The MaCAD is a unique online programme training a new generation of architects, engineers and designers ready to develop skills into the latest softwares, computational tools, BIM technologies and AI towards innovation for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.

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SEMIOCITY

Semiocity — Semiotic-Aware Urban Image Generation This is part of the Academic work at Iaac Barcelona for the Master’s Program im Advance Computation for Architecture and Design 2024-2025 Repository for the Master Thesis “Semiocity: Generating Semiotic‑Enriched 3D Models from Text Inputs” Degree: Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design (MaCAD), Institute for Advanced Architecture of … Read more

Mind vs Machine: MENTOR

A Multi-Agent, Socratic, Cognitive-Preserving Tutoring System for Architectural Education The Silent Crisis Picture this: A design student faces a challenging architectural problem. They need to create a sustainable community center that harmonizes with its urban context while meeting complex programmatic requirements. In 2023, they would likely turn to ChatGPT, type their question, and receive a … Read more

A.I. Morphogenesis

Toward Net-Positive Architecture MASTER IN ADVANCED COMPUTATION FOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN  2024/2025 Anji, Christina & Will Thesis – Supervisor: Gabriella Rossi We are facing an urgent climate crisis, one that demands architecture to move beyond conventional sustainability toward regenerative, net-positive approaches. Current design practices often struggle to integrate environmental and context-aware analysis seamlessly because they … Read more

ThinkSpaceAI

Turning Natural Language into Architecture Designing a house is never just about walls and windows—it’s about translating human stories into spaces that feel alive. Clients describe routines, aspirations, and cultural practices. Architects then face the challenge of turning those narratives into coherent layouts that also respond to site, climate, and context. Most computational tools fall … Read more

Andromeda

Andromeda

Andromeda is a Rhino-native copilot that turns briefs, context, and massing into a single, interpretable graph so designers can enrich masterplans, evaluate KPIs, and bake results back to Rhino, without leaving their workflow. Built for early-stage masterplanning, it aims to raise social value, connectivity, accessibility, and overall urban quality by unifying data, guiding program allocation, … Read more

Urban Climate on Graphs: From Form to Comfort

ABSTRACT This thesis investigates the relationship between urban development patterns and outdoor thermal comfort, with a focus on Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT), a key factor in calculating the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI).  While graph-based approaches have long been used in spatial analysis (e.g., space syntax, circulation networks), this research extends the application of graph … Read more

From Pixels to Parameters: transforming AI image to editable facade geometry

ABSTRACT Recent developments in generative artificial intelligence, particularly diffusion models such as Stable Diffusion and DALL·E, have enabled the creation of visually compelling architectural façades from text-based prompts. While these outputs are expressive and stylistically diverse, they remain fundamentally unstructured, lacking spatial intelligence, semantic clarity, and geometric editability. This limits their integration into architectural design … Read more

Ecoform: An Acoustic Copilot for Urban Designers

By Jose, Giorgia, Paul, Francesco, and Mohammed Rethinking Urban Design Through Acoustic Intelligence Cities today must manage noise for public health, productivity, and urban well-being. Streets, parks, towers, and public spaces all face constant noise challenges. Yet, traditional urban design often treats acoustics as an afterthought. Most teams evaluate sound issues only after making key … Read more

AIA25 Studio – HaBiCoM

HaBiCoM is an AI-powered copilot designed to assist architects, designers, and users in shaping smarter, more responsive interior spaces. At its core, HaBiCoM redefines the way we approach furniture placement within residential environments by aligning each design decision with the user’s unique daily habits, lifestyle rhythms, and thermal comfort needs. Unlike traditional layout tools, HaBiCoM … Read more

gAIa*

A sustainability CoPilot Gaia is an intelligent design assistant, a copilot that supports architects in navigating the early stages of design with real-time environmental feedback. Named after the ancient Greek personification of the Earth, Gaia reflects both the ecological focus of the tool and its role as a guiding presence in the creative process. The … Read more

ClimaSkin Copilot

A copilot for intelligent facade design DEMO A SNAPSHOT OF THE PROJECT: INTRODUCTION: FUNDAMENTAL Meet John, an experienced architect working late in his studio, surrounded by sketches, coffee cups, and the familiar glow of his computer screen. He’s facing a challenge that keeps countless architects awake at night – designing a facade that’s both beautiful … Read more

Captain CAT – Courtyard advisory tool

Consider yourself a local architect or urban planner dealing with the all-too-common Barcelona problem: Its too hot here! and the courtyard outside feels like a desolate oven. Imagine now that your co-pilot is a pixel-art cat that is friendly, understands the climatic conditions and works with you to create a courtyard that is actually comfortable, … Read more

Design Development: Image to image generator

Project Objective The project objective is to develop an interface where users can batch upload images of an established design, usually in the Design Development phase when materials and small tweaks are being considered. The goal is for a user in a traditional architecture office to batch upload images of their 3d model to quickly … Read more

Exploring Spatial Intelligence: Graph Machine Learning in Courtyard Design

Nestled within IAAC’s Master of Advanced Computational Design program, our recent investigation of Graph Machine Learning (Graph ML) sought to reimagine how we perceive, evaluate, and improve architectural spaces. Our team of Andrea, Leila, Lennart, and Mahnoor worked on a courtyard prototype to create a seamless process that combines parametric modeling, semantic data interchange, and … Read more

Loving Code: Simulating Intimacy with a Disembodied AI

Abstract This project is a speculative and critical exploration of human-AI intimacy inspired by Spike Jonze’s film Her. The story of a man falling in love with his AI assistant prompts an urgent contemporary question: can current large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4o or LLaMA 3 convincingly simulate emotional intimacy? More importantly, what does … Read more

Architecture of Resistance: Hacking Life

a highrise building with a facade that tricks a.i. into detecting faces that aren't there. Green bounding boxes show the false positive predictions of the a.i.

The Algorithmic Epoch Modern advertising was born out of propaganda techniques developed in World War I by Edward Bernays. He realized that by manipulating symbols and emotions, it was possible to shape mass behaviour, a concept that now forms the backbone of our algorithm-driven economy. The Internet, once heralded as a tool for global connection, … Read more