M16 // Ecological Intelligence

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

Ecología Urbana en la Represa Guarapiranga: Recuperación Sostenible de los Manantiales en São Paulo

Con más de la mitad de la población brasileña viviendo en áreas urbanas, la necesidad de integrar la naturaleza en la vida cotidiana se vuelve crucial. La urbanización desordenada alrededor de ríos y manantiales, como ocurre en la Represa Guarapiranga en São Paulo, compromete la cobertura vegetal, causando polución y amenazando la oferta de servicios … Read more

DeCARB

Introducing DeCARB: An easy-to-use tool that calculates Embodied Carbon, End-of-Life Carbon, and Total Cost for any rectangular massing geometry. Quantifying emissions from material extraction to disposal can guide architects and engineers in selecting low-carbon materials and methods early in the design process. With a focus on reducing environmental impact and aligning with green building standards, … Read more

Unequal Blooms: Studying socioeconomic realities of Medellín’s “Eternal Spring”

Introduction In recent decades, the importance of urban green spaces and their potential impact on various aspects of urban life has gained significant attention from policymakers, urban planners, and researchers worldwide. The creation and maintenance of green spaces within urban environments have been associated with numerous benefits, including environmental sustainability, physical and mental health improvements, … Read more

DE CHAPULTEPEC A LA CIUDAD

1. BOSQUES URBANOS DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO: A. Introducción. Dotar de un esquema de gobernanza como los propuestos en este documento representa una oportunidad única para proteger y fortalecer el rol vital que cumplen los bosques urbanos en la sostenibilidad y la resiliencia de nuestras ciudades, en el bienestar y la calidad de vida … Read more

Urban Synthesis| Metabolic Systems: water| GAIA

GAIA Plot 1. About. Urban Synthesis | Metabolic Systems: water The goal of this course is to highlight the importance of implementing effective water management strategies early on in architectural projects, with a focus on minimizing ecological impact and enhancing infrastructure resilience. Throughout the course, students will explore innovative water management concepts and technologies that … Read more

Urban Synthesis| Thermodynamic Fabrication| GAIA

GAIA Plot 1. About. Urban Synthesis | Thermodynamic Fabrication The “Thermodynamic Fabrications” workshop explores how thermodynamics, ecology, and architecture intersect. It goes beyond just considering climate’s role in design and aims to blend both numbers and feelings in designing buildings. It focuses on aspects often ignored in sustainability lessons, linking daily life with architectural ideas. … Read more

Mycelium in Construction for Catalonia

Throughout this blog we will highlight each section and we hope to inspire others like the way we have been inspired. We will present a progressive material, then show how we get this material integrated into the construction world. Proposition “ We propose that the usage of Mycelium should be legalised in the Code for … Read more

Daylighting: Recuperación de los arroyos urbanos

La ciudad de Buenos Aires, con su vasta historia de barrios y su notable desarrollo edilicio y cultural, alberga una densa red de arroyos que ha forjado el subsuelo de su territorio y formó parte integral de la vida cotidiana de la sociedad hasta mediados del siglo pasado, momento en el cual comenzó a ser … Read more

Living Parts: Architectural Members for the Age of Biology

Transforming Conventional Architectural Element Compositions for CO2 Sequestration/ecological interactions Living Parts is a project that tries to bridge the gap between anthropocentric and nature-centric design. As we already know that that the building industry, in the past couple of centuries has caused major harm to the environment with things like producing toxic waste, waste energy, … Read more

RED SEA – 2050

G4-STUDIO, KIN INFRASTRUCTURE ABSTRACT: The Red Sea 2050 Architectural Project presents an innovative and sustainable approach to coral reef conservation. Focused on education and design interventions, the project addresses the urgent need to safeguard coral ecosystems. The conceptual framework involves the creation of modular panels—both large and small—deployed as coral farming plates. This approach allows … Read more

Farming on Barcelona’s rooftops | CDS Physical Models

Ensuring food security is a major challenge for cities worldwide. The vision of Bio-cities includes that of food self-sufficiency, tackling the environmental impact of current agriculture systems which contribute to environmental concern through food miles, land and habitat loss, soil erosion,and reliance on fossil-fuel derived fertilisers. The Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) has 636km3 of … Read more

Ascending Gallery

Ascending Gallery is a Wildlife conservation Museum to raise awareness about wild animal species extinction. This project is a dedicated exploration of mathematical surfaces within architecture, emphasizing their integration into natural landscapes. Set in the beautiful natural setting in Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy that served as a profound inspiration, the project delves into the intricate geometry … Read more

Inverting the Guggenheim – A wildlife museum

Drawing inspiration from our site’s location in Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy, our concept revolves around crafting a continuous journey that symbolizes history through the exhibition spaces. This approach fosters a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding context, effectively erasing the boundaries between the interior and exterior environments by bringing nature into the space. Our computational methodology can … Read more

The Arteries of Lombardy

Introduction In the past centuries, Milan used to be perceived as a water-city, with an economy propelled by canals that extended throughout it. However, as the city evolved, those waterways were gradually buried beneath roads, and the aquatic arteries that once defined Milan are now relegated to the periphery of the urban fabric. This covering … Read more

Coltura

Introduction Milan, Northern Italy’s epicenter, confronts economic and environmental challenges rooted in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing. To secure its future, Milan invests in knowledge, tourism, and place-based innovation, relying on revenue from high-income foreigners, students, and the European Union. Strategic efforts to transition to a green economy focus on renewable energy, waste reduction, … Read more

From Pollution To Pollination

1. Introduction Urban air quality is a pressing concern,  being the result of both natural elements and human-induced pollutants. The city of Barcelona grapples with local pollutants like NOx and PM10, primarily  caused by ground transport and industrial activities. While current policies focus on mobility solutions, the project questions the need for complementary approaches. The … Read more

Intensive organic farming at Valldaura Labs

Valldaura forest is a post-agriculture, post-industrial landscape which is now returning to native forestry. Cistercian monks turned the Valldaura (valley of the laurels) area of Colserolla national park into agricultural land in the 19th century, the evidence of which still remains in the terraced beds we will grow produce on as part of our Ecological … Read more

Ecology | Defining Biocities

The Defining Biocities course gave us a first insight on one of the main subjects of this master: “biocities”. During this course, we analysed and discussed several words related to biocities. These words were separated into three categories, food, energy and ecology. Through their analysis and discussion, we gained loads of knowledge, in terms of … Read more

Defining Biocities

In the ever-evolving landscape of urban planning, the concept of “Biocities” has emerged as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. As we delve into the intricacies of creating urban spaces that harmonize with nature, it becomes imperative to establish a shared language— a lexicon that defines the essence of Biocities. This blog post … Read more