition a historically commodified theatre as a socio-economic commons ” This research investigates how adaptive reuse of Teatre Arnau … Read more
“A transitional housing system that buffers the tsunami of migration” Project Description The project proposes a transitional housing system for people arriving in Barcelona for work or study, including students, young professionals, and temporary workers. It responds to the growing demand for short-term and interim living solutions in a city under increasing demographic and housing … Read more
“Unearthing Rec Comtal : Transforming Barcelona’s Agricultural Heritage Into a Food Secure Hub” ANALYSIS AND SYSTEMS The Hidden 4th Water Source: Rec Comtal Water Sources of Barcelona include the 2 major rivers; LLobregat and Besos river which are predominant rivers within catalonia itself and we have the Coastal line which houses vast amounts of desalination … Read more
An intelligent living system as the last decision you will ever make. Abstract This project explores Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and their impact on architecture and urban living. Based on complexity theory, ecology, and AI discourse, it frames architecture as an adaptive, self-organizing system rather than a static object. The case study is Barcelona, … Read more
Letamendi’s Organic Operations Plan Introductory Studio G1The Future of Density – Rethinking the Cerdá Block Faculty: Carmelo Zappulla, Sebastian Amorelli, and Amin Bigdeli Housing is one of the most urgent challenges of the twenty-first century. Ildefons Cerdàʼs nineteenth-century plan set the foundations for Barcelonaʼs future, imagining equal access to light, air, and infrastructure. The question … Read more
“Metabolising waste into habitat in a resource-scarce future” “Mining the City” reconceives legacy industrial infrastructure as an active force for urban regeneration and material resilience. Rather than treating waste as a problem to be discarded, this project positions Barcelona’s material flows from household refuse to industrial by-products as the resource base for a new metabolic … Read more
Creating a kinetic facade with no human intervention Light-Sensitive Dynamic Facade (Seeeduino Lotus Prototype) This prototype uses the Seeeduino Lotus microcontroller to create a responsive building facade that automatically adjusts to surrounding light conditions. A set of light sensors (LDRs) measure real-time sunlight intensity across different areas of the facade. Based on these readings, the … Read more
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
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN SEMINAR ABSTRACT This project explores the intersection of natural morphology and computational design to create an architecturally expressive pavilion. Inspired by the organic forms of mushroom caps and the branching behavior of biological growth systems, the pavilion is composed of a lightweight, cloud-like canopy supported by a network of columns generated using differential … Read more
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
Site Map of Plaça Espanya zooming into the specific corner (Gran Via). Design Reference – Architectural Precedent Project: The Core (Education Centre), Eden Project.Architect: Grimshaw ArchitectsLogic: The roof geometry is derived from the phyllotaxis found in plants. It utilizes two opposing sets of spirals to define a grid of structural nodes.This pattern allows for an … Read more
Concept Inspiration Creating a dynamic facade using can ran atelier’s three dimensional ‘kinetic tile’ approach. Rotation to be determined by controllable attractor curve Colourful tile/mosaic facades are often found in Barcelona design contexts. Early Iterations Pseudo Code High Quality Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BpDajnOIM52dp8Mcx5DFvEiamOlLwxH_/view?usp=sharing
This Grasshopper based design reinterprets the kinetic panel system of the Media-TIC façade by Enric Ruiz Geli. Inspired by its triangulated geometry and responsive membrane logic, the proposed system explores a dynamic, articulated surface capable of adapting to light, shade, and visibility needs. The parametric model defines a modular kinetic unit, driven by user inputs … Read more
Abstract – This project introduces a crown-shaped stepped pavilion on the periphery of Plaça de Catalunya, serving as both an event gateway and an everyday public platform. Inspired by the geometry of a crown, the looping form rises in stepped layers to create vantage points, circulation, and sculptural presence. Developed through a parametric Grasshopper workflow, … Read more
Computational Design Seminar Crystalline Aperture Project Description The Crystalline Aperture Concept: A parametric infill design that reimagines the flat curtain wall as a volumetric “deep skin.” Logic: The form is generated through a vertex displacement algorithm, where a 2D grid is tessellated into 3D pyramidal modules. Impact: This folded geometry functions as a structural double-skin system. … Read more
