Category Archives: Uncategorized

IS.1 G1/ Torre Baró – Energy District // MID TERM PRESENTATIONS

By admin | Published: November 20, 2014

Today we had the Introductory Studio G1 Mid Term Presentations. The Studio led by Claudia Pasquero and Carmelo Zappulla investigates how to turn a landscape into a productive one. How do water, solar energy, wind or biological processes affect sustainable design cycles for structures and landscape?

The Studio site is that of Torre Baró, developed in the framework of a competition, to which IAAC has been invited to participate along with other architecture and design schools of Barcelona, hence giving the students the possibility to explore the possibility of transforming a real site into a self-sufficient land.

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IS.2 G2/ Torre Baró – Energy District // MID TERM PRESENTATIONS

By admin | Published: November 20, 2014

Today we had the Introductory Studio G2 Mid Term Presentations. The Studio led by Edouard Cabay, assisted by Rodrigo Aguirre, investigates form finding as a tool to develop landscape into a productive one. How can form follow energy and production?

The Studio site is that of Torre Baró, developed in the framework of a competition, to which IAAC has been invited to participate along with other architecture and design schools of Barcelona, hence giving the students the possibility to explore the possibility of transforming a real site into a self-sufficient land.

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Tuesday 25th of November // Built by Associative Data // BAD Bits

By admin | Published: November 19, 2014

GS_01 NIGHT_web

IAAC Fall Lecture Series 2014

Tuesday 25th of November 2014

Built by Assoiciative Data – Ali Basbous + Luis Fraguada

Lecture: BAD Bits

 

@ 19.30, IAAC Auditorium

Open to the Public

 

ALI BASBOUS - IAAC Alumni

Ali Basbous (Beirut, 1973) is the Founder and Director of BAD; A Canadian, Lebanese Architect living between Barcelona and Beirut. Ali holds a Masters degree in Advanced Architectural Design from IAAC. Ali’s global experience in creating pioneering ideas have been prized and granted many internationally notable awards. Ali has been performing major roles and renowned design practices like JDS Architects (Brussels, Copenhagen), NBBJ (Shanghai, Seattle) and Raphael Vinoly Architects (New York). Ali’s work has been strongly influenced by questions concerning the evolution of social interaction and new technologies. Ali pursues an expertise in the use of powerful modeling and design software (as Rhino 3D, Grasshopper and VB scripting) to discover new Architectural forms that can respond to contemporary culture, economics and industry. His deep understanding for the complex systems of nature and the massive Data accumulation varying between sustainable issues to practical diagrammatic programming enable him a to generate precise definitions to acquire pioneering designs. During his professional practice the firms he collaborated with have won several competitions and awards on major landmark projects.

LUIS FRAGUADA – IAAC Alumni

Luis Fraguada is the Research Director of Bad Research, he investigates critical issues in architecture, design and urbanism through various modes, including parametric design, scripting, and fabrication. Luis’ architectural studies began at the University of Colorado, Boulder where he was able to begin exploring computational tools and theories that would lead him to choose this field as a specialty. Luis pursued his master’s degree in architecture and urbanism (M.Arch) from the AA Design Research Laboratory (DRL) in London where he studied with Theodore Spyropoulos. Luis chose this program for it intense use of computational tools and extensive physical prototyping of dynamic structures.

A post-graduate degree in Digital Architectural Production at IAAC brought Luis to Barcelona, where he is currently based. Luis is currently member of the Faculty of Architecture at IaaC in Barcelona, Spain as the principle computation instructor, focusing on the interface between computational processes and fabrication. Luis joined BAD as an associate and the Director of the Barcelona office. His expertise allows BAD to implement diverse data sets and analysis in each project, leading to novel design solutions which exploit the boundaries set by budget, material, political, and societal constraints.

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Kengo Kuma // “Smallness” — The world is moving toward small things

By admin | Published: November 19, 2014

Today we had the great pleasure of hosting Kengo Kuma as part of the Fall Lecture Series 2014. Mr Kuma presented his lecture “Smallness”—The World is Moving Toward Small Things, stating that the small project is more exciting than the big project, being a test, or an experiment, in a back and forth process of creativity that does not conclude with the project itself, but represents a mere step in a much greater process. During the lecture, Mr Kuma illustrated his thoughts with a series of projects developed both in academic and professional fields, expressing his interest in the study and investigation of materiality, not as intended in the Industrial era, as a surface material, but rather a substance from which to generate. From stone, to tensegrity, to inflatable structures, their material systems, pushing the research of their adaption to different sizes and complexities Mr Kuma developed his process:

“It was always a natural disaster that directed the course of our civilizations, but the great disaster of 3.11 differed from any other catastrophes since the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. Nature was desperately forceful as never before. However “strong” or “rational” the structures were, the tsunami flattened Tohoku coastline in seconds. The nuclear accident that followed further revealed the inability of “big and strong” architecture. In front of radiation, concrete or steel meant nothing, even though nuclear energy was a solution for our desire since the Lisbon tragedy, to become bigger, stronger, and more efficient. Now that such a process collapsed on itself, we have to start from scratch. Even before 3.11, I had already been fed up with massive concrete and steel buildings, and began to design a number of small works of architecture. You can build them on your own with nearby materials and be totally independent from strong powers – or rather, dependent solely on the nature. Now I sense that the whole world is shifting toward small things. We are no longer passive creatures who are spoon-fed from a giant yet unreliable system. Each individual starts to nest by him or herself and get energy on his or her own. A new relationship is being formed between people and the world. In the lecture I will discuss how I “minimize” architecture to help this transit.”

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Jan Knippers // Biological Design Strategies for Integrative Structures

By admin | Published: November 18, 2014

Tonight we had the pleasure of having Jan Knippers lecturing as part of the IAAC Fall Lecture series 2014. Mr Knippers discussed Biological Design Strategies for Integrative Structures, presenting various examples of bottom-up design processes based on the transfer of biomimetic design principles and digital fabrication strategies. Following the analysis of the structural principles of biological role models, the material differentiation and the global morphogenetic arrangement are transferred into an architectural system. During the lecture Mr Knippers explained how this might lead to structural systems far beyond existing typologies of building construction.

An important characteristic of natural structures is their multi-layered, hierarchically structured, finely tuned and highly differentiated combination of a few basic molecular components leading to structures that feature multiple networked functions. Recent developments in computational design, simulation and fabrication offer new options for transfer of these principles to the macro-scale of building construction. Aim is not only to increase performance, but also to transfer the inherent ecological properties of natural constructions, i.e. mainly the efficient usage of limited resources and the closed material cycles, and thereby to contribute to sustainability in architecture and technology.

Watch the lecture here!

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MAA students visit the Venice Biennale // Research Trip

By admin | Published: November 16, 2014

The Master in Advanced Acrhitecture 1st and 2nd year students recently travelled to Venice with IAAC Staff and Faculty to visit the Biennale, the 14th International Architecture Exhibition, Fundamentals, directed by Rem Koolhaas.

Have a look at some of the pictures of the trip taken by the 2014 IAAC Photography Competition winner Ji Won Jun!

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Wednesday 19th of November // Kengo Kuma // “Smallness” — The world is moving toward small things

By admin | Published: November 12, 2014

KENGO KUMA IMAGE

IAAC Fall Lecture Series 2014

Wednesday 19th of November 2014

Kengo Kuma

Lecture: “Smallness” — The world is moving toward small things

@ 12.00, IAAC Auditorium

Open to the Public

 

KENGO KUMA

Kengo Kuma completed his master’s degree at the University of Tokyo in 1979. After studying at Columbia University as Visiting Scholar, he established Kengo Kuma & Associates 1990. In 2009, he was installed as Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Tokyo.

Among his major works are Kirosan Observatory (1995), Water/Glass (1995, received AIA Benedictus Award), Stage in Forest, Toyoma Center for Performance Arts (received 1997 Architectural Institute of Japan Annual Award), Bato-machi Hiroshige Museum (received The Murano Prize). Recent works include Nezu Museum (2009, Tokyo), Yusuhara Marche and Wooden Bridge Museum (2010), Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center (2012) , Nagaoka City Hall Aore. (2012), and Kabukiza (2013). Outside Japan, Besancon Music Center and FRAC Marseilles have been recently completed.

Kuma is also a prolific writer and his books have been published in English, Chinese and Korean, gaining wide readership from around the world.

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