Insightful Sensing

AIM \\ To create custom designed, 3D printed interior surface cladding, constructed of individual components with high quality surface finish and tolerance. CONTEXT \\ Last term we designed a dual end effector that would have an extruder and a wire cutter within the same tool, allowing us to post process the 3D printed pieces to … Read more

Adaptive AM in Robotics

Context Additive manufacturing is growing exponentially in many industries at many levels, pushing towards new upgrades as a competitive alternative by reducing its logistic and production costs and increasing its flexibility and adaptability to the market’s demand. However, there is still an important challenge that it is facing: a gap on matching references between physical … Read more

DUST UP! (Term02)

(Continuation from the first term. To view the Term01 click here : https://blog.iaac.net/dust-up-design-behavior-thesis-cluster-term-01/) Material Research – Strategies To solve the issues from the Term01, approaches from different scales were implemented. From material scale, adding marble dust can give more stability to the mixture and help it move less during printing. Exploring different curve connections such … Read more

Limitless Project

The construction industry creates a waste that is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025 (Transparency market research). Because of this  the market started trying different new techniques to construct with less waste, that is how with the 4.0 industrial revolution came the Additive manufacturing process, that fabricates physical 3D objects layer by … Read more

BIOMIMICRY in ARCHITECTURE by Michael Pawlyn | Ecological Thinking II

This blog is a review of Michael Pawlyn’s book, Biomimicry in Architecture. “Biomimicry is a powerful innovation tool that allows architects to go beyond conventional approaches to sustainable design and deliver transformative solutions we need.”-Michael Pawlyn The book “Biomimicry in Architecture” by Michael Pawlyn introduces the term biomimicry and how it can impact architecture. The … Read more

Forces Of Nature

The Prismatic Pavilion Site Context ?The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is located in the city of Barcelona, Spain. ?The institute is situated in the Poblenou neighborhood, which is known for its innovation and technology industries. ?The institute is easily accessible by public transportation, with several bus and metro lines running nearby.  ?The campus is also located close … Read more

Reviving the Derelict

Concept The project aims to translate movement/motion of people from the streets into kinetic/ light and sound installation on the building’s facade using metal pipes/ wind chimes. The main input into the project would be from ultrasonic sensors placed on the exterior wall in between the building’s boundary and the public. The input from these … Read more

IAAC’s 3D Printed Student Housing

How can we print a multistory student housing facility using earth and what techniques should we use to cover the fifth facade? As 3dpa students studying in Barcelona, we found it quite difficult to find short-term housing in Poblenou with the amenities we required. Here is where we began, with the goal of providing accommodation for all short-term IAAC … Read more

The Bóveda: 3d Printed Earthen Housing

As the world progresses towards sustainable development, the use of 3D printing technology in construction is gaining momentum. One such application is the use of 3D printing to construct earthen buildings, which has several advantages over traditional construction methods. Earthen buildings have been used for thousands of years and are known for their durability, low … Read more

Motion Rhythm

Concept Motion Rhythm is an immersive installation that creates kinetic and sound patterns through the movement of people. It intends to capture the motion of walking and represent it at eye level, creating a connection between the body and its surrounding environment. It consists of a kinetic ceiling made of transparent bars with metal balls … Read more

Large Scale 3D-Printing Experience with WASP Crane: Log Entries from Construction Site

The use of large-scale 3D printing in construction has been on the rise in recent years, with many architects and builders experimenting with different techniques and technologies. One such project is the final project for the 3DPA postgraduate program at the IAAC Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, which utilized the WASP Crane for printing … Read more

Milà Earth

Multiple-story 3d printed earth housing in Barcelona Introduction Milà Earth envisions an earth high-rise building located in Milà i Fontanals street on Vila de Gracia, a high-density neighborhood in Barcelona. An architectural proposal for student housing that aims for vertical densification of the central city. Focusing on using local materials and innovative cutting-edge building technologies, … Read more

Trinitat Mosalas

The proposed student housing is a result of a system, designed with bottom to top approach, where a module design is considered with variable parameters to proliferate into a building proposal which establishes the relationship between structural and spatial organizations. The site falls within the close proximity of some institutions and more importantly close to … Read more

PATI de la VILA: 3d Printed Earthen Housing

Nader Akoum IAAC 3d Printing Earthen Architecture Housing

At a time when additive manufacturing using earth becomes commercial and available for large scale services, earthen housing becomes more possible without the heavy maintenance required for challenges like spanning, drying, heightening, printing, and durability. A student earthen housing project in Barcelona could vary in many capacities depending on its context of deployment, and in … Read more

Agua Mobility

Employing a passive design strategy for construction can be a viable way to address this issue since buildings use the majority of the energy consumed in a city for heating and cooling space. The goal of the study is to create a passive heating and cooling system in a controlled environment by experimenting with the … Read more

Fibra Terra

Posidonia Oceanica In the Mediterranean, most plant debris is made up of the species Posidonia Oceanica (L.) Delile, asuperior plant that is endemic to this sea. It forms extensive meadows from the shallowest areas of the coast to variable depths, depending on how deep light can penetrate the water to enable photosynthesis to take place. … Read more

CORTEZA

Noise Pollution What is noise pollution? And what are the effects of noise pollution?  Noise pollution is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms. And World Health Organization considers decibels over 65 dB noise pollution. Noise pollution is affecting everyone. For some people, … Read more

Light of Concrete

Framework Properties of Concrete There needs to be a reduction in the amount of cement usage. But in order to make it sustainable there needs to be a change in the processes currently used, aiming the reduction of the CO2 emissions produced  by the industry. With 3D printing and the help of computational tools, highly … Read more

1:1 Arched Vault Competition Proposal

Nader Akoum 3d Printing Architecture Clay

The competition proposal of a 1:1 3d printed arched clay vault should be characterized by feasibility in construction. To achieve feasibility, the design of the vault uses bended sheets of wood to carry arches, dwells on strong connections in the infills, and complies by site printing restrictions [4,500 meters of print length alongside a maximum … Read more

Earth 3D Printed Pavilion: Optimized Arches for Self-support and The Fifth Facade

Designing for the 3D printing of a self-supporting Pavilion Background For the Competition phase, the brief asked for a design of geometries that addressed the 5th facade in the attempt to cover or go over and above the average human height. Our proposal attempts to have this brief satisfied without the use of additional/external support … Read more

The Fifth Facade Pavilion – Embedded Structural Support and Scaffolding system

Two varying height 3D-printed arches and a polycarbonate roof with embedded timber supports.

Designing a small earth 3D printed structure with two or more support points that spans over a person and fits within one crane printing radius. The competition phase’s objective is to create a small, 3D-printed earth structure that can span a person, fits within a crane’s printing radius of 4 meters, and doesn’t require an … Read more