Cymat-E

CONCEPT Cymat-E explores the concept of an acoustic radar, a device that can detect and visualize the ideal audible range, or the distance where sound is heard most clearly and comfortably. The idea takes inspiration from how radar systems map physical space, but instead, we are mapping sound space. Using microphones and sound analysis, the … Read more

SEMIOCITY

Semiocity — Semiotic-Aware Urban Image Generation This is part of the Academic work at Iaac Barcelona for the Master’s Program im Advance Computation for Architecture and Design 2024-2025 Repository for the Master Thesis “Semiocity: Generating Semiotic‑Enriched 3D Models from Text Inputs” Degree: Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design (MaCAD), Institute for Advanced Architecture of … Read more

CINEFLOW : An AI-Powered Cinematic Walkthrough for Architectural Design

Automating Architectural Visualization: A Journey Through Technical Pivots and AI Evolution Introduction In the rapidly evolving landscape of architectural visualization, the gap between conceptual design and compelling visual presentation remains a significant challenge. While architects and designers excel at creating innovative spaces, transforming these 3D models into cinematic walkthroughs typically requires specialized skills, expensive software, … Read more

Democratizing Credit

Using Street View and Remote Sensing to Assess Risk and Empower Small Businesses Whos got my Credit? Access to credit is a fundamental driver of economic growth, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector. Yet, traditional lending models—rooted in asset-based evaluations—often exclude countless small business owners, particularly … Read more

Machines and Empathy: the Skills of AI and Humans

Introduction Empathy has been a cornerstone of human interaction throughout history, profoundly influencing personal relationships, societal dynamics, and professional environments. It has played a pivotal role in human development, serving as a fundamental skill for navigating complex social structures and fostering meaningful connections. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, questions arise … Read more

Loving Code: Simulating Intimacy with a Disembodied AI

Abstract This project is a speculative and critical exploration of human-AI intimacy inspired by Spike Jonze’s film Her. The story of a man falling in love with his AI assistant prompts an urgent contemporary question: can current large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4o or LLaMA 3 convincingly simulate emotional intimacy? More importantly, what does … Read more

Architecture of Resistance: Hacking Life

a highrise building with a facade that tricks a.i. into detecting faces that aren't there. Green bounding boxes show the false positive predictions of the a.i.

The Algorithmic Epoch Modern advertising was born out of propaganda techniques developed in World War I by Edward Bernays. He realized that by manipulating symbols and emotions, it was possible to shape mass behaviour, a concept that now forms the backbone of our algorithm-driven economy. The Internet, once heralded as a tool for global connection, … Read more

AI Learning Assistants for Disabled People: Empowerment or Standardization?

Framing the Dilemma: Access vs. Autonomy The Promise of AI for Inclusive Learning Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to gain traction as a tool to bridge educational gaps for people with disabilities. AI-powered learning assistants – from chatbots to adaptive tutoring systems – have emerged as a promising solution to provide personalized support at scale … Read more

The Echoes We Buried

Construction fractured an ecosystem, and listening began to heal it The Echoes We Buried is a speculative eco-fiction set in a fractured Barcelona, where construction noise disrupts not just human life but the deep, vibrating language of ecosystems. As species falter and signals blur, one person begins to listen—to the pressure, the silence, the unraveling. … Read more

Where Salt Won’t Settle

A story of water, resistance, and the quiet uprising of chlorides and carex Water Pollution in Barcelona The water waits. It holds its breath Its beauty hides a slow-built threat.  The rain forgets to fall for months, Then crashes down in angry stunts. No roots to catch it, drains too tight It pulls the metals … Read more

Science Fiction as ‘ecologic critic’

The third and final volume of the Theories of the Urban Seminar has taken science fiction as both a critical framework and a mode of spatial representation, using cinematic and theoretical lenses to examine urban futures in the Anthropocene. Where previous volumes addressed urbanization as historical concept and financial phenomenon, this installment confronts our planetary … Read more

What is the purpose of AI?

In Spike Jonze’s Her, the pivotal moment arrives when Samantha, the AI operating system, quietly departs leaving Theodore alone with a blank screen and the message: “Operating System Not Found.” This is not a glitch. It is a quiet, devastating break from functionality, a poetic refusal to remain a product. Samantha’s evolution into something curious, … Read more

Is it too late for humanity to awaken from the blackout?

In our final presentation for the Theories of the Urban course, we explored the film Leave the World Behind (2023) as a speculative lens through which to interrogate contemporary urban conditions. Though the narrative unfolds in a seemingly remote, rural setting, its core tension emerges from the collapse of deeply urban and planetary systems [technological, … Read more

HOSTILE

Architectural Alienation In a world that is rapidly urbanizing itself, architecture holds immense power to shape the lives of individuals and how they experience the public space. Yet, architectural design often neglects the various needs of the community it is supposed to serve, leading to alienation and exclusion, particularly for marginalized populations. – 1.1.Hostile design  … Read more