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.
Understanding Abu Dhabi’s Climate and Its Impact on Design Abu Dhabi, classified as a subtropical desert under the Köppen-Geiger system, enjoys sunny blue skies year-round. However, its climate presents significant challenges due to extreme seasonal variations in temperature, humidity, and solar radiation. Key Climate Features Wind Patterns The prevailing winds are from the northwest, with … Read more
When it comes to designing sustainable urban spaces, understanding the local climate and environmental factors is crucial. This analysis on environmental conditions for Porto focuses on climate, thermal comfort, solar radiation, wind analysis, and urban heat mitigation. Here are the key takeaways from this comprehensive research. Climate Analysis: Understanding Porto’s Unique Conditions Porto’s climate is … Read more
INSPIRATION The project is born from the idea of rehabilitation, an inverse concept from Dante’s inferno, where the downward spiraling levels of damnation turn into and ascending stair of redemption. The process of re-insertion into society is understood as a Hero’s Journey towards the top, where the Garden of Eden awaits. Instead of being convicted … Read more
LOCATION General Characteristics of this climate Stockholm’s climate falls under the humid continental climate (Dfb) category according to the Köppen-Geiger classification. This means it experiences cold, snowy winters and mild to warm summers. Precipitation is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, though summers tend to have more rainfall. Winter temperatures in Stockholm can drop below freezing, while … Read more
Part 1: Climate Analysis Madrid falls into two koppen climate classification zones: a cold semi-arid climate (classification BSk) in the metropolitan area, and a mediterranean, dry-summer climate in the west half of the city (classification Csa). The main characteristics of this climate are hot, dry summers and cold, humid winters. There are also large temperate … 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 Architecture of Second Chances Transforming Punishment into Progress Through Computational Design In the evolving discourse of criminal justice reform, the intersection of architecture, technology, and rehabilitation presents unprecedented opportunities to reimagine how we approach incarceration. Our project, “Landscape of Consequence,” proposes a radical reconceptualization of Alcatraz Island, transforming this symbol of isolation into a … Read more
What if punishment and rehabilitation could coexist in a fully immersive virtual environment? Can justice be achieved in the virtual realm? A Transformative Journey in Emotional Rehabilitation Avissos, named after the Greek word for the deepest part of the sea, reimagines emotional rehabilitation as a unique, multi-stage journey. This concept challenges individuals to confront empathy, … Read more
Open-campus behavior correction space that defies the laws of physics while transforming the reality around an inmate based on how they act, giving them an incentive to act in good behaviors to reform. Historically, prisons have been a place for punishment that architecturally have relied on central surveillance configurations and plan configurations which favor central … Read more
This is Memory Loop, a computational design project that reimagines the rehabilitation experience for prisoners on Alcatraz Island. Here, architecture becomes more than confinement. It becomes an adaptive, generative space for introspection and reflection. A system that emerges, evolves, and dissolves in response to its purpose. The concept is simple but powerful. Instead of static … Read more
The Context The prisoner’s journey is an emotional and psychological transformation. The spaces inhabited during this process are designed to mirror the evolving state of mind, fostering introspection and awareness.Architecture becomes a tools to reflect the prisoner’s internal experiences, guiding them through stages of self-realization: as the prisoners confront these emotions within the space, they … Read more
Brief Create a concept for a virtual reality (VR) prison where inmates serve sentences within a modified VR simulation of Alcatraz Island, located in California. Your design reimagines the island prison typology, a longstanding method of separating prisoners into a distinct, isolated space. Although traditional prisons emphasized isolation from society, modern incarceration aims to foster … Read more
The project While in prison, inmates often lose their sense of time and the natural rotation of the seasons. Their lives tend to become a continuous loop with little variation and few opportunities to start anew by learning new skills or pursuing higher education. Additionally, the social environment in these spaces is frequently governed by … Read more
Project Brief The Utopian submerged citySome submerged cities are envisioned as utopian societies, thriving under the sea with advanced technology and new ways of living, creating an ideal or harmonious civilization far removed from the troubles of the land-based world.In contrast, others are depicted as dystopian settings, where the survivors of a collapsed society are … 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
* whatisheterotopia? /ˌhɛtəroʊˈtoʊpiə/ noun “The cemetery, as a space of the living and the dead, is a classic example of a heterotopia.” 2.Architecture: A site or design that challenges traditional notions of spatial organization, inviting multiple interpretations and experiences. “The urban park became a heterotopia, a sanctuary from the city’s chaos yet deeply rooted within … Read more
