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# Ecological Buildings

WOVEN EARTH: FROM CRAFT TO INTELLIGENT ARCHITECTURE


MRAC-01 2025-2026 by
MRAC-01 2025-2026

A Hybrid Robotic-Human System for Adaptive Woven-Earthen Construction Abstract Woven Earth reinterprets traditional willow weaving and earth construction as a digitally informed architectural system. Drawing from vernacular techniques such as wattle and daub, the project develops a hybrid construction method combining woven willow, variable-thickness cavities, and robotic fabrication. Infill strategies layer light earth and straw … Read more

BANANA MATTERS


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

Abstract Banana Matters transforms discarded banana pseudostem biomass into carbon-sequestering architectural panels through material research, bio-based binders, and digital fabrication. The project addresses the untapped potential of nearly 525 million tonnes of annual banana waste by developing lightweight, low-carbon composites with acoustic and structural applications. Through iterative material experimentation, heat-press manufacturing, and mechanical and physical … Read more

CatVa Master Thesis


MAEBB 2025-2026 by
MAEBB 2025-2026

Abstract and purposeThe collapse of the European wool value chain—processing shifted east, traditional breeds producing coarse, low‑value fibre, and raw fleece often classed as waste—coincides with a crisis in ceiling construction: high embodied carbon, linear material flows, and aesthetic loss. This thesis proposes CatVa: a prefabricated compressed earth–grog block reinforced with directionally aligned waste wool … Read more

Living Fibers: Robotic Needle Felting as an Architectural Construction System


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

MAA/MRAC Studio Term 3 — 2025/2026 | Robotics for Ecological Building When you think of wool, construction probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But wool has a longer history as a building material than most people realize, and it carries inherent properties that make it genuinely compelling for architecture: moisture regulation, thermal … 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

Co-RESPIRA


3DPA 2025-2026 by
3DPA 2025-2026
co-respira

Co-Respira focuses on the home’s most important space—a place to gather, relax, share moments, or spend time alone—while creating opportunities for different generations to coexist within the same environment. Responding to today’s housing challenges, including increasing density, social isolation, and the need for more sustainable living models, the project proposes a co-living approach that balances privacy … Read more

Robotics for Ecological Buildings


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

Studio: Term 2 – MRAC + MAA For our third term MRAC paired up with MAA students to investigate how vernacular materials and techniques of Catalonia could be modernised with robotic precision to create new typologies. Our group chose to work with Canya; more specifically Arundo Donax, Giant Reed. Two vernacular techniques we looked to … Read more

Robotics for Ecological Buildings


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

The Living Fibers MAA/MRAC, Studio Term 2, 2025/2026 Group 1: Brooklyn Edsall, Elias El  asmar, Leonard elias Böker, Nikolaos  Kalaitzidis, Nisanth Anil Menon Abstract:This project challenges the hyper-standardization of modern construction by investigating the architectural potential of raw, locally sourced Catalan wool. Our research elevates wool from a passive insulation material into an active, rigid, … Read more

Robotics for Ecological Buildings : CLAY


MRAC-01 2025-2026 by
MRAC-01 2025-2026

This work explores how clay can be used to introduce compression strength into flexible surfaces. By using robotics for controlled deposition, the process becomes parameterised, allowing a traditional material to be developed into a precise and predictable building system. Introduction This project proposes a system that transforms a flexible surface into a rigid, three-dimensional structure. … Read more

Robotics for ecological buildings: Willow Protocol


MRAC-01 2025-2026 by
MRAC-01 2025-2026

Introduction Can centuries-old vernacular intelligence inform the future of robotic construction? Willow Protocols is a research project developed at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) that bridges traditional Catalan basketry techniques with advanced robotic fabrication. By re-evaluating historical construction methods like Zarzo and Wattle and Daub, this project proposes a highly sustainable, hyper-local … Read more

HB03: Data-Driven Towers for Human-Nature Coexistence


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Explore HB03, a hyperbuilding developed through parametric design, structural engineering, and adaptive façade optimization. Discover a data-driven approach to sustainable vertical urbanism, daylight performance, and human-centric high-rise design. Introduction: Engineering the Skeleton of Vertical Urbanism In the Vertical Machine studio, architecture is treated as a dynamic urban organism rather than a static object. Within this … Read more

The Geometry of Intelligence: How Hyper-building One Turns Geometry into Meta-data


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Hyperbuilding One is a data-driven ecosystem that achieves seamless connectivity between Static and Kinetic spaces through an optimized large-scale integrated environment. Architecture is No Longer Static: How Hyper Building One Turns Geometry into Code The traditional architectural blueprint is a corpse. It is a static snapshot of an idea that begins to age the moment … Read more

How much kgCO2e does our HyperBuilding weight?


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Introduction Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly required in the building industry, yet it remains difficult to integrate into the design workflow. The challenge is that LCA operates across multiple scales, from macro-level building decisions to micro-level material choices. This is especially relevant for designers, since they have to engage with these considerations from the … Read more