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.
ROTATIONAL COLUMN – CIRCULAR WOOD DESIGN
STATE OF ART Part to Whole HG-A, South Korea – 2014 Building Traditions with Digital Research Rui Oliveira, Jose Pedro Sousa – 2016 Columns are analyzed as primary element of Ferreira’s designs. Columns, traditionally crafted through meticulous layering of bricks, are viewed both as structural and visual elements in his designs. RESEARCH QUESTION; “In what … Read more
ROBOTIC FABRICATION SEMINAR
The environmental impact of the construction industry is a pressing concern. As architects, it’s essential that we shift from a linear model of consumption and production to a circular economy. In recent years, there has been notable progress in upcycling various construction materials and replacing high-emission materials like concrete with more sustainable alternatives, such as … Read more
Irregular Modularity
How can we use irregular elements of reclaimed offcut-timber to challenge the methodology of using planar, Interlocking and stacking techniques which can then be utilized in the design of forms ? Data CollectionThis first starts with a collection of materials and the creation of a database. This database serves as a resource for the planning … Read more
Shingles
This project repurposes live-edge wood waste for shingle facade elements, enabling diverse spatial configurations. The goal is a flexible system accommodating varied thickness, length, and geometry of live-edge wood waste. Advanced robotic fabrication and scanning ensure adaptability in design. The focus is on an easily constructed, flexible system utilizing scanning to match live-edge wood, resulting … Read more
Robotic Woodcraft – Team I
Context This blog documents the negotiation of a System of Scan to Fabricate workflows related to dealing with irregular raw materials, Namely offcuts from the saw-mill logging industry and CNC – Offcuts in the digital fabrication workshop. A negotiation between design input and the raw material topology necessitates research. With each material presenting unique Opportunities … Read more