The Master’s in Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities (MAEBB) program at Valldaura Labs features the Collaborative Design Studio in its first term, also known as the Introduction to Self-Sufficiency. In recent years, the Collaborative Design Studio has engaged students in designing for and with diverse groups, working across various age groups, from school children to … Read more
Bamboo, a sustainable and strong material, remains underutilized in modern architecture. My research explores new methodologies to optimize its structural potential, reinvestigating its bending properties and integrating digital fabrication techniques. Addressing durability and standardization challenges, I advocate for bamboo’s inclusion in European building codes, promoting it as a viable alternative to steel and concrete. By … Read more
What is craft? Craft as an area of exploration. Seeking to push our boundaries of fidelity and artistry with an acknowledgment of use; The merge between form and function, allowing for endless opportunity. With this project our group’s aim was to explore the intricacies of craft in joinery, and to gain an appreciation of the … Read more
The project is set in the left sacristy of the Sagrada Família, positioned on the Nativity façade side. As one of the key auxiliary spaces of the basilica, the sacristy serves as a preparatory and ceremonial area for religious functions.The sacristia adjacency to the Nativity façade, known for its intricate organic forms and symbolic storytelling, … Read more
Location SOLSONA, SPAIN Elevation: 700 m above sea levelClimate: Continental / highlands Manifesto From the Pyrenees to Barcelona, the journey wood takes can become a means to bridge the knowledge gap between forests and the timber industry. Solsona, located in the middle of this journey, housing our timber saw mill, can become a place of … Read more
Our CLT Factory embodies a boutique ethos: modest in scale yet purposeful in intent. Serving as a research and innovation hub for new CLT products, it represents a vision for sustainable work-life integration and thoughtful wood construction, with a commitment to sustainable design practices. In contrast to sprawling industrial complexes, this boutique factory seamlessly integrates … Read more
N.E.S.T. A Network for Ecological and Sustainable Timber Research Introduction The N.E.S.T. Research Center is a project within the MAEBB program, designed as the final step in the timber transformation chain. It is not merely a research hub but a living ecosystem of innovation, where the possibilities of timber construction are explored, tested, and refined. Situated in Sant Adrià del … Read more
As the fourth segment in a chain of production of CLT and Timber materials, our goal was to design a building responsible for the pre-fabrication and assembling of those materials. Location Map Concept Manifesto This project is an auto-replicating, self-sufficient, and carbon sequestering building; a prototype for the buildings of the future. It embodies a … Read more
Case Study CYCLOPEAN HOUSE Constructed in 2015, this project was designed by Ensemble Studio and resides in Brookline, Massachusetts. “Cyclopean House is built, using the vigor of the builder, and the ingenuity of the engineer, to start a journey from the place of its manufacture –Madrid- to the place where it can definitely lie … Read more
INTRO As part of the “Anatomy of a Machine – Shape” course, we engaged in an exercise that explores the possibilities of robotic material manipulation through various tools and techniques. Our objective was to research and experiment with sustainable, accessible, and locally available materials, applying scientific and creative principles to produce unique prototypes. This process … Read more
Research Question Context Why Natural Fibers? Possible Impact Typologies State of Art Material Research Methodology Design Workflow
Overview of the three variations Diagrams Option selected Beam design options Beam design selected Karamba Assembly diagrams Assembly + Physical model Failure moment Collapse of the installation Karamba analysis Improvement option Embodied CO2 Personal conclusions
FABRICATION PROCESS BEAM TEST -Beam test with interlocking shear panels positions at splice in bottom and top flanges. -Failure is located in the shear panel where the bottom splice is located. -The physical beam test differs with the Karamba analysis due to the screws location and the wood quality. The karamba analysis does not have … Read more
Stability Split project explores sustainable construction using scavenged materials and recycled wood for a structural beam. In the first phase, a case study of the Google headquarters in London was analyzed using Karamba software to explore structural efficiency and redesign its system. Two design options—arched and stacked—were proposed as alternatives to improve structural performance and … Read more
