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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Defining Biocities (Stefano Boeri)

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

Defining Biocities

The ‘Defining biocities’ class revolves around studying different concepts of design for a ‘Bio-city’ at various scales and in a multi-disciplinary approach. The following words are identified by the author because there is potential in these words to be associated with designing Biocities. Food-sensitive planning and Urban design This is most likely one of the … Read more

Drivers of Construction and Deconstruction in Barcelona

2023: Barcelona is navigating a dynamic landscape of construction and deconstruction, thus enhancing its appeal as a global tourist destination, provide quality educational opportunities, and create diverse job prospects. The city’s commitment to sustainability and the careful management of its growth underscore its dedication to fostering a harmonious relationship between development and heritage preservation. 2030: … Read more

MO.CA | media production

The main aim is to provide an insight as to what the students were experiencing and actively trying to achieve through every step of the process. This goal is to focus on practical visual storytelling strategies and skills through the work of the MAEBB Students. CLT PANELS MAKING OFThe media production team began with an … Read more

MO.CA | final thesis design

The brief for the MAEBB batch of 2022-23 was to design and construct an advanced ecological prototype mobile home. The home was to be designed for two individuals and basic domestic amenities of a tiny home. The mobility element of the brief started an interesting journey that brought forth discussions on nomadism and collective sustenance. … Read more

MO.CA | material production

This years Material Production started after the final design for the prototype was chosen and ran parallel to the further development of the design. The main goals were: – to monitor the amount, humidity and density of the locally sourced aleppo pine wood – to simulate production flows in the workshop (tools and time needed, … Read more

MO.CA | final thesis construction

MO.CA construction sequence Thinking about the sequence of events was vital to a successful construction. With this cascading of events we were able to balance completing design details with progressing towards completion. Proper time management and scheduling was important to maintain momentum. The sequence informed our work in all stages: processing, assembly, and installation. Final … Read more

C O R K O O N

‘Corkoon’ is a design proposal by a group of six students from MAEBB 2022-23 for the final thesis design of a Mobile home. The project aims to cater to the materiality aspects of a mobile home which we try to achieve by bio-mimicking the principles of a caterpillar in its chrysalis where it goes on … Read more

Architecture Without Architects

The book, ‘Architecture without architects’, illustrates the vernacular architecture from different parts of the world and strives to acknowledge the ‘not so primitive’ techniques from various areas. Architecture history is not given as much acknowledgement as art history and the book is an attempt in the 1960s America to show the potential and the scope … Read more

AL HABIBITAT | Urban intervention

Aswan, Egypt being a desert city shows diurnal aspects of climate on a daily basis. The same also affects the day to day activity pattern of the community that adapts to the climate at any given time. This analysis indicates at a close relation between climate, people & their clothing & eventually it traces ahead … Read more

MEDITERRANEAN | Urban Intervention

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