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# Cartography

NoiseXcape: Can Open Data Help Us Predict Urban Noise?


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Introduction Noise is one of the most pervasive environmental stressors in cities. Long-term exposure has been linked to sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, reduced cognitive performance, and lower overall quality of life. Yet despite its importance, detailed noise maps are surprisingly difficult to obtain. Producing official noise maps requires measurements, traffic models, and considerable technical effort. … Read more

FloodPrint


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Objective Traditional flood risk maps take months to produce, are updated only every few years, and are too coarse, they might say a whole district is at risk without telling you which specific street or field will actually be underwater. “We are going to predict whether any given location in Thessaly, Greece is Flood-Prone or … Read more

Reconnecting the Port


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026
Satellite imagery of Barcelona with words in black "Reconnecting the Port"

Re-envisioning Container City One of Barcelona’s most strategically located waterfront areas, the container port south of Montjuïc, remains largely disconnected from the inner city. As the city explores the possibility of relocating portions of its container operations in this speculative project and transforming this industrial landscape into a mixed-use district, mobility becomes a more pertinent … Read more

Project Michigan


MAA-01 2025-2026 by
MAA-01 2025-2026

Using climate clustering, vernacular precedent research, and evolutionary optimisation to create climate-responsive design typologies when no established local precedent exists Overview Lovingly named after the very first test location, Project Michigan is a tool that provides climate-responsive design guidelines when no local vernacular precedent exists. Through scraping climate data and global vernacular information, it helps … Read more

How does Power operate spatially in Poblenou?


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

This project explores how power operates spatially through counter-cartography and autoethnography in Poblenou, Barcelona. Combining observation, mapping, and self-tracking, the research examines how infrastructure, urban objects, rules, and rhythms shape behavior, movement, and perception. Benches, pedestrian streets, and smoking practices reveal how freedom, restriction, and permission are unevenly distributed. Findings show that movement is widely … Read more

ARCHAI – COMPLIANCE CHECKER


MaAI 2025-2026 by
MaAI 2025-2026

How AI Can Transform Compliance Checking in Architecture Compliance checking is one of the most essential parts of architectural design, yet it is also one of the most tedious and time-consuming. Research confirms this reality: The Foundation Before developing ARCHAI, we conducted a rigorous Proof of Concept to verify the feasibility of our vision. We … Read more

Deforestation, Land Cover, & Urbanization In Brasil – Dashboard


MaAI-01 2025-2026 by
MaAI-01 2025-2026

Deforestation Raster Map – 2024 The visualization depicts accumulated and annual deforestation patterns in Brazil from 1985 to 2024. The accumulated dataset shows a continuous rise in total deforested areas, reaching over 140 milllion hectares. Annual trends reveal strong fluctuations, with peaks in the late 1980’s and mid-2000’s, followed by decreases and renewed variability in … Read more

Make the Vulnerable, Less Vulnerable


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

Brazil Vulnerability Cartography Brazil, a vast and vibrant country, is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes from rolling highlands to expansive savannas. It’s known for iconic beaches and bustling urban centers where a dynamic blend of cultures and ethnicities come together. Its cities hum with energy, music, and art. Together, these diverse landscapes and rich social … Read more

Longevity Landscapes


MaCT 2025-2026 by
MaCT 2025-2026

Mapping Proximity to Wellbeing Amenities in Urban Areas “For most of us from now on, life and death will be an urban affair.”— World Health Organization As cities become the primary environments in which people age, longevity can no longer be understood as a rural or lifestyle-driven phenomenon alone. Inspired by — but critical of … Read more

Cities on the Edge


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

How borders shape frontiers of urban life? I. Introduction Borders are often perceived as abstract lines on maps, yet they deeply shape how cities grow, connect, and fragment. Cities located along international borders experience unique spatial, social, and political conditions that distinguish them from inland urban areas. This project investigates borders not as static lines, … Read more

What’s happening to our downtowns ? 


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

Abstract : In recent years, urban cores across the world have entered a period of uncertainty. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread adoption of hybrid work, many central business districts (CBDs) have experienced declining footfall, rising commercial vacancy, and shifts in social life—while others have demonstrated surprising resilience. This project investigates how foundational … Read more

$pot Finder


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

Opening a business is a bold investment. Factors (many out of business owners’ control) can determine whether or not local businesses thrive or struggle. Location matters, especially for businesses that depend on foot traffic. But the bigger questions are tough to answer: where should the business open? What is a fair rent to expect? Which … Read more

Topographies of Work


MAEBB 2025-2026 by
MAEBB 2025-2026

This drawing explores how architecture transforms when it stops imposing its order and allows the forest to define its own conditions. It explores a shift from “building in a forest” to “building as a forest”. In the drawing Valldaura Lab is not an object placed in the forest, it is an interpreter of the forest … Read more

Cities in Pixels: Mapping, Moving, and Meaning in the Digital Era


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

In the age of digital urbanism, cities are no longer understood only through streets, buildings, or neighbourhoods—they are interpreted, navigated, and governed through layers of pixels, data points, and algorithmic models. Our visualization project, Cities in Pixels: Mapping, Moving and Meaning in the Digital Era, examines this transformation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as its … Read more