The Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities (MAEBB) postgraduate program is an 11-month immersive academic program focused on learning how to design and build a new generation of buildings and cities to respond to the planet’s emerging climate challenges. The program is carried out in Valldaura Labs, in Barcelona, a 135 He property located in the Collserola forest. Here, students will live and work surrounded by nature while using the most advanced technologies and design techniques in the pursuit of what is also IAAC’s long term initiative, to create self-sufficient and ecological environments.
Revolutionizing Architecture with 3D Sand PrintingA Case Study Analysis by Reuben Diamond In recent years, the intersection of computational design and 3D printing has pushed the boundaries of what architecture can achieve. The article “Printing Architecture: Castles Made of Sand” by Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer explores how 3D sand printing—a cutting-edge additive manufacturing technology—can … Read more
Ensuring food security is a major challenge for cities worldwide. The vision of Bio-cities includes that of food self-sufficiency, tackling the environmental impact of current agriculture systems which contribute to environmental concern through food miles, land and habitat loss, soil erosion,and reliance on fossil-fuel derived fertilisers. The Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) has 636km3 of … Read more
This terms collaborative studio project briefed the students at Valldaura to prepare material for the upcoming exhibition, Macquina Climatica, which presents a catalog of proposals for urban agriculture within the metropolitan area of Barcelona. One such proposal uses a scale model to demonstrate what rooftop urban agriculture in the city might look like, how it … Read more
During the first term of my stay at Valldaura Labs I was primarily doing the video documentation of the Design Studio Project and had the chance to experiment with all sorts of tools and machines capable of realizing my personal ethereal ideas into actual objects. The 3D printer was my favorite machine to experiment with … Read more
The design & fabrication course focused on inculcating hands-on experience in utilizing advanced machines such as CNC routers, 3D printers, and traditional carpentry tools. In this class, we were taught how to use various technologies to fabricate our designs into the final product. For this program, we started with prototyping the structure of our Table. … Read more
Abstract In response to urgent carbon mitigation challenges and biodiversity loss, a paradigm shift toward manufacturing symbiosis and circular bio-economy is crucial for ecologically sensitive design in urban ecosystems. This study explores the transformative potential of a 3D-printed urban Bionook, incorporating layers of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) with a natural-locally sourced soil admixture, to enhance strength, … Read more
