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.
“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
AI-Powered Sustainable Building Design Platform for Architecture Firms. Architects lack efficient tools to optimize sustainability during the early design phase—when 80% of a building’s environmental impact is determined. Real-time sustainability optimization integrated directly into your design workflow.
Group includes: Nguyen Vu Tue Minh (Chloe) & Eduardo Martinez Toribio //OVERALL DESIGN OBJECTIVE //PRECEDENT: TEMPORARY PARAMETRIC PAVILION //COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN SYSTEM USING CRYSTALLON //MATERIAL RESEARCH: GLASS-REINFORCED RECYCLED PET (GR-RPET) //ANALYSIS Total Mass: 191.8 (kg) Natural Vibration Analysis Frequency: 9.45 (Hz) Max Displacement: 0.125 (m) //OPTIMISATION: GOALS & TARGET //OPTIMISATION: RESULTS //OPTIMISATION: LIGHTNESS VS STIFFNESS Baseline: … Read more
This thesis explores light as a neuro-adaptive architectural interface that responds to human physiological and emotional states. By translating biosignals such as GSR, EEG, and ECG into dynamic lighting behaviors, the research proposes a shift from static light control systems to empathic, responsive environments. The project combines physical prototypes and spatial experiments to investigate how … Read more
Reviving Bab Al-Luq is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the MACAD 2025/26 by Zeynep Sezen Dursun and Faculty: Hesham Shawqy and Angeliki Maragakis. Inspiration & Design Decisions This project aims to explore light and computational architectural design concerning the illumination, ventilation, and attraction in the design of the … Read more
Team member(s):MAHMOUD MOHAMED Modified by MAHMOUD MOHAMED on December 12, 2025 SITE AND EXISTING BUILDING Egypt, often reverently hailed as the “Mother of All Lands,” stands as one of the oldest and most influential civilizations in the vast chronicle of human history. Its legacy is not merely a collection of ruins or artifacts; it is a … 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 project presents the design of a parametric pavilion for Plaça de Sant Jaume in Barcelona, inspired by the human towers of the castellers. A pattern of ellipses and circles was used as an allusion to the supportive hands and shoulders that form the tower. The pavilion’s base geometry responds to the plaça’s shape, entrances, … 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
