Beyond Construction: BIM as a World-Building Tool for Real-Time Game Engines

Abstract This research investigates how Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be leveraged to generate structured and meaningful architectural environments for architectural visualization, video games, and animated films. It explores workflows between BIM tools and real-time game engines, focusing on the transfer and preservation of spatial logic and metadata. The study aims to demonstrate how BIM-based … Read more

From One Model to One Million Homes: Automating Social Housing with BIM

Rule-Based BIM Systems for Multi-Storey Residential Blocks in Vietnam   Using rule-based BIM master models to automate repetitive social housing design in Vietnam, while addressing real-world challenges of coordination, adoption, and collaboration across large-scale public projects. //CONTEXT Vietnam currently has an ambitious national target to build one million social housing units by 2030. However, progress … Read more

Design Beyond the Project: Reframing Practice Through Scalable Digital Services

A conversation with Jesper Wallgren Introduction In recent years, computational design and BIM workflows have become common tools in architectural practice. However, most of these tools remain confined to individual projects, often developed as internal scripts or one-off automation solutions to solve immediate design problems. While effective in improving efficiency within a project, these tools … Read more

Community Connections

Trinitat Nova and Trinitat Vella Scavenger Hunt   Moving between the neighborhoods of Trinitat Nova and Trinitat Vella in Barcelona, and reaching natural landscapes nearby, like the Collserola hillside or the Besòs River, can already feel a bit like a scavenger hunt. Large highway infrastructures carve through the area, creating barriers that make simple trips … Read more

En la calle

En La Calle is a board game for 2–4 players aged 8 and above, set in the streets of Bosa-Apogeo, Bogotá — a neighbourhood home to some of the highest school density in the city and the largest school in Bogotá by enrolled students, yet streets that were never designed with children in mind. En … Read more

THE SWALE – Water, Soil & Life

Dhikwani, Rajasthan Dhikwani is a Village in Shahbad Tehsil in Baran District of Rajasthan State, India. It belongs to Kota Division . It is located 67 KM towards East from District head quarters Baran. 16 KM from Shahbad. 279 KM from State capital Jaipur. Dhikwani lies in the semi arid region – high solar radiation, … Read more

Beyond Efficiency

The Purpose of AI in the Age of Resource Scarcity Introduction: Redefining the Question The question “What is the purpose of AI in AEC?” often elicits a predictable response focused on speed. For years the industry has viewed Artificial Intelligence primarily as a mechanism for automation. It is seen as a faster way to produce … Read more

Topographies of Work

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

Matter Research Course 2025

Intro photo to matter course 2025-26. Photo of samples used in the couse.

There are several established building standards for earthen construction and for concrete 3D printed construction (3DPC). However, earthen 3D printing lacks global standards that define how materials should be tested, certified, or approved for construction. As a result, each project is evaluated independently, often referencing foreign or unrelated standards — this slows innovation and increases … Read more

Skate {able} city

Redefinir el espacio público desde el skateboarding: hacia una Integr{able} City En las ciudades contemporáneas, el diseño del espacio público tiende a responder a lógicas de especialización funcional, segmentando sus usos y trazando bordes rígidos entre actividades. Esta fragmentación limita la convivencia, reduce la espontaneidad y empobrece la diversidad de apropiaciones que constituyen la esencia de … Read more

TÀN 58

TÀN 58 is a seven-story student housing project located in Poblenou, an industrial district of Barcelona. The building’s form and orientation were shaped through computational studies that optimized daylight access and solar radiation across the site. This analysis led to the introduction of two central atriums, which act as vertical heat sources and organizational cores—spaces … Read more

Flow – SIGHT: De- coding urban mobility

Introduction Urban traffic congestion is more than just an inconvenience—it’s a global challenge tied to pollution, stress, and wasted time. While cities are turning to AI-driven systems to ease the gridlock, the question remains: Do these technologies actually perform better than traditional methods?Flow – SIGHT is a comparative research project that investigates traffic systems across … Read more

Quito | in Transition

Quito is located in the north-central part of the Andean region of Ecuador, in south america. Given its high elevation, it is one of the highest capitals in the world. With a population of 1.9M people, it is the second-largest city of Ecuador. It is located in the province of Pichincha in the canton of … Read more

Jakarta

Jakarta’s rapid urbanization has outpaced the development of equitable mobility infrastructure, exacerbating safety disparities, particularly for low-income women navigating the city at night. While formal policies fall short, informal transport networks like Angkot fill critical gaps, despite exposing riders to physical and psychological risks. This study explores how machine learning can be used to fill … Read more

De Skate{able} city a Integr{able} city

Redefiniendo equitativa e inclusivamente los espacios públicos a través de la cultura del skateboarding INTRODUCCIÓNLos espacios públicos de nuestras ciudades están cada vez más diseñados de manera especializada, segmentando y creando bordes entre las actividades.  Esta investigación pretende hacer visible el potencial que tiene el skateboarding como actividad disruptiva y de performance en el espacio público para redefinir, reinterpretar y … Read more