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.
In our seminar with Michael Salka and Mariano Gomez Luque, we explored the meaning of ecology and the multifaceted challenges of sustainability, materiality and humanity’s relationship with the planet. Over eight weeks, we delved into two distinct but deeply connected approaches to build with ecological thinking and addressing climate change as well as envisioning a … Read more
AGENDA The objective of this course was to design elements for the upcoming exhibition Macquina Climatica, in Parque de la Ciutadella, renovated to serve as an exhibition space; this historic precursor to the emerging paradigm of urban agriculture is currently under construction. For this course, our group was assigned to design a table 4.5m long … Read more
Our collaborative design project kicked off for Máquina Climática Exhibition based on farming and harvesting local varieties of fruits and vegetables which will be held at the greenhouse in Parque de la Ciutadella, Catalonia. The exhibition focused on urban food production, requiring tables and chairs for hosting various activities like workshops and dining. Our goal was … Read more
“Notched In” is the final project developed as part of the Collaborative Design Studio course, which aimed to produce a shelving system to be used as a vertical farm at the Máquina Climática exhibition that will take place at the Invernadero from Parque de la Ciutadella (Barcelona/Catalonia). Shelving System For Vertical Farming No glues, No … 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
In the first term, while working on the Collaborative Studio Design project, I took up the task of documenting and compiling into a 3-minute-ish video all of the goings on in all of the groups working on the project: the Shelves Team, the Chairs Team, the Armchairs Team, the Traceability Team, the Visualization Team, the … Read more
THE PROCESS OF PROTOTYPING planning Fabricating chairs for the Collaborative Design Studio project 2023-24 was a journey consisting of diverse ideas, input, and glitches that led to multiple learning outcomes. We spent the first few weeks designing digital models to narrow down to a design language, that guided us throughout the process. We then explored … 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
The umbraculo bench is designed to be placed in the Umbraculo, Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona. It is designed as an organic shaped bench focusing on materiality, ergonomics as well to be a state of art element. It is designed and constructed using CLT panels made using pine wood lamellas. The Umbraculo The Umbraculo translates … 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
Tree search. Pinus halepensis |Sustainable Forest management Sustainable forest management classes took place at Valldaura labs located in Barcelona’s Collserola Park. Trough different guest lectures, we where introduced to the parks history and biodiversity, focusing on the conservation of the forest and its diverse species. Cutting down some Pinus halepensis commonly known as Aleppo pine, … Read more
The worked developed for Design and Fabrication course focused on the construction and exploration of prototypes for the Shelves project, part of the Collaborative Design Studio discipline. Two different approaches The design process commenced with various ideas and structural concepts, eventually narrowing down to two options: double columns and double beams. To investigate strength, assembly … 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
In the process of creating this blog post dedicated to defining a Biocity, I played a crucial role in conducting comprehensive research and contributing to the compilation of a specialized dictionary. As part of a collaborative effort involving students from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and under the guidance of mentors Honorata … Read more
This project was designed embarking on a vision to create a city that embodies sustainability, organic density, decentralization, multipolarity, complexity, transversality, liveliness, resilience, inclusivity, diversity, mixed-use, beauty, biodiversity, cohesion, safety, health, accessibility, and support for an active life and a city of care – all with people at the centre rather than technology or economics. … Read more
ITERATION 1 Large Span Truss Structure Main Structural Components Primary Trusses Catlogue Forces Diagram Lateral Forces Diagram Gravity Truss Junction Details Physical Model understanding the structure Load Testing After a thorough analysis of the structural loading and its behavior, we have developed a more efficient and lightweight approach to address the cantilever and overall structure. … Read more
-The future of the earth, its eco-systems, and our own civilization will be decided in and by our citIes– Learn more about Barcelona Protocol here “Only if we ensure that the material, means, and methods with which we build and manage our cities are primarily drawn from regionally available and sustainably managed biological resources can … Read more
Our Sustainable Forest Management course kicked off in December with an open air lecture from Dr. Arbol. This explorative walk through the Valldaura forest helped us to better observe and understand how the ecosystem forest functions. We also learned how to identify the existing tree species and their way of growing in the context of … Read more
The Furnish Kids program aims to improve public space through design interventions of tactical architecture. The design for this term has been developed to utilize natural materials such as Pine logs unused for previous Valldaura Labs projects and offcuts from wooden plan production. The materials have been cataloged, measured, and scanned for improved digital modeling. … Read more
The project ‘[Wood]le’ – a ‘Wooden Noodle’ explores the idea of steam-bending tree logs to create a self stable structure. The Woodle assumes the function of a seating area as it rests on the ground at one end and folds up to become an element that frames the valley of Font Del Gos on the … Read more
The project ‘[Wood]le’ – a ‘Wooden Noodle’ explores the idea of steam-bending tree logs to create a self stable structure. The [Wood]le assumes the function of a seating area as it rests on the ground at one end and folds up to become an element that frames the valley of Font Del Gos on the … Read more
