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.
Energy Consumption Rate The course started with calculating energy and power consumption per function per unit area for out projects. Following this requirement, we made proposals on Sunny Design to help design rooftop solar panels based on this energy requirement. Finally, cost comparisons were made to analyze the proposal with respect to reality Climate Analysis … Read more
To solidify both the thermodynamics principles and the overall image of the Urban Synthesis project we took part in yet another workshop: Resilient Envelopes. Experimenting with new and controversial ecological materials by making 3D and physical models alike helped us develop uniform façade guidelines that continue the idea of pixelation. To better understand the impact … Read more
At the project media class, we were introduced to the various ways of presenting any project by means of different types of storytelling. We were shown that videomaking alone offers countless pathways to telling one’s story. To name just a few, this may be done by documenting the whole design process by videoing it, by … Read more
The idea of synthesizing a timber furniture manufacturing facility with a residential property to create a dynamic relationship between the building’s dwellers, factory workers and the city of Barcelona as a whole is at the core of this project. To better navigate the challenges of creating a sustainability-driven structure in Barcelona’s Verneda district, we took … Read more
This blog summarizes section 2 (Power) of the book State of Climate Action 2023 with an illustration. The graphic illustrates the energy transitions required to achieve the immense task of preventing global warming beyond the 1.5-degree mark as called for in the Paris Agreement. We have represented the imaginary city of 2050, having reached the … Read more
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
Striving to expand our understanding of sustainable use of energy, we participated in the Metabolic Building Systems: Water workshop. We learned about the core concepts of how to handle water consumption management and how to repurpose waste water. One of the ideas that we applied to our Urban Synthesis project is the reuse of grey … Read more
Continuing from the Thermodynamic Fabrications workshop we move on to the Ecosystemic Structures to further improve our Urban Synthesis project and refine the form of our building, according to the building materials of our choosing and the methods of construction we’d want to employ. This structural design further empowers the idea of dynamic adaptability and … Read more
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
About. The Ecological Intelligence course focuses on teaching students about various aspects of designing the built environment in response to global climate change and the imperative to promote carbon neutrality, resource security, biodiversity, and ecological resilience, while also prioritizing human health and well-being. The Masters in Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities aims to cultivate a … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
