During the first six months in the program, students are comprehensively trained in the principles of design and construction of advanced ecological buildings through a series of focused and intense modules, which include material production, thermal and metabolic building systems, ecological structures and façade systems and much more. After developing the necessary skills and a holistic understanding of advanced and ecological design, students collectively draft and build a full scale ecological building prototype.
N.E.S.T.: A Network for Ecological and Sustainable Timber Research We were tasked with designing a Timber Research Center (+Residential units for researchers and visiting academics, designed for comfort and collaboration +shared amenities to foster a sense of community) A research and innovation facility dedicated to developing advanced timber products and technologies, with high-tech laboratories, testing … Read more
Our CLT Factory embodies a boutique ethos: modest in scale yet purposeful in intent. Serving as a research and innovation hub for new CLT products, it represents a vision for sustainable work-life integration and thoughtful wood construction, with a commitment to sustainable design practices. In contrast to sprawling industrial complexes, this boutique factory seamlessly integrates … Read more
N.E.S.T. A Network for Ecological and Sustainable Timber Research Introduction The N.E.S.T. Research Center is a project within the MAEBB program, designed as the final step in the timber transformation chain. It is not merely a research hub but a living ecosystem of innovation, where the possibilities of timber construction are explored, tested, and refined. Situated in Sant Adrià del … Read more
As the fourth segment in a chain of production of CLT and Timber materials, our goal was to design a building responsible for the pre-fabrication and assembling of those materials. Location Map Concept Manifesto This project is an auto-replicating, self-sufficient, and carbon sequestering building; a prototype for the buildings of the future. It embodies a … Read more
Our project, titled ‘Tree Line’ is a timber saw mill, combining community with industry in the city of Solsona, Spain. The aim of this project is to bridge the gap of knowledge in the public about the milling industry, and bring people closer to the wood that is so often used. It sits within the … Read more
Objective – Initially understand local climatic patterns and develop climatically-adapted design strategies.-First design step: develop interior spatial and material strategies adapted to body demands.-Second design step: learn how program can be used from a thermodynamic perspective to generate heat sources and sinks.-Thirdly, develop external massing morphological and material strategies to interact with local sun wind … Read more
The primary objective of the water management strategy employed in this project is to reduce the water usage of both the building occupants (including residents and industrial users) to a minimum level. One straightforward method for reducing water consumption involves implementing the following measures. By setting a baseline for the overall water consumption in residential … Read more
In the face of the climate crisis, the role of energy systems in building design has come under increasingly scrutiny. Buildings are not only significant energy consumers but also major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. As we grapple with rising global temperatures and rising urbanization, the focus on creating energy efficient buildings which rely on clean, … Read more
Plot 2 – Proximity Food combines food production & residencies. Greenhouses split residential buildings, providing residents with access to growing spaces to be used for food self-sufficiency throughout the year. The industrial level includes a variety of food industries – including hydroponic farming, food R&D labs and urban food forests. Water is a crucial part of … Read more
Sant Adrià de Besòs is a municipality conurbated to Barcelona. For the past decades, the city has faced a transformation in its spatial organization and uses. The high demand for housing along with an industry that already has no space in urban centers created a challenge, which is the key of the project. In order … Read more
Incorporating the principles of Industry 4.0, our architectural project redefines urban living by seamlessly integrating sustainable design strategies with advanced manufacturing techniques. With a focus on promoting bicycle culture and health, our industry manufactures bikes. In this module, we synthesised the previous modules into a holistic design. The design principles from thermodynamics, exosystemic structures, metabolic … Read more
Incorporating the principles of Industry 4.0, our architectural project redefines urban living by seamlessly integrating sustainable design strategies with advanced manufacturing techniques. With a focus on promoting bicycle culture and health, our industry manufactures bikes. In this module, we understood the different parts of the building, focusing on how their structures work and are interconnected. … Read more
As part of the media project class, we received tools for presenting architectural projects in a more interesting and convincing manner. We experimented with two types of media: a documentary-style video based on interviews and rendering using Lumion. We practiced these tools on our semester project, Echo House, which focuses on the combination of housing … Read more
Two ways of sustainable energy harvesting will be implemented in the building, primary method is using PV panels, second, more experimental, transforming sound vibrations into energy via piezoelectric barriers. Two types of solar panels will be implemented in the building, first (on the left) as means of primary energy source, second (on the right) as … Read more
The envelope of the building serves as a multifaceted entity, acting as a secondary skin that embodies both functionality and aesthetics. At ground level, it harnesses the ambient sound of the street, converting it into energy, while higher up, a dynamic string facade adorned with greenery serves as both a sound absorber and a solar … Read more
Climate of Barcelona A long-term climatological analysis was conducted using historical weather data to identify and compare trends in rainfall and temperature over a period of more than two centuries. This type of study is valuable for understanding the local effects of climate change, observing weather pattern consistency or changes, and aiding in the development … Read more
