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IAAC Global Summer School: Final Presentations

iaac — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:03:11 +0000

Yesterday at 13:00h in Barcelona (and 16:00h Mumbai), students in the IAAC Global Summer School began their final presentations after 15 days of hard work and preparation. Their goal: turn a city “SuperBlock” into an intelligently connected system of distributed information.

The Global Summer School students from Barcelona were split into 6 groups, each group was assigned one block that was part of the Barcelona “SuperBlock” they were analyzing (students in Mumbai were split into 3 groups with 3 blocks). At the beginning of the workshop the groups analyzed the levels of consumption for each block (energy, water, CO2 emissions, etc) taking into consideration the various types of buildings and residents of each block (commercial, industrial, residential, vacant buildings, public space, etc). With the data collected they were able to make recommendations as to how each block could become more efficient, not just on its own, but acting in conjunction with the other blocks within SuperBlock. This is a sample of a network that could be applied to an entire city in the future where the city working together as whole can be more efficient than the sum of its parts.

The Interactive Model

To demonstrate the effect of each proposal in its interaction within the SuperBlock, students created an interactive model which calculated the various levels of 5 calculations:

1. Environmental Data: Light, Temperature, CO2 emissions
2. The block’s global role, how much activity takes place on the block
3. Water Consumption
4. Energy Consumption
5. Energy Generation

By assigning a value to each input the students were able to rate their block on a 6 point scale (Optimum as the highest and Very Low Efficiency the lowest) which was represented by a colored system in the interactive model. The interactive model was made up of a network of Arduino boards with light sensors displaying the color status of each portion of the block, all connected to data input dials. As the inputs (resource consumption and generation) for each block changed, so did the color (efficiency level) of each block within the SuperBlock.

Congratulations to all of the students in Barcelona and Mumbai on their hard work for the past 15 days!

About the IAAC Global Summer School
The IAAC Global Summer School (GSS) is testing a distributed educational model seeking to generate a dynamic network based on distributed knowledge and collective actions.

IAAC GSS is taking place simultaneously in Barcelona, Turin and Mumbai. Students located in Barcelona (IAAC) and Mumbai (BSSA) will work under the same thematic research sharing seminars as well as broadcasted lectures from Barcelona, Mumbai, Turin, and Texas.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Throughout the program students will work in collaboration with many experts in the fields of environmental research and information technology including: Urbiotica, Masimo Banzi (Arduino), Usman Haque (Pachube), Thales Alenia Space, Nikos Salingaros, Dhananjay Gadre, Andrew Pane, Carlo Ratti (MIT SENSEable City Lab), Autodesk, McNeel Europe, and more.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: BSSA Mumbai

iaac — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:09:35 +0000

This year, the IAAC Global Summer School (GSS) implemented a distributed educational model which generated a dynamic network based on distributed knowledge and collective actions. This network consisted of collaboration with various experts and professionals around the world including Dipal Kothari-Chhaya and Atrey Chhaya, who led the student group at the Balwant Sheth School of Architecture in Mumbai, and Cesare Griffa who collaborated with both groups from Turin through lectures and presentations.

While students at IAAC in Barcelona were exploring ways to make their BCN SuperBlock more efficient, the students in India were tasked with the same for their own Mumbai SuperBlock. Throughout the summer school, students in Mumbai took part in all of the various tutorials for Ecotect, Rhino, Grasshopper, and Arduino via web conferencing as they prepared their proposals for the final project.

Students in both locations took part in all of the Open Lectures that were broadcasted live from various locations around the world including: Barcelona, Turin, and the United States.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: Preparing for final presentations

iaac — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:32:46 +0000

Students of the IAAC Global Summer School are working hard in preparation for tomorrow’s final presentations. This week students have been focused on the digital fabrication and construction of their proposed models for the section of the Barcelona SuperBlock they have been assigned.

The Summer School students will present tomorrow at 12:00h at IAAC before a guest jury of Marta Malé-Alemany (IAAC, Co-Director MAA) Willy Müller (IAAC, Co-Director MAA) Lucas Cappelli (Director, Advanced Architecture Competition), Antoni Brey (URBIOTICA) and Andreu Ulied (MCRIT).

(Above: Testing of the connected nodes of the interactive model)

Final Open Lectures of the Global Summer School Series

The Global Summer School Lecture Series finished this week with lectures by Enric Ruiz-Geli (pictured above), Andrew Payne (LIFT Architects) and Usman Haque (Pachube). Each of the lectures in the series was related to the technology or ideas that the students are applying to their final projects. The goal of the IAAC Open Lecture Series is open these discussions to the public and to share ideas.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: Building a “smart” city

iaac — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:12:46 +0000

(Above: Arduino Hub Board)

After yesterday’s lecture with Massimo Banzi, co-creator of Arduino, the Global Summer School students began their Arduino Tutorials, led by instructor Alex Posada. Students are learning how to use arduino with the intention to implement strategies that will transform built environments into “smart” information systems.

The summer school projects are focused on using different technologies and “smart” ideas that could optimize the different network layers in their Barcelona SuperBlock. Students are applying these ideas to the city scale as well as to the scale of an individual citizen.

(Above: Arduino tutorial with Alex Posada)

Open Lecture- Maria Huidobro (Urbiotica)
Maria Huidobro from Urbiotica talked about Smart Cities and the different projects that Urbiotica is currently developing in cities such as Barcelona, Nice, and Figueres. In these cities, Urbiotica is using sensors that capture data that, in real time, can effect different layers of the urban network and its function. Cities expand and overpopulate while resources become limited. “Smart” cities, according to Urbiotica, can lead towards more efficient systems.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: Student Presentations

iaac — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:37:32 +0000

Week 2 of the IAAC Global Summer school began on Monday morning with students jumping right into their Rhino and Grasshopper tutorials with Jacek Markusiewicz. Over the weekend each group continued analysis of their assigned blocks, building a greater understanding how it fits within the Barcelona SuperBlock and the rest of the city. This analysis was in preparation for group presentations which took place on Monday evening.

The six groups presented their preliminary results of their observations and environmental analysis using data derived from Ecotect, the consumption table, as well as data collected over the weekend using the Ambient Sensor Kits. After each group presented, each of the six groups were assigned a specific function within the SuperBlock.

(Above: Energy consumption analysis of one of the blocks within the Barcelona SuperBlock.)

Arduino Boards

Each group was given an Arduino board which will be used when they create their interactive model. The interactive model will be based on these customized boards developed in collaboration with FabLabBCN and Hangar.org. The boards are arduino compatible and are designed to use CAN bus as communication protocol.

On the Border- Adrian Luchini

Above: Monday afternoon, summer school students and guests attended the open lecture of Adrian Luchini (LUCHINIAD). Luchini discussed how he strives to make landscape part of the interior of his projects.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: Site Analysis

iaac — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:17:21 +0000

(Above: Tomas Diez, Project Manager in the Fab Lab BCN talking about Ambient Sensor Kits)

Today students completed their third and final day of an Ecotect Tutorial and have begun site analysis of the Barcelona and Mumbai SuperBlocks they have been assigned for the project. The summer school students in Barcelona spent the afternoon capturing data from their site using an Ambient Sensor Kits (ASKits). ASKits are equipped with GPS antenna, Co2 sensor, light sensor, movement and temperature sensors, that allow to the user to capture and storage data into a memory card, while is scanning the city through paths. (ASKits at Smart Geometry 2011)

(Above: Ambient Sensor Kits)

(Above: Location of Barcelona SuperBlock to be analyzed by students at IAAC)

(Above: Mumbai SuperBlock to be analyzed by students at BSSA)

(Above: Student Groups at IAAC in Barcelona begin their site analysis)

Supporting Life in Space

Above: Yesterday the Global Summer School had a live video lecture with Giorgio Boscheri from Thales Alenia Space. From Turin, Italy, Giorgio discussed the challenges humans have faced visiting and sustaining life in space and what can be learned and applied to the way we live on Earth.

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.

Follow the summer school blog at: www.iaac.net/globalschool

IAAC Global Summer School: First Day

iaac — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:08:28 +0000

Today, led by Areti Markopoulou, Director of the IAAC Global School, and Tomas Diez, Project Coordinator for the Fab Lab BCN, IAAC welcomed students participating in the 2011 IAAC Global Summer School, Self rchitecture, for the first day of class. All activities for the day were broadcasted live in Mumbai where students at The Balwant Sheth School of Architecture (BSSA) will be collaborating simultaneously with students in Barcelona. The group working in Barcelona is made up of 20 students from 14 different countries, spanning 5 continents.

On the first day of class, students were introduced to the goals of the project as well as taking part in a workshop using Ecotect. Over the next two weeks the Summer School will be exploring how information affects the construction of the physical world, and how cities and their built elements can be seen as informational architecture systems.

(Above: Areti Markopoulou and Tomas Diez giving and introduction of Global Summer School 2011)

Selfrchitecture is an agenda, with both research and educational goals, that combines science and technology with architecture and urban planning.