What is Critical Urban Theory?
Brenner, Neil. “What is critical urban theory?” City 13 (2009): 198 - 207.
Advanced Computational Tools: A Journey Through Grasshopper
Welcome to the world of advanced computational tools, where we delve into the intricacies of Grasshopper, a graphical algorithm editor tightly integrated with Rhino’s 3-D modeling tools. This blog post will guide you through the learning process, focusing on the fundamental aspects of Grasshopper and logical representations. Grasshopper Fundamentals Grasshopper is a powerful tool that … Read more
Harnessing connected brains towards a more balanced environment
Between groupthink and individualitythe conflicting human impulses toward civilisation and social organization”(William Golding, The Lord of the flies, 1954) -How does collective design ensure/produce better environments?-How collective intelligence can affect design decisions?-How top-down and bottom- up projects are implemented?–Open data vs privacy | Participatory vs autonomy | Crowdsourcing / Crowdfuding Introduction To what extent collective … Read more
Ecological Design: Towards A Utopian or Dystopian Future
Ecological designs mimic nature, aiming to produce systems that generate no waste and positively impact the environment. We will consider the opposite ends of an ideal civilization: a utopian and dystopian world. Utopian: A future when there is a balance between satisfying living creatures (Humans, animals, and plants) needs in a space/building through an efficient … Read more
Metaphors of Transformation: Shaping Sustainable Architectural Paradigms in the Urban Era
Introduction In the face of intensifying urbanization and the climate crisis, how can a paradigm shift in architecture, guided by the principles of building metabolism theory, offer a sustainable and regenerative solution to address the challenges of our rapidly evolving urban environments? Abstract In an era of intense urbanization there is an imperative need for … Read more
Utilisation of the Environment for the Community, in an Open-Source Manner
Group 09 – Open source architecture – By Yichen Lu , Hande Karata? , Naveen Kumar , Manolya Nielsen How can we promote the utilisation of the environment for the community, in an open-source manner, to advance sustainable design? In order to dwell into our research question, we must first define what it is that … Read more
Building Envelopes: Catalysts for Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Health
Objective of the manifesto In an age defined by climate change, this manifesto strives to motivate designers by evoking their consciousness, to design the building envelopes not just for indoor comfort and aesthetics, but also ensuring the creation of outdoor thermal havens as these envelopes comprise approximately 70 % of the urban outdoor environment. Hence … Read more
Interspecies city: A Co-Creative Model for Sustainable Urban Growth
INTRODUCTIONWhat is the difference between writing in ink and writing in pencil? Pencil can be easily deleted and re-written, while ink is permanent. In the realm of construction, the choice between writing in ink and pencil becomes a metaphor for permanence versus adaptability. Our cities face the urgent need for transformation in the face of … Read more
Symbiotic Metabolism
Problem Statement Modern buildings are fortresses holding nature at bay, reflecting Dualist philosophies separating humans from nature. Our current Anthropocentric notion of “nature” as something “out there” and separate from culture has created a metabolic rift1 within our urban and architectural landscapes, obscuring the ravaging of the earth. Resources are shipped from across the globe, … Read more
Reversing Ecosystem Degradation
MaCAD 23/24 // ACESD Theory Existing State of Urban Design In order to understand how to strive for successful ecological design practices, designers must first understand the problems that currently exist in the process of urban design. The current state of design tends to create distinct enclosures between both natural ecosystems and humans, with the … Read more
Note Palette
Music is visualized everyday – but is there any accuracy to its representation? Can sound be accurately represented? If so, what does it look like? How is accuracy measured? While not fully satisfied with the answers found to these questions, Python’s mido package shed light on the how sound and color may be linked through … Read more
Exploring the Impact of Technological Innovations on Spatial Inequality in Montjuïc
The city of Barcelona has a history of change through impulses. No part of the city is more representative of this trend than Montjuïc. Throughout the 20th century, the area has undergone a number of spatial and social transformations which have typically occurred in short spaces of time. In this short study, we argue that … Read more
Drivers of Construction and Deconstruction in Barcelona
2023: Barcelona is navigating a dynamic landscape of construction and deconstruction, thus enhancing its appeal as a global tourist destination, provide quality educational opportunities, and create diverse job prospects. The city’s commitment to sustainability and the careful management of its growth underscore its dedication to fostering a harmonious relationship between development and heritage preservation. 2030: … Read more
Promised Land
Mapping America’s Genrescape Promised Land, Chuck Berry’s early representation of modern rock and roll, blurs racialized difference in genre origin, fueling the hybridization of genre categorizes, resulting in America’s current rich music tapestry. MIDI data correlated to synaesthetic representations of color is crystalized and in a dense three-dimensional mesh and place qualities are correlated to … Read more
Shining Rebirth
Shining Rebirth is a project about the circular lives of float glass, aluminium frame and polycarbonate roofing. Related materials are taken from IAAC atelier, with numbers, dimensions and conditions properly analysed. Carbon footprint as each stage of life is calculated, with deconstruction steps properly considered. In order to propose a new life for these materials, … Read more
Where Lies the Silver Lining
How Has the Idea of the Panopticon Shaped Smart Cities Surveillance? ACT 1: Surveillance in the Shadows An early morning at the entrance to a building at the Line. It is the first day of setting up a security point, and the atmosphere is tense as the messages have been spread around inviting all the … Read more
