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.


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The construction industry is the number one consumer of global raw materials while being one of the biggest producers of waste in the European Union.In this Research, we aim to explore the possibilities of secondary waste wood (Pallets) based on the notion of discreteness and develop a “Programmable Matter System”.These discrete building blocks can be … Read more

Lignum Penumbra

FORCES OF NATURE The term “Lignum” refers to wood, emphasizing the material used in the pavilion’s construction. “Penumbra” refers to the partially shaded area around the edge of a shadow, which could suggest the way the pavilion’s design incorporates light and shadow. Pseudo Code Final Result ‘Lignum Penumbra’ is a project that celebrates the natural … Read more

Digital woodcraft

Exploring the unique properties of timber and the fabrication methods associated with it, enabling us to work with complex geometries and find appropriate strategies to realize them. We started out looking at different situations to apply our geometry and potentially make a gapahuk (a building made of wooden materials, originally intended for emergency accommodation), forest … Read more

Timber Pergola

Exploring the Strength and Beauty of Wood Joinery The Timber Pergola project is a study of timber joineries, which explores the use of linear and square shapes with 90-degree angles in the horizontal direction and a 12-degree joint to create a tension structure in the vertical direction. The project is inspired by the Forests of … Read more

Possibilities of Reciprocal Timber Structures in the Formation of Space

Possibilities of Reciprocal Timber Structures in the Formation of Space is a project that aimed to explore the potential of using reciprocal timber structures to create innovative and functional spaces. The projects main goal is to leverage both traditional artisanal technologies and modern digital tools to create structures that combine beauty, functionality and sustainability. The … Read more

The Spaces in Between

The objective of this project was to investigate the potential of the pick and place technique in producing a compelling vertical element that showcases the precision of robotic fabrication. Our column boasts an intricate design of oscillating, twisting triangles that expand and contract throughout the height of the structure. The purpose of this design is … Read more

Timber Zipper

The goal of this project is to comprehend the pick-and-place robotic fabrication process using timber members and how to optimize the process using design choices. By experimenting with various twist, rotate, shift, mirror, and scale actions, column typologies that eventually took the form of a zipper-like column were created. The exercise helps us to understand … Read more

SlideSquare: The Sliding Square Facade

The architectonic project of an interactive environment that develops a structure opening and closing according to sunlight is a design that responds to the natural light changes throughout the day. The concept can be applied in a façade to regulate the temperature and sun entrance on the building, or in a residential or commercial project … Read more

BALANCED STRUCTURES

Balances Structures uses the ABB robot to develop a column through a pick-and-place strategy. Pushing robotic precision to its limits and minimizing human error, this project showcases how a structure in a state of delicate balance can be produced. The balance of the column was showcased not only through the placement of the structure on … Read more

UNFURL

Adaptive shading system Concept The project aims to create a shading installation that reacts to the pressure under it. The movement in the shade occurs when a person or a vehicle is under a module of the shade, triggering the opening of only that module. Location For the site for the installation we chose the … Read more

IN_(TERLOCK) CHAOS 

Abstract This project will focus on using the pick & place operations to develop column geometries stacked out of timber elements. Below we present the development of a parametric system capable of integrating fabrication constraints and architectural goals. The aim was to create a natural geometry with a simple linear element, a catalog of multiple … Read more

ALGOSurfboards: how design drives performance

Over the last decade, the surf industry has been rapidly expanding, as an increasing number of people worldwide are embracing the sport. However, despite the rising demand, traditional surfboard design approaches have yet to fully embrace the potential of tailored equipment that takes into account the unique needs and preferences of individual surfers. As a … Read more

DESIRE

DESIgn for REassembly “Design for Dis- and Re-assembly; From a column at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to inhabitable space Valldaura, to…?” Our aim for the course is to design 4 columns for the World Mobile Congress, which then will be reassembled and transformed into roofs, walls, and foundations for a small construction in … 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

Zero | Edge

Urban void as a potential: Redefinition of a marginalized-industrial area by an auto-sufficient and tailorized production system relying on km0 recycled waste materials Manifest The intention is to design a hub between an industrial landscape and a small residential zone that will revitalize the surrounding area. This process will lead to the redefinition of a … Read more

URBAN HIATUS

MANIFESTO Inclusive, Productive, Sustainable Urban Hiatus is a project that centers around human scale and brings back the lost identity for the people of Poblenou. It aims towards a structure that is inclusive, productive and sustainable.The latest urban plans in Barcelona solved a lot of issues, but sometimes forgot about smaller day to day spaces … Read more

The Seed

Montjuïc 41.361119  2.141984 Manifesto The project strives to oppose the pressing environmental and socio-economic issues of the neighborhood through civic participation and community-led activities. Furthermore, the project is planned to morph into an activity magnet that engages the community and works as an energy efficient module for sustainable ecosystems to replace the urban voids in … Read more

The Dendriform Pavilion

Design Analysis & Concept As the project brief required to reimagine the Serpentine Pavilion by Francis Kere, built in 2017 at the Serpentine Gallery in London, UK, the pavilion was deconstructed and analyzed into 3 of its major elements; the roof, the roof structure and the envelope. The main idea for the reimagination of the … Read more

Reiteration of the Serpentine Pavilion

Abstract The project aims to recreate and redesign the pavilion while taking advantageof computational tools to reiterate and at the same time be tangential to the essence of the pavilion. Francis Kéré’s 2017 Serpentine pavilion is conceived as a micro cosmos. Promoting a sense of freedom and community. Inspired by the tree that serves a central … Read more

From Pattern to Modular Solutions

In order to familiarize and introduce us to different types of machinery tools and techniques, our studio was divided to three weeks of learning and exploring different machines related to different forms of digital fabrication. Each week we learned how to design and execute our model on different software related to the fabrication typology. This … Read more

Liquefied Conjectures

The aim of the digital fabrication introductory course was to utilize three fabrication methods – 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC milling – to explore different possible geometries and outputs. The group’s aim for the three exercises has been to conjecture what different geometries would produce the most interesting outcomes in combination with the different … Read more

Flip, Kerf & Tile

00 – ABSTRACT Over the three weeks that lasted the Digital Fabrication Course the main goal was to learn how to develop, model, use the available machinery and prototype designs. For each week a different machine and techniques were used, respectively, CNC Milling, Laser Cutting and 3D printing. Different strategies were applied to achieve the … Read more

Integrating the Inherent Nature- Introduction to Digital Fabrication

03.10.2022-21.10.2022 Laser Cutting03.10-07.10 Exploring the Fabrication Parameters of Spatial Joint Utilising the inherent property of trees The main inspiration behind the concept for this spatial timber joint is ‘edaphoecotropism’ which is a natural process of trees incorporating foreign objects into themselves. When a foreign object is in the way or obstructing the growth of a … Read more