Building Analisis Tool : Designing for the Visually Impaired – Enhancing Accessibility in Healthcare Architecture

Abstract In response to the increasing global population of visually impaired individuals, projected to reach 18.5% by 2050, our project focuses on enhancing the accessibility of architectural spaces, particularly in primary healthcare centers. We have developed the Building Analysis Tool (BAT), an solution designed to assist architects in creating environments that cater to the needs … Read more

TERRANOVA: Organic Waste to Ecological Wealth

Located in the quiet community of Sant Adria De Besos lies the Besos Power Station. This waste to energy power plant is responsible for providing power to over 10 municipalities of Spain and takes care of nearly half of the waste that comes into Barcelona. While this factory proves to be highly effective, several negative … Read more

Green Liminals: Feasibility Study for AI-Driven Budget Optimization for Urban Sustainable Solutions

Abstract The project explores innovative ways to address Barcelona’s sustainability challenges, such as carbon emissions, air pollution, and energy inefficiency. By leveraging AI, IoT sensors, and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), the project aims to optimize municipal budgets for interventions that transform underutilized urban spaces into productive assets. The study highlights solutions like urban farming, greenery, and … Read more

El nacimiento de la ciudad nube y la Memoria del Agua

“Imaginemos un mundo donde las nubes no solo son un sueño, sino una realidad habitable, donde coexistimos con la atmósfera y regeneramos el planeta.” Tomás Saraceno Preludio Las ciudades latinoamericanas han crecido históricamente en desequilibrio con su entorno natural, enfrentando problemas como el crecimiento desordenado, la degradación ambiental y la crisis climática global. Ante estos … Read more

TerraFlux: The Cloud that Rains

Narrative TerraFlux[the cloud that rains]: humanity’s rehearsal for the future, a transhuman data driven system TerraFlux as a Singularity ThresholdThe Technological Singularity marks the moment when artificial intelligence surpasses human cognition, triggering a cascade of rapid, uncontrollable innovation. At this threshold, AI will evolve autonomously, improving itself at an accelerating pace. This transformative leap will … Read more

EntoNest

This project seeks to transform La Fira, an industrial zone in Barcelonès, into a sustainable insect farming hub. By embedding insect farming within the existing infrastructure, it will leverage local resources to efficiently produce high-protein insect products. Traditional agriculture faces growing pressures including water scarcity and limited space, especially in urban areas like Barcelona. Insect farming … Read more

Parasyte: Growing exisiting structure

INTRODUCTION We approached our parametric project with a top-down methodology, emphasizing the importance of urban, climatic, social, and economic parameters. These factors, alongside the needs for project development, are crucial when discussing architecture that focuses on the reuse and recycling of existing structures in both established and developing contexts. CONCEPT & STAGES The algorithm is … Read more

SYMBIOTIC SPACES

Climate change has become one of the primary drivers of forced displacement around the world, giving rise to the phenomenon known as climate migration. Here are some examples of statistics in the last year, forcing people to move to other cities and countries. Some of the most relevant examples of this displacement, have been occurred … Read more

EcoNodes

Introduction: Transforming Urban Junctions for a Sustainable Future Urbanization has drastically increased impervious surfaces in cities, leading to environmental challenges such as urban heat islands, stormwater runoff, and reduced access to green spaces. Junctions and intersections, often overlooked, are some of the most impervious and environmentally stressed areas in urban landscapes. This project aims to … Read more

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX FOR ADAPTIVE URBAN DESIGN IN COASTAL CITIES Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster worldwide. By the report from The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), floods cause more than 38 billion euro in damages worldwide per year. Due to climate change, floods are becoming more extreme and frequent. Coastal areas … Read more

Data Driven Design: Populating & Visualizing Walls for GraphRAG

The work presented in this blog post explores how code and visual tools can be used to create and represent the data central to this research group’s main project in the Research Studio. It focuses on integrating data-driven design methods to support sustainable façade development while aligning with environmental guidelines. By emphasizing the creation and … Read more

Introduction to Emerging Economies

Over the course of 6 weeks we had the opportunity to be introduced to emerging economies, a concept that from my initial perspective was outside of urban design, but as the classes progressed, I realized its relevance to urban planning and to the current world in general. CIRCULAR ECONOMIES AND VALUE FLOWS The circular economy … Read more

Environmental Analysis – Austin, Texas

Austin has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), characterized by hot summers and mild winters.  The city experiences long, hot summers and short, mild winters, with brief transitions in spring and fall. The climate data used in this analysis was obtained from: – Location: Austin-Mueller Municipal Airport, Texas, USA – Weather Station ID: 722540 … Read more