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.
TULIP WINDOWS Taking inspiration from: Little Island by Heatherwick Studios, New York (2021) we replicated the landscape pillars onto a building facade by rotating them to the XZ plane. The extruding pillars are window opening that vary in size depending on solar raditation needed per area in the building. The objective is to recreate the … Read more
For our Advanced Digital Tools term one final project, we were tasked with designing a building facade based on inspiration from pavilion architecture or existing facades, using Grasshopper. Pavilion Inspiration – The Toledo Gridshell The inspiration for our facade is the Toledo Gridshell constructed in a courtyard in the Naples School of Architecture. When researching … Read more
This project is in reference to the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion by Marina Tabassum “Inspired by summer park-going and arched garden canopies that filter soft daylight through green foliage, the structure is comprised of four wooden sculptural forms with a translucent façade that diffuses and dapples light when it enters the space. Integral to Tabassum’s design … Read more
Reference Geometry: Los Manantiales – by Felix Candela Decoding the Hypar Logic Félix Candela used hyperbolic paraboloids (hypars) made from straight lines.The restaurant roof is composed of 4 identical shells.The geometry is based on a square, diagonal supports, and straight-line grids. Hyperbolic Paraboloid Drawing by Candela Deriving the shape from Hypar Mirroring the derived element … Read more
When one mentions an origami, images come to mind easily – that of animal-shaped paper, the kind that fits inside your palm. However, the geometrical aspects and advantages of folding structures have been explored on a larger scale for some time now, with impressively practical results. In architecture, an apparently complex yet harmonious facade … Read more
The Nidra Chair was developed within the framework of Workshop 1.1, where we explored robotic milling using the KUKA robotic arm. The design process was guided by a set of conceptual ideas—texture, nest, wings, and storage—which shaped the formal and tactile language of the piece. Inspired by notions of protection, warmth, and well-being, Nidra seeks … Read more
Lessons from Workshop 1.1 – Robotic milling and design for subtractive manufacturing This workshop focused on advanced subtractive manufacturing techniques, exploring the integration of 2-axis CNC milling and 6-axis robotic milling within a hybrid digital fabrication workflow. The process emphasized computational design-to-production strategies, including toolpath generation, material optimization, and robotic calibration. Through sequential stages of … Read more
