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.
Micro-Essay by Isabel Flores “a new conceptual lexicon must be created for identifying the wide variety of urbanization processes that are currently reshaping the urban world and, relatedly, for deciphering the new emergent landscapes of socio-spatial difference that have been crystallizing in recent decades.” (Neil Brenner & Christian Schmid, p. 02) Planetary Urbanization” (2013) explores … Read more
Could bio-based materials be the key to transforming the building sector and reducing its impact on climate change? The articles described present a compelling set of arguments on timber industry, sustainable forestrynonconventional materials and innovative technologies. TIMBER Timber is highlighted as the biggest widespread potential of low-carbon alternative to steel and concreteespecially referred to in … Read more
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
MICRO-ESSAY On Gerry Canavan, If Those Goes On Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction’, 2014 & Benjamin Bratton, ‘Planetary Sapience Technology & The Human’, 2021 Both Bratton’s “Planetary Sapience” and Canavan’s “If This Goes On” touch upon the concept of intentional terraforming, albeit in significantly different contexts. Bratton frames it as a necessary outcome of … Read more
Micro-Essay by Georgia Hoyer “When we contemplate ruins, Christopher Woodward writes, we contemplate our own future.”(Canavan, p. 11) Benjamin Bratton’s “Planetary Sapience” and Gerry Canavan’s “If This Goes On” intersect in their exploration of humanity’s precarious relationship with the planet, emphasizing the power of imagination and speculative thinking to confront ecological and technological crises. Both … Read more
MAEBB01 / M02 ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE / MICRO-ESSAY On Benjamin Bratton,‘Planetary Sapience’, NOEMA (2021), pp. 1-10. On Gerry Canavan,‘Introduction: If This Goes On’, Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction (2014),pp. 1-19. “In stark contrast to the untold riches and total freedom they are imagined to provide, distant space colonies — whether on inhospitable moons or orbiting … Read more
MAEBB01 / M02 ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE / MICRO-ESSAY On McKenzie Wark,‘Adventures in Third Nature’,pp. 179 – 182. The idea of second nature1comes from the layer of physical transformations that humans have built all around our environments: houses, cities, and even RVs. Second nature operates through tangible items and mechanisms that directly affect the physical environment. It … Read more
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
MICRO-ESSAY BY REUBEN DIAMOND “ A new conceptual lexicon must be created for identifying the wide variety of urbanisation processes that are currently reshaping the urban world” (“Planetary Urbanization,” Brenner, N., & Schmid, C., p. 13) BOUNDARIES DISSOLVED As planetary urbanization reconfigures social, economic, and spatial relations, the traditional frameworks of urban studies encounter profound … Read more
During a week, 10 students from MAEBB, MAA, MaCT and MDEF got together as part of the Ecological Interactions class, that took part at the village at Benifallet, placed by the Ebro River. During this period, the students got in touch with the faculty’s land in order to come up with analysis, thoughts and solutions … Read more
In the article ‘Coral Reefs of the Land’ Madhusudan Katti suggests we reimagine our cities as coral reefs. Coral reefs correlate with tropical rainforests concerning their biological productivity. These dynamic marine metropolises accommodate diverse species. Conversely, our cities offer limited spaces for species to build habitats. Could cities embrace coexistence and invite more species to … Read more
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
// naal : [sanskrit] Umbilical Cord: a connecting element between humans and surroundings and going back to the roots in order to learn from the traditional architecture and adapting the architectural practice back to it. || “Humans : a component of the ecosystem?” || For thousands of years, man seeked shelter under trees or in … Read more
RESEARCH QUESTIONHow can the inherency of materials found in a specific region facilitate the construction of a building element designed and made uniquely for the climate it is being used in and subsequently reduce carbon emissions? Introduction “Everything we design is a response to the specific climate and the culture of a particular place.” -Norman … Read more
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
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
Research Topic:How can a system of modular units embedded with the ability to connect through a combination of joineries achieve a wide range of reciprocal forms, flexibility in design, and a simplified construction process? Keywords: design flexibility, reciprocal structures, interlocking joineries, efficient construction, modularity.The tectonics of parametric architecture using timber primarily stem from two processes: … Read more
Starting with my master’s thesis, my primary objective was to delve into the realm of sustainable materials. Throughout my first year, I immersed myself in the study of timber assemblies, intrigued by their potential contribution to environmentally conscious construction practices. Researching concepts such as the circular economy and cradle-to-grave analysis, I gained a deeper appreciation … Read more
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
Barcelona is actively seeking to develop a more sustainable food system for its residents. The aim is to green its municipal food markets by reducing the distances from which the food is sourced. This initiative has been labeled by the city of Barcelona as “Proximity Food”. We co-opt this title to emphasize our project’s importance … Read more
Sant Adrià de Besòs is a municipality conurbated to Barcelona. For the past decades, the city has faced a transformation in its spatial organization and uses. The high demand for housing along with an industry that already has no space in urban centers created a challenge, which is the key of the project. In order … Read more
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
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 understood the different parts of the building, focusing on how their structures work and are interconnected. … Read more
