Digital Tools for Environmental Analysis | Rome

Rome has a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Average temperatures range from around 8.5°C in winter to about 31°C in summer​. The city experiences moderate rainfall, with the wettest months typically being October and November. Climate Analysis In Rome, the bulb temperature, which reflects the combined effect of air … Read more

Green Enough? Assessing Barcelona’s Compliance with EEA Green Space Standards Per Capita Using Geospatial Analysis.

AbstractGreen spaces play a critical role in enhancing urban livability by improving air quality, reducing urban heat island effects, and promoting mental and physical well-being.This project evaluates the spatial distribution of green spaces in Barcelona and their compliance with the European Environment Agency (EEA) standard of 9 m² of green space per person. By overlaying … 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

The Global Story of Cement and Its Environmental Impact

The Backbone of Modernity – Since its invention in 1842, Portland cement has become a cornerstone of modern construction. Its role in shaping cities, infrastructure, and economies is unparalleled, but this comes at a cost. Cement production is energy-intensive, emits significant carbon dioxide, and has become a key driver of global greenhouse gas emissions Cement … Read more

Environmental Analysis of Madrid

Part 1: Climate Analysis Madrid falls into two koppen climate classification zones: a cold semi-arid climate (classification BSk) in the metropolitan area, and a mediterranean, dry-summer climate in the west half of the city (classification Csa). The main characteristics of this climate are hot, dry summers and cold, humid winters. There are also large temperate … Read more

BUSINESS INNOVATION

Introduction The global housing crisis highlights the urgent need for affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing solutions worldwide, Rapid urbanization, rising costs, and unequal access to resources have left millions without adequate housing. A lack of affordable housing options is deepening social inequality in cities across the globe. How Global Housing prices have changed since 2010 … Read more

AI theory: Using NLP – Graph Rag for AI Suggestions in Facades, based on Environmental Guidelines

This project leverages Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation (Graph RAG) to provide intelligent facades configuration recommendations aligned with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles. This post presents how we apply AI theory approaches for reaching the stablished target. The project correlates quantitative data and qualitative guidelines, by integrating 17% of the assessed metrics in this guidelines and creating … Read more

Bridging comfort, affecting the environment

McKenzie Wark, during the chapter “Adventures in Third Nature” of the book “New Geographies #9” uses her own family vacation as a sociological observation study to address the distantiation between humanity and nature. Everything built that shapes the natural environment and promotes comfort for mankind is part of the so-called “second nature”, like the own … Read more

Nature’s pallete in the Built Environment

Material Cultures - Circular biobased construction

Could bio-based materials be the key to transforming the building sector and reducing its impact on climate change? The articles described present a compelling set of arguments on timber industry, sustainable forestrynonconventional materials and innovative technologies. TIMBER Timber is highlighted as the biggest widespread potential of low-carbon alternative to steel and concreteespecially referred to in … Read more

Ecological Intelligence 1. Trimester 2024/25

In our seminar with Michael Salka and Mariano Gomez Luque, we explored the meaning of ecology and the multifaceted challenges of sustainability, materiality and humanity’s relationship with the planet. Over eight weeks, we delved into two distinct but deeply connected approaches to build with ecological thinking and addressing climate change as well as envisioning a … Read more

Redefining the Urban

MICRO-ESSAY BY REUBEN DIAMOND “ A new conceptual lexicon must be created for identifying the wide variety of urbanisation processes that are currently reshaping the urban world” (“Planetary Urbanization,” Brenner, N., & Schmid, C., p. 13) BOUNDARIES DISSOLVED As planetary urbanization reconfigures social, economic, and spatial relations, the traditional frameworks of urban studies encounter profound … Read more

Chromo Sense

Concept Chromo Sense is an interactive lighting system designed in park like spaces , where there is an interaction between humans and non-humans, in which there is efficient amount of lighting that doesn’t disturb the wildlife but also to respond to human presence. Motion sensors are incorporated into the project to activate lights as people approach … Read more

Carbon Based Design

Introduction The course was an intensive, five-day workshop dedicated to calculating the carbon impact and exploring innovative solutions for the upcoming IAAC building. The goal was to present a proposal that could reduce the emissions in 40%. Location The design for the new IAAC building has already been approved and is now awaiting construction. Located … Read more

Digital Culture(s): A cultural blindspot of solutionism

photo credits: ‘Imagining Intercitizenships’ 3D artwork by Lorna Pittaway for IAM

In an era of accelerating change, digital cultures weave together a mosaic of materiality, temporality, and social impact, redefining the very essence of culture itself. The interplay between these dimensions raises compelling questions about the way we live, create, and envision futures. From solutionism in the face of a polycrisis to the extractivist underpinnings of … Read more

Poly-Exploration with Digital Cultures

The course of Digital Cultures, tutored by Andres Colmenares, took an investigative approach on the relations between the present and the future through the lens of art, journalism, urbanism, technology, human networks and global market. Course was structured in a “non-linear” way, what makes our tutor’s pride, yet consistent in terms of narrating through scale … Read more

Designing Futures: Exploring Digital Cultures in a Climate Emergency

This course examined the interplay of ecological, cultural, and digital transformations amidst a climate emergency, emphasizing the need to prioritize cultural over economic value. It explored how language shapes perceptions of technology, the hidden environmental costs of digital infrastructures, and the biases embedded in AI systems. Addressing the prevalence of misinformation, it highlighted the role … Read more