Tabrizian Tapestry: Metabolic Systems Water

Rated under the World Water Pressure Map, Iran has an extremely high risk level of water stress assessment and the ratio of withdrawls to supply in a 2040 forecast. For our building Tabrizian Tapestry, we have created the following study and water management assessment through the following strategies: 1. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS: Through subsurface flow constructed … Read more

Tabrizian Tapestry: Ecosystemic Structures

We believe in creating structures that not only meet functional requirements, but also celebrate and pay homage to local architectural traditions. With this in mind, we have taken inspiration from the iconic domes of Iran and integrated them into our design. Our building incorporates a unique bazaar on the ground floor, featuring a series of … Read more

BUILDINGS WITHOUT ARCHITECTS: A Global Guide to Everyday Architecture by John May | Ecological Thinking

This blog is a review of the book, Buildings without Architects: A Global Guide to Everyday Architecture by John May. The book is a culmination of 60+ different styles of vernacular architecture ranging from different materials and different regions of the world. “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” – … Read more

DELIRIOUS NEW YORK: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan by Rem Koolhaas | Ecological Thinking II

This blog is a review of the book “Delirious New York” written by Rem Koolhaas. “The future is no longer about power, but about bandwidth.” Rem Koolhas Rem Koolhaas wrote a novel titled “Delirious New York” that outlines the evolution and background of Manhattan’s design and urbanism. Koolhaas wrote this book because he desired to … Read more

PAISAJES ANFIBIOS ii

El proceso que se viene desarrollando con el titulo de Paisajes Anfibios se acotó en una porción del territorio de la Ciudad de Cartagena más delimitada, cuya circunscripción viene dada por unos puntos de prolongación de las áreas de inundación y de unas infraestructuras que requieren transformación. Es sabido que mientras van pasando los años … Read more

Digerible

Ciudades urbana y humanamente digeribles Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. C.A Anteriormente el tema se aborda desde la perspectiva de ecología y cambio climático, donde se expone la situación actual de la ciudad de Quetzaltenango y donde se identifican los procesos alimentarios a traves de la industria y como estas dinámicas crean ciudades enfermas y obviamente ciudadanos enfermos, … 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

WOOD URBANISM- FROM MOLECULAR TO TERRITORIAL

This blog is a review of the book “Wood urbanism” by Daniel Ibanez, Jane Hutton & Kiel Moe. Wood urbanism addresses different scale and connection associated with timber building- From molecular to Territorial, divided in six chapters.  The transcalar perspective of wood construction from understanding the strength of individual species according to its place in … Read more

Aguas Simbióticas

MODELO DE CIUDAD BASADO EN INTERACCIÓN CON LA HIDROGRAFÍA LOCAL Las ciudades pueden transformar su estructura, transporte, fuentes de energía o gobernanzas, sin embargo, no pueden existir sin agua. El agua es la fuente de toda la vida, y teniendo en cuenta que es un recurso extremadamente escaso, las ciudades tienen una responsabilidad por preservar … Read more

THE NATURAL WAY OF FARMING: The Theory & Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka | Ecological Thinking

This blog is a review of the book, The Natural Way of Farming: The theory & practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka. The Book is a deep description on different ideologies and process developed by the author through practice and application. “When the human spirit and human life blend with the natural order and … Read more

BIOMIMICRY: INNOVATIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE

This blog is a review of Janine Benyus’s book, Biomimicry: Innovations inspired by Nature. Click here to check out the interactive blog version. – “Claiming that we are superior to the rest of the creation is like saying the Eiffel Tower was built so that the scrap of paint at the top would have somewhere … Read more

FACTFULNESS by Hans Rosling | Ecological Thinking

Facts Matter: Visualizing the Importance of Evidence-Based Thinking Factfulness, written by Hans Rosling, is an insightful and thought-provoking book that challenges our preconceptions about the world and encourages us to think more critically and objectively about the state of our planet. In this book, Rosling argues that many of the widely held beliefs about the … Read more

MISSION GOOD ECONOMY FOR HARDER TIMES

This blog is a combined review of the two books, 1. Mission Economy by Mariana Mazzucato and 2. Good Economics for Hard Times by Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo. – “On many weighty matters, economists and everyday people disagree”  – “Public sector leaders and managers are not really taught or  encouraged to think outside the box,  … Read more

THE NEST | Ecosystemic Structures

The Nest is a project designed for the city of Accra, Ghana. The Site is located in close proximity to the lagoon and the sea. The design caters to public interventions like open markets, observatories, and residential units for the fishermen’s community. The goal with the design is to highlight the traditional techniques and materials used … Read more

THE NEST | Resilient Envelopes

The design of the envelope plays a vital role in the design. The roof and the facade are part of the metabolic systems to aid with generating solar energy and collecting rainwater. The envelope is also efficiently designed keeping the thermodynamic analysis in mind. FACADE DESIGN: The facade is designed using a cane facade. The … Read more

Arctic Onion | Digital Tools

(01) Core *(02) Sleeping Shelves (N)(03) Sleeping Shelves (S)(04) Cluster Shelves (N)(05) Cluster Shelves (S)(06) Envelope (N) *(07) Envelope (S) *(08) Roof(09) Core (Ground Floor)(10) Ground (N)(11) Ground (S) * Unconditioned ZonesCore/Bathhouse – Equipment Load : 600 W/m2 In order to simulate the energy consumption of the layer system, we decided to isolate 1 cluster … Read more

Arctic Onion | Resilient Envelopes

- Material Catalogue : Collecting & Cataloguing materials around Valldaura; Simulating real-time construction process of procuring material from waste sources.- 1:20 Model of Weather & Cluster Shelf Envelopes - Multiple Layers of the Weather Envelope: Wind Turbines, Water Channels & Raincoat - Front Elevation: Raincoat of the building made of Upcycled Sails & Fabrics - ... Read more

THE NEST | Metabolic Systems: Water

The region of Accra, Ghana receives heavy rainfall and has two wet seasons. As a result, through the design, the goal is to trap as much rainwater as possible and utilise it in an optimum manner. The Site is also located in close proximity to a natural lagoon. Hence, ground water and stormwater treatment become … 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

THE NEST | Advanced Digital Tools

THERMAL QUESTIONS: Q1. Having studied the sun path diagram, it is observed that there are low sun angles in the east and the west throughout the year. How can thermal heat gain be prevented from the east and the west direction? – To prevent the heat gain from the lower angle of the sun from … 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