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
Bab al-Luq Market – Cairo, Egypt The ‘Diffused Skin Market’ project aims to cool down the market space without closing it off. The goal was to create a ‘diffusion filter” skin, that drops the temperature but keeps that vibrant natural light that vendors need to sell their products. The challenge when analyzing the place, wasn’t … Read more
Conceptual Framework The Project explores a contemporary dialogue between past and present by enveloping a historic steel truss within a soft, inflated architectural skin. Inspired by the playful curves and buoyancy of balloon art, the installation introduces a layer of translucent, geometric “bubble wrap” forms that gently overgrow the rigid industrial structure beneath. Rather than … Read more
Bab al-Luq Reimagined: Computation, Climate, and Cultural Memory This project approaches the Bab al-Luq Market not as a blank surface for formal experimentation, but as a site layered with climatic intelligence and symbolic meaning. Its proposal is rooted in two elements deeply embedded in Cairene architectural and cultural memory: the malqaf and the lotus flower. … Read more
Introduction This project, developed by Group D (Giovanni Carlo Volpe, Nihan Malkoç, Sushmitha Ravi, Zeynep Sezen Dursun) as part of the Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture & Design at IAAC, explores a computationally driven strategy for creating environmentally responsive architecture in the challenging climate of Ahmedabad, India. Through a rigorous process utilizing Digital Tools … Read more
Inspirations The Earthen Curtains project is rooted in a deep reflection on vernacular architecture and passive sustainability. The primary formal and conceptual inspiration is derived from the work of Hassan Fathy and the tradition of the Nubian Vaults. This architectural heritage, celebrated for the use of local materials (raw earth) and intrinsic climatic strategies, is … Read more
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
For our Advanced Digital Tools term one final project, we were tasked with designing a building facade based on inspiration from pavilion architecture or existing facades, using Grasshopper. Pavilion Inspiration – The Toledo Gridshell The inspiration for our facade is the Toledo Gridshell constructed in a courtyard in the Naples School of Architecture. When researching … Read more
Throughout the course of Urban Data, we learnt several different ways of handling multiple datasets to finally form a dashboard for the same. In this exercise, we worked using VS Code to create a Dashboard for the comparison of Barcelona’s available rental or buyout housing like what idealista does but the also have it depended … Read more
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
PROBLEM SOLUTION CoolStreets Lab provides scalable, practical micro-scale heat-risk maps that help cities identify where to cool, shade, and protect their most vulnerable areas. COMPETITION BUSINESS MODEL Target Customers Business Model Early Validation Expert Interviews Key Insight Municipality Feedback Unit Economics TEAM FUNDING NEED WHAT THIS COVERS WHY THIS AMOUNT This is the minimum budget … Read more
We had an incredible, whirlwind five days co-creating public spaces with Pablo Muñoz, Luisa Torres, Josefina Ovalle Parot, and the amazing community of Santa Coloma de Gramenet. It felt like a rapid-fire game—running around the park, talking to people, collecting stories, analyzing data in GIS and Grasshopper, figuring out who to design for, and then … Read more
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, located to the north of Barcelona, is bordered by the Besòs River on the west and the Marina Mountain Range on the north. The city’s terrain features an irregular relief that rises to 303 meters at Mount Castellar, its highest point, a topographical character also visible within Parc dels Pins. The … Read more
The goal of this project is to design a smart light maze that reacts to the movement or presence of people. In this system, the paths and walls of the maze are made of colorful LED strips (such as NeoPixel), which light up dynamically and interactively as participants move through the maze. When a person … Read more
All seats in public areas are typically uniform in height; however, individuals differ in stature. When a seat is elevated, a child may find it challenging to access, whereas a low seat could cause discomfort for a taller individual. The optimal proportion is that the chair’s seat height should be approximately 25% of your total … Read more
