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.


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Bionook

This blog describes and showcases the second-term research and prototyping for Bionook. Research Topic: Investigating the Synergistic Potential Between Additive Manufacturing Methods and Engineered Timber in Reshaping Urban Design Paradigms. This research delves into precisely integrating sawdust and orange peels as industrial by-product additives for Soil Additive Manufacturing and locally sourced Engineered Timber, synergizing them … Read more

La Obertura – Water Management

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

Proximity Food: Metabolic Building Systems – Energy

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

Proximity Food: Metabolic Building Systems – Water

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

VeloVerd La Verneda: Urban Synthesis

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

VeloVerd la Verneda: Thermodynamic Fabrications

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. We present a visionary housing project that integrates thermodynamic principles to ensure the comfort and well-being of its residents while … Read more

Urban Alliance – Resilient Envelopes

The “Urban Alliance” is a mixed-use architectural design seamlessly integrating Industry 4.0 principles, featuring advanced photovoltaic production units. This visionary space harmoniously combines sustainable energy practices with residential and commercial areas, embodying a forward-thinking urban landscape that fosters eco-friendly living and innovative business practices. It exemplifies a holistic and tech-driven approach to urban planning. The project is … Read more

Ecological Intelligence: Technological Carbon Removal

As a complement to deep and rapid emission reductions, all pathways that limit global warming to 1.5°C also rely on carbon dioxide removal, including nature-based approaches and technological carbon removal methods. These approaches are needed to remove excess CO2 in the atmosphere to stay within the carbon budget available for limiting the temperature rise to … Read more

Tetris Town: Thermodynamic Fabrications Workshop

To properly kick off the development of the Urban Synthesis project, researching and prototyping during the Thermodynamic Fabrications workshop ended up being both very fascinating and educational. For better understating of the relationship between the project’s building site and the forces of nature, namely, wind direction and sun path, we created a prototype of a … Read more

Urban Alliance: Metabolic Building Systems – Water

The “Urban Alliance” is a mixed-use architectural design seamlessly integrating Industry 4.0 principles, featuring advanced photovoltaic production units. This visionary space harmoniously combines sustainable energy practices with residential and commercial areas, embodying a forward-thinking urban landscape that fosters eco-friendly living and innovative business practices. It exemplifies a holistic and tech-driven approach to urban planning. The … Read more

La Obertura | Metabolic Systems: Energy

As part of the Urban Synthesis project, the “Metabolic Systems: Energy” class delved into the study of renewable energies, specifically solar energy, to explore its potential implementation in the design of self-sufficient residential apartments. To achieve this goal, we utilized spreadsheets and data provided by the faculty, along with the Sunny Design website, to calculate … Read more

THE NEST | Urban Intervention

The design began with the process of understanding the culture, the climate and the people of Accra, Ghana. The design is based in a tropical climate where the temperatures and the humidity are high. This design was then set in a Metaversal city that was a culmination of 6 sites from different regions of the … Read more

Tabrizian Tapestry: Metabolic Systems Water

Rated under the World Water Pressure Map, Iran has an extremely high risk level of water stress assessment and the ratio of withdrawls to supply in a 2040 forecast. For our building Tabrizian Tapestry, we have created the following study and water management assessment through the following strategies: 1. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS: Through subsurface flow constructed … Read more

DELIRIOUS NEW YORK: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan by Rem Koolhaas | Ecological Thinking II

This blog is a review of the book “Delirious New York” written by Rem Koolhaas. “The future is no longer about power, but about bandwidth.” Rem Koolhas Rem Koolhaas wrote a novel titled “Delirious New York” that outlines the evolution and background of Manhattan’s design and urbanism. Koolhaas wrote this book because he desired to … Read more

WOOD URBANISM- FROM MOLECULAR TO TERRITORIAL

This blog is a review of the book “Wood urbanism” by Daniel Ibanez, Jane Hutton & Kiel Moe. Wood urbanism addresses different scale and connection associated with timber building- From molecular to Territorial, divided in six chapters.  The transcalar perspective of wood construction from understanding the strength of individual species according to its place in … Read more

THE NATURAL WAY OF FARMING: The Theory & Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka | Ecological Thinking

This blog is a review of the book, The Natural Way of Farming: The theory & practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka. The Book is a deep description on different ideologies and process developed by the author through practice and application. “When the human spirit and human life blend with the natural order and … Read more

BIOMIMICRY: INNOVATIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE

This blog is a review of Janine Benyus’s book, Biomimicry: Innovations inspired by Nature. Click here to check out the interactive blog version. – “Claiming that we are superior to the rest of the creation is like saying the Eiffel Tower was built so that the scrap of paint at the top would have somewhere … Read more

SCALE by Geoffrey West | Ecological Thinking

Exploring the Fundamentals of Scaling Laws with Geoffrey West’s Scale Geoffrey West’s book, Scale, explores the fundamental principles that govern complex systems in the naturalworld, including organisms, ecosystems, cities, and companies. The book argues that these systems exhibit predictable patterns of behaviour as they grow and scale, which can be explained by a few simple … Read more

THE NEST | Ecosystemic Structures

The Nest is a project designed for the city of Accra, Ghana. The Site is located in close proximity to the lagoon and the sea. The design caters to public interventions like open markets, observatories, and residential units for the fishermen’s community. The goal with the design is to highlight the traditional techniques and materials used … Read more