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.
Introduction Finding the right home isn’t just about square meters or the number of bedrooms. A floor plan that works beautifully for one household can be completely unsuitable for another. Parents with young children, remote workers, retirees, or pet owners all experience the same space differently. Yet today’s search tools still rely on simple filters … Read more
Habitar 7.2: Graph Machine Learning of an Architectural Floor Plan Habitar 7.2, a residential building by Giancarlo Mazzanti and Alejandro Castaño in Bogotá, was used as a case study to test how an architectural floor plan can be translated into a graph, analysed through spatial intelligence, and classified room-by-room with a graph neural network. The … Read more
Petagonist is a LoRA exploration and interface project built from the desire to see our beloved pets in funny scenarios and travel-worthy environments. The project started with a simple wish: seeing our pets somewhere other than the couch. Our pets spend most of their lives asleep at home. But what if we could place them … Read more
Santiago, Chile, has an air problem. Not the kind you notice once and forget – the kind that sits in the valley basin like a guest who won’t leave, trapped between the Andes and the coastal range. The city regularly exceeds WHO thresholds for PM2.5, and for its 7 million residents, “going outside” is sometimes … Read more
BuildScape is a parametric building generator developed in Grasshopper, adapted from the “Shifted Floors” definition by Parametric House. The project restructures the original script into a modular system and deploys it through Hops, enabling real-time interaction via a web interface. The Grasshopper definition is organized into three computational stages: 1. Solid Generation (Base Geometry + … Read more
Shuai Zhang Have you ever felt that parametric architectural design is trapped behind a high barrier to entry? Traditionally, designers and clients must install heavy, complex software just to view or tweak a 3D model. For my final project in the Cloud-based Data Management module, I wanted to break down this barrier. The result is … Read more
Abstract NeuroSpace is a browser-based parametric design tool that reframes Building Information Modeling as Behavior Information Modeling — encoding predicted neurophysiological outcomes into architectural geometry. This post traces the full data pipeline: from seven UI sliders through a dual-path architecture (server-side Rhino.Compute for 3D geometry, client-side JavaScript for real-time NeuroScore calculation), through reactive state management … Read more
WeaveLamp Configurator WeaveLamp Configurator is a web-based application that brings a Grasshopper workflow into an accessible browser-based experience. The project explores how a craft-inspired lamp system can be translated into a clear digital tool for customization, spatial visualization, and fabrication-oriented output. Concept Origin The project started from a manual exploration of ring proportions, textile density, … Read more
Automated Workflow for KPI Extraction from Versioned Models in Speckle Why KPI Tracking Breaks Down During Iterative Design In the current studio workflow, KPI extraction and performance evaluation depend on repeated manual operations across design iterations. This slows down feedback, introduces version mismatch risks, and disconnects analytical outputs from the model itself. This tool was … Read more
Abstract This research investigates how Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be leveraged to generate structured and meaningful architectural environments for architectural visualization, video games, and animated films. It explores workflows between BIM tools and real-time game engines, focusing on the transfer and preservation of spatial logic and metadata. The study aims to demonstrate how BIM-based … Read more
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
1. Design Concept and computational Design System Obsolete typology Interpretation Deconstruction Understanding the current prisons as punitive institutions that fail to rehabilitate but imprison inmates without offering social inclusion solutions increases the risk of recidivism. Deconstructing Alcatraz proposes an alternative to this typological lack through its own reconstruction. In a VR environment the proposal consists … Read more
The Re-Iterating Maze helps inmates at Alcatraz develop meditative practices through rehabilitation, using their sentence to make a more peaceful existence possible. Our concept allows prisoners a mindful form of exercise, allowing them to use their time outdoors exploring multidimensional pathways. Mindful walking encourages the brain to focus on the activity of traversing a determined path. By … Read more
In a world driven by digital transformation, the realm of architecture and design faces new challenges in achieving flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. One of the most pressing issues is modular determination—how do we ensure that modular structures fit together seamlessly, across various design patterns? Design as Grammar addresses this by leveraging Graph Machine Learning (Graph … Read more
Challenge The available Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications in the AEC industry help create geometry and add meta-data. However, the files generated by this software are neither readable nor editable by any other application. Additionally, the metadata added to geometry lives as disconnected copies in several models. These issues lock AEC companies to particular software … Read more
Spanning across an expansive natural sanctuary in Pozzuoli, Italy, the site for our study was equally challenging and interesting. The valley-like topography was crowned by a lake in the middle. The programme of imagining a wildlife museum at this site prompted us to think outside the box, to incur minimum impact on the site while … Read more
