NARRATIVE Back to Zero is a regenerative concept that targets oil refineries and other aging infrastructures that pollute our world. The narrative is inspired from the “skin in the game” concept, and calculates lifetime co2 emissions for high emitting “hosts”, which then becomes a target for that same “host” to sequester through the carbon sequestration … Read more
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN SEMINAR-TERM 1 Our proposed pavilion for Plaça del Mar near Barcelona coastline draws inspiration from seashells, featuring a twisted shell structure that blends nature and architecture. Designed using Grasshopper software, the pavilion’s parametric form optimizes shading, wind resistance, and structural stability, offering a sustainable and functional space. This multifunctional landmark celebrates the coastal … Read more
The Case of Tourism in Barcelona The “Guidebook on Urban Degrowth” explores applying degrowth principles in urban planning to promote social well-being and ecological equity in cities. This thesis develops guidelines to shift from high-consumption economic models to those that emphasize environmental balance and social equity. Focusing on Barcelona, it addresses the challenges of over-tourism, … Read more
Cary is a carpooling platform designed for daily commuters travelling from peripheral areas to the city core. Our innovative ride package, flexible scheduling, and advanced matching algorithm connect drivers and passengers from the same area, ensuring unmatched comfort for frequent travellers. Cary helps save time and money while reducing traffic and fostering connections among users.
Optimizing green spaces is a project that aims to spot potential areas (plazas) around the cities, that are “dry” spaces, meaning that are composed mainly by pavement, and transform them into green areas, to enhance the quality of life who lives around and who is walking by, taking in consideration how people occupy the space … Read more
Striving to expand our understanding of sustainable use of energy, we participated in the Metabolic Building Systems: Water workshop. We learned about the core concepts of how to handle water consumption management and how to repurpose waste water. One of the ideas that we applied to our Urban Synthesis project is the reuse of grey … Read more
The Defining Biocities course introduced us to the fundamental concept of “biocities.” This course involved an in-depth examination of terminology related to biocities, specifically within the realms of food, energy, and biodiversity. Through thoughtful discussions, we gained valuable insights, exploring global examples that illuminated the practical implications of these concepts. A series of guest lectures … Read more
Introduction Known for its fashion, history, and culture, Milan also faces a pressing environmental issue: it stands as one of the most polluted cities in the World. The challenge of mitigating air pollution in Milan is complex, as it is shaped by a mix of geographical, meteorological, socio-economic, and cultural factors. From the city’s dense … Read more
Defining BioCities is set to be the second addition to the First series titled ” The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture”. The book was published 25 years ago and since then the world has transitioned into the age of sustainability and regenerative design. For the same, the new edition looks into the compilation of words, … Read more
In the process of creating this blog post dedicated to defining a Biocity, I played a crucial role in conducting comprehensive research and contributing to the compilation of a specialized dictionary. As part of a collaborative effort involving students from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and under the guidance of mentors Honorata … Read more
The aim of the project was to redesign the Placa dels Enamorats and achieve the desired objectives: To identify challenges as well as positive aspects on the site, but also have a framework on which to base any design decision, several methods for gathering data were used. These methods allowed us to capture the essence … Read more
A System of Sensors to Save Electricity Many hospitals, public offices, warehouses are characterized by the presence of constant electric lighting at any time of the day, includingless-frequented areas and throughout the night.But is this really necessary? Can’t there be a more sustainable and energy saving technology? PowerPreserver_ uses both a LDR photoresistor, apassive component … Read more
CONCEPT The project was designed to be an urban furniture that maps the city’s pollutions: air pollution and sound pollution. It is a design installation that aims social awareness regarding the environment people are exposed to in big and busy city centers. The benches’ side lights, triggered by the air quality sensor, are always on, … Read more
A Lighting Installation for Natural Areas This proposal envisions to create a kinetic lighting element, to manage and minimize light pollution. It is imagined to be placed within the urban fabric in parks, or in natural suburban areas. The prototype’s design is based on the “Spider-LED Kit”, a box that can be mounted on a … Read more
INTRODUCTION Urbanization poses escalating threats to ecological systems, necessitating the creation of urban ecological commons. This exercise focuses on Mumbai’s metro network, comprising 357 kilometres, 16 lines, and 38 interchanges, as a context for enhancing neighbourhood biodiversity through strategic environment plugins. By leveraging NDVI mapping from Google Earth Engine, areas with high ecological threats and … Read more
What behaviour in our daily life cause energy waste. The sun that comes into the home is harsh and hot, drawing the curtains makes the room dark, which then requires light to be turned on in the day, wasting energy. Typical Solar Panels are Deterrent to User Deployment. Normally it is Large, bulky and installed on roofs and … Read more
Park it Up! was developed by Joseph Bou Saleh, Gayatri Agrawal, Flavia Vallarino, Giacomo Canale, Clara Conte, Paula Stammen, Jacob Mader,Thomas-Xavier Rousseau, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities project, … Read more
Punta Vagno! was developed by Kriti Bhavesh Nirmal, Maddalena Caviglia, Noé Guérin, Sophie Köcher-Schulz, Maria Augusta Kroetz, Étienne Lajoie-Asselin, Joshua Mingers, Marta Pianta, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities … Read more
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FOR CIRCULAR CO-PRODUCTION OF ECOLOGICAL SERVICES. GREENWAVE was developed by Ben Bello, Can Xu, Erum Khaled, Manuel Beca, Lucia Mack, Parshav Sheth, Zerihun Tassano, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green … Read more
