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# Urban Design

Urban Alliance: Metabolic Building Systems – Water

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MAEBB

The “Urban Alliance” is a mixed-use architectural design seamlessly integrating Industry 4.0 principles, featuring advanced photovoltaic production units. This visionary space harmoniously combines sustainable energy practices with residential and commercial areas, embodying a forward-thinking urban landscape that fosters eco-friendly living and innovative business practices. It exemplifies a holistic and tech-driven approach to urban planning. The … Read more

La Obertura | Metabolic Systems: Energy

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MAEBB 2023-2024

As part of the Urban Synthesis project, the “Metabolic Systems: Energy” class delved into the study of renewable energies, specifically solar energy, to explore its potential implementation in the design of self-sufficient residential apartments. To achieve this goal, we utilized spreadsheets and data provided by the faculty, along with the Sunny Design website, to calculate … Read more

Mycelium in Construction for Catalonia

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MRAC-01 2023-2024

Throughout this blog we will highlight each section and we hope to inspire others like the way we have been inspired. We will present a progressive material, then show how we get this material integrated into the construction world. Proposition “ We propose that the usage of Mycelium should be legalised in the Code for … Read more

Art on air

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MaCT-01 2023-2024

Introduction Air quality is a problem in many cities around the world, yet it remains largely invisible to the naked eye. This reality struck us deeply when the four of us, having lived in Barcelona, Lagos, Bangkok, and Medellin – our four cities of origin – came together. Amidst our diverse backgrounds and experiences, we … Read more

The Future of Public Art

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MaCT-01 2023-2024

In the ever-evolving field of urban development, “The Future of Public Art” sets out to be a project that reimagines the role and impact of art in public spaces. At its core, the project seeks to quantify the value of public art through a systematic approach, anchored in three fundamental pillars: democracy, contextuality, and insightfulness. … Read more

Daylighting: Recuperación de los arroyos urbanos

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MaUP 2022-2023

La ciudad de Buenos Aires, con su vasta historia de barrios y su notable desarrollo edilicio y cultural, alberga una densa red de arroyos que ha forjado el subsuelo de su territorio y formó parte integral de la vida cotidiana de la sociedad hasta mediados del siglo pasado, momento en el cual comenzó a ser … Read more

Espacios Accesibles Universales Autónomos

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MaUP 2023-2024

Abstract. ¿Qué oportunidades para la recuperación de Espacios Públicos se están perdiendo al dejar de lado a las personas con Discapacidad, Adultos Mayores, personas del cuidado, infancia, adolescentes y sus familias cuando se trata de diseño urbano? ¿Qué estrategias se pueden precisar para anclar a la escala de las personas de a pie, del mundo … Read more

Wildlife Museum – an Architectural Cocoon

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MaCAD 2023-2024

Spanning across an expansive natural sanctuary in Pozzuoli, Italy, the site for our study was equally challenging and interesting. The valley-like topography was crowned by a lake in the middle. The programme of imagining a wildlife museum at this site prompted us to think outside the box, to incur minimum impact on the site while … Read more

Muerte y vida de ciudades mineras

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MaUP 2023-2024

El inminente fin de todo proceso extractivo plantea interrogantes sobre el futuro de las infraestructuras existentes y la remediación de su huella ecológica, puesto que, en este contexto, las operaciones mineras están intrínsecamente ligadas a la degradación y desterritorialización de los sistemas naturales, entre estos, el recurso hídrico pertenece entre los más afectados, pues en … Read more

Timber Lattice System – A Tale of Cairo’s Rooftops

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MaCAD 2023-2024

This research aims to explore the application of timber lattice systems on roofs in Cairo, Egypt. Before delving into the project itself, a thorough review of relevant references was essential for a better understanding of the system. The building analyzed was the Sunny Hills Cake Shop, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Characterized by a … Read more

The Arteries of Lombardy

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MaCT-01 2023-2024

Introduction In the past centuries, Milan used to be perceived as a water-city, with an economy propelled by canals that extended throughout it. However, as the city evolved, those waterways were gradually buried beneath roads, and the aquatic arteries that once defined Milan are now relegated to the periphery of the urban fabric. This covering … Read more

Design & Fabrication | A model of Urban Agriculture

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MAEBB 2023-2024

This terms collaborative studio project briefed the students at Valldaura to prepare material for the upcoming exhibition, Macquina Climatica, which presents a catalog of proposals for urban agriculture within the metropolitan area of Barcelona. One such proposal uses a scale model to demonstrate what rooftop urban agriculture in the city might look like, how it … Read more

From Pollution To Pollination

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MaCT-01 2023-2024

1. Introduction Urban air quality is a pressing concern,  being the result of both natural elements and human-induced pollutants. The city of Barcelona grapples with local pollutants like NOx and PM10, primarily  caused by ground transport and industrial activities. While current policies focus on mobility solutions, the project questions the need for complementary approaches. The … Read more

The Umbraculo Bench

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MAEBB 2023-2024

The umbraculo bench is designed to be placed in the Umbraculo, Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona. It is designed as an organic shaped bench focusing on materiality, ergonomics as well to be a state of art element. It is designed and constructed using CLT panels made using pine wood lamellas. The Umbraculo The Umbraculo translates … Read more

Foods | Defining BioCities

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MAEBB 2023-2024

The Defining Biocities course introduced us to the fundamental concept of “biocities.” This course involved an in-depth examination of terminology related to biocities, specifically within the realms of food, energy, and biodiversity. Through thoughtful discussions, we gained valuable insights, exploring global examples that illuminated the practical implications of these concepts. A series of guest lectures … Read more

Energy | Defining BioCities

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MAEBB 2023-2024

The Defining Biocities course introduced us to the fundamental concept of “biocities.” This course involved an in-depth examination of terminology related to biocities, specifically within the realms of food, energy, and biodiversity. Through thoughtful discussions, we gained valuable insights, exploring global examples that illuminated the practical implications of these concepts. A series of guest lectures … Read more

Advanced Digital Tools: A Foundation to Grasshopper

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MAEBB 2023-2024

Grasshopper is a visual programming language and graphical algorithm editor for Rhinoceros, a 3D modeling software. It automates the recurring process and generates geometric figures through mathematical functions. It helps in creating complex models using simple geometry. Using Grasshopper helps an architect or designer to comprehend and analyze the design. The form, structure and system … Read more

VISTA DYNAMICS

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MAA-01 2023-2024

“First Life, then Spaces, then Buildings, the other way around never works” – Jan Gehl The proposal is an intervention at the site situated in Diagonal Mar, neighborhood, inspired from the fundamental idea of Placemaking. The intervention goes beyond development, aiming to activate the site and create a vibrant community. Grounded in functionality, the approach … Read more

GreenScape – Milan

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MaCT-01 2023-2024

Introduction Known for its fashion, history, and culture, Milan also faces a pressing environmental issue: it stands as one of the most polluted cities in the World. The challenge of mitigating air pollution in Milan is complex, as it is shaped by a mix of geographical, meteorological, socio-economic, and cultural factors. From the city’s dense … Read more

Synergy Station

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MAA 2023-2024

”Turning waste Into communal wealth”. About the site Sant Adria de Besos Power Station is currently working as a combined cycle thermoelectric plant located in Sant Adrià de Besòs, suburb of Barcelona. Today, the plant burns a significant part of Barcelona and Badalona’s waste, and 85% of which is recyclable. Moreover the gases released when … Read more