During the second year of the Master in Advanced Architecture + Thesis Project (MAA02), students have the unique opportunity to work for a period of 1 year on an Individual Thesis Project, focused on the development of a research or pilot project based on the student’s interest, and the learnings of the first year. IAAC supports the student in selecting their Thesis Project topic in order to better orient them according to their future career interests and opportunities. Each student, according to their specific topic, is assigned one or more Thesis Advisors that follow the development of the work throughout the year.
In parallel to the development of the Individual Thesis Project, the second year of the MAA02 offers a series of seminars enhancing the theoretical, practical and computational skills of the students.
CONCEPT Creating a dynamic relationship between the building and its environment A responsive façade design inspired by the concept of living architecture The geometric logic and panel behavior were first modeled in Grasshopper, where the movement angles and facade modules were tested digitally. Then, through Arduino’s control, this virtual logic was physically prototyped turning environmental … Read more
CONCEPT In the modern urban life, people constantly move between work, travel, and rest — often ignoring the plants that bring vitality and warmth to their homes. When we are away, these plants silently endure the risks of dryness and decay. This Auto-Irrigation Plant System offers a gentle solution to that small but meaningful concern. … Read more
This project investigates the reinterpretation of the traditional mosaic technique of Trencadís through contemporary methods of digital and robotic fabrication. The process began with manual explorations aimed at understanding the material and compositional logic underlying Trencadís—specifically, the principles governing the arrangement and fitting of irregular fragments to generate cohesive surfaces. These initial studies provided critical … Read more
Introduction This project was an exploration of traditional Trencadis using robotic assembly system. Inspired by spirals in nature, we explored entropy and how we can achieve order from chaos, from broken irregular pieces of ceramics. We chose spirals as the symbol of emergent order. Context Barcelona’s architectural identity is deeply tied to Trencadís, a mosaic … Read more
CONTEXT DYNAMICS METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS By subtracting different scenarios from one another: The differences start to become clear as to what areas are consisently lost vs what areas are inconsistently lost. The latter being the one where planners and ecologists should focus their efforts the most if aiming to potentialize action. The figure becomes even clearer … Read more
Manual floorplan generation for high-rise residential buildings is labor-intensive and often overlooks key environmental parameters, limiting the ability to quickly assess performance-based design alternatives. Demo :
Abstract In response to the urgent need for rapid, climate-adaptive housing driven by the climate crisis and global migration, this research explores the architectural potential of combinatorial spatial assemblages. These systems, built through the aggregation of discrete components, offer emergent spatial qualities but are often driven by random or heuristic rules, making them difficult to … Read more
PlacePlate is an AI-driven platform that automates site selection for new restaurants using Barcelona as a case study. It integrates spatial, market, and property data, calculates cuisine-specific suitability and competition-adjusted scores, and suggests optimal neighborhoods. By matching business needs with demand and uncovering undervalued properties, it reduces risk, cuts selection time from months to days, … Read more
The plastic crisis has reached staggering proportions. If all the plastic waste on Earth were laid out, it would be enough to cover the entire surface of Argentina ankle-deep. Every year, we produce 300 million tons of plastic globally. Yet only 10% remains in use, while more than 80% is discarded. Of this discarded plastic, … Read more
Bio-Receptive Interfaces is a performative multi-material clay-based system for indoor environments, integrating hydrogel vascularity to host an ecosystem of cryptogams and vascular plants. Fusing biological intelligence with embedded sensors and AI, it sustains a prolonged hydration cycle, purifies air, sequesters carbon, and reintroduces ecological presence into synthetic indoor worlds—transforming sealed spaces into living, responsive, multi-species … Read more
Upcycled Timber Retrofit Strategies for aClimate-Conscious Transformation of the VenusBuilding. Context Why Retrofitting MattersBuildings account for nearly 30% of global carbon emissions, with most of today’s housing stock expected to remain in use beyond 2050. In this context, the built environment becomes both a challenge and an opportunity for climate action. Retrofitting allows us to … Read more
MODULAR PODS VERTICAL EXTENSIONS To address urgent urban housing needs, this thesis explores modular rooftop pods using Digital Twins, CNC fabrication, kerfing, and timber joinery—enabling precise, low-waste, minimum tool required for assembling and sustainable expansion of aging urban buildings through scalable and prefabricated Modular systems Why Vertical extension required ? What’s the purpose of the … Read more
EcoNodes is an AI-driven urban planning platform designed to identify and prioritize the city’s most heat-stressed and impervious junctions for strategic green interventions. By combining satellite imagery, street view segmentation, and environmental datasets, EcoNodes highlights the urban nodes that lack vegetation, suffer from poor air flow, or trap excessive heat. The tool empowers planners to … Read more
