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

Lifecycle of a Landslide

THE GREAT HIMALAYAN TERRAINKinnaur lies in the Middle to Higher Himalayas, one of India’s most landslide-prone regions, while also functioning as a critical ecological transition zone between temperate, sub-alpine, and cold desert ecosystems. The Sutlej valley acts as both a human infrastructure corridor and a biological movement corridor.         News reports show … Read more

Inhabiting the Edge

A Model for Connected Stewardship Context The Montseny landscape is shaped by terraced slopes, a system that historically functioned as both agricultural infrastructure and ecological stabilization. These terraces were carefully constructed to retain soil, slow water, and create productive microclimates along steep terrain. Stone walls regulate moisture. Layered planting stabilizes slopes. In this system, humans … Read more

Make the Vulnerable, Less Vulnerable

Brazil Vulnerability Cartography Brazil, a vast and vibrant country, is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes from rolling highlands to expansive savannas. It’s known for iconic beaches and bustling urban centers where a dynamic blend of cultures and ethnicities come together. Its cities hum with energy, music, and art. Together, these diverse landscapes and rich social … 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

Designing With Insight: How AI Can Help Us Build More Inclusive Cities

Introduction — Where My Interest Began My interest in AI and its application in the AEC industry started before this course. During the IAAC GSS, I worked on a study in Bogotá using GIS and image‑recognition tools to map sensory criticality in care-focused urban zones. What surprised me most was how accessible the process was. … Read more

THE HARBIN CODE

“The Harbin Code“, designed by Muhammed Senin and Sushmitha Ravi, explores housing as a system-driven response to extreme cold climates. The project treats environmental performance, social interaction, and spatial flexibility as equally important design parameters, and is structured as a ‘building recipe’ that allows repeatable yet adaptable outcomes across the site. BUILDING RECIEP DESIGN STRATEGY … Read more

The Can Ricart Regeneration Project

Design Ethos This project seeks to explore how issues of stagnation and obsolescence can be tackled whilst still enabling socio-economic and technological developments of our urban spaces. It will explore how they can be applied within architecture to evaluate how we can more effectively address issues of erasure whilst still permitting modern interventions and advancements … Read more

Revitalizing the Tsukiji Fish Market: An Environmental Analysis of Tokyo

Introduction Group Async A, comprised of Charles Abi Chahine, Emilie El Chidiac, María Sánchez, and Lakzhmy Zaro, conducted an environmental analysis of a redevelopment project in Tokyo, Japan. We focused on a 19-hectare plot that was historically the site of the Tsukiji fish market. The Challenge of Dressing for TokyoAnyone who has visited Tokyo’s famous … Read more

Flap-alona – butterflies, pollinators and Barcelona’s gardens

Pollinators, bees, butterflies, moths, bumblebees, quietly keep our ecosystems alive. They enable flowering plants to reproduce, sustain wild biodiversity, and support much of our food supply. Yet many of these species are in decline worldwide, threatened by habitat loss, chemical use, urban sprawl and climate change. In cities like Barcelona, where green spaces, gardens, parks … Read more

$pot Finder

Opening a business is a bold investment. Factors (many out of business owners’ control) can determine whether or not local businesses thrive or struggle. Location matters, especially for businesses that depend on foot traffic. But the bigger questions are tough to answer: where should the business open? What is a fair rent to expect? Which … Read more

THE MANUFACTURED VERNACULAR 

Image of comparison between a vernacular structure and a modern structure

Turning time-tested vernacular intelligence into scalable, multi-hazard self sufficient building INTRODUCTION See this image above? yes, its comparison between two structures that survived a 6.8 rector scale earthquake in year 2005. The ironic part is , that these vernacular structures hold the carbon friendly intelligence responding towards climate adaptation and structural resistance against earthquakes, yet … Read more

Feasibility and cost estimations in digital fabrication

Building on our previous analysis of a large clay-printed geometric form, this study evaluates the feasibility of its digital-fabrication workflow. Through modular breakdown, material and time estimation, non-planar slicing analysis, and production-logistics modeling, we assess whether the system can be manufactured efficiently and economically. The process concludes with the development of a complete production plan … Read more

Restoration of buildings in Terres de l’Ebre

Research question: How can a material be used in restoration of the existing buildings in the region of Terres De l’Ebre which is beneficial for the future ecology whilst creating industries of extraction of that material without depleting the ecology? Abstract of the proposal: The project explores how the abundant geological materials of Terres de … Read more