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PRACTISE FABRICATION // BRICK WORKS THIN-TILE VAULT // day 6 & 7

admin — Wed, 21 May 2014 20:35:22 +0000

On the last scheduled day on the site, a big effort was made to finish the first layer of bricks, in order for the pavilion to obtain structural integrity and the steel rods to be removed. The weather slowed things down, as varying humidity conditions affected with the behaviour of the fast-setting concrete mixture, while at times rain made it impossible to work on the site. Students and stuff put a lot of effort, while becoming acquainted with this unique catalan technique. Once more, the day ended with a big barbeque. The pavilion is not yet complete, which means more visits will be paid to the site until the completion of the structure.

IAAC LECTURE SERIES: ACHIM MENGES

admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:42:46 +0000

Material Computation

in Architecture

Computation, in its most basic meaning, refers to the processing of information. In this way, both machinic processes operating in the binary realm of the digital, as well as material processes operating in the complex domain of the physical can be considered computational. The lecture will introduce Achim Menges’ work on exploring the territory where machine computation and material computation potentially overlap, where they not simply co-exist but intensely interact in the design process. He will present the related design research – conducted at the Architectural Association, at Harvard University and at his new institute at the University of Stuttgart University over the last ten years – along a series of constructed prototype buildings. This will include the institute’s latest research pavilion, which was entirely constructed by robotic carbon and glass fibre filament winding processes.

ACHIM MENGES lecturing at IAAC on the 3rd of June

admin — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:13:20 +0000

Achim Menges at IaaC

Lecture “Material Computation in Architecture”
3rd of June // 19:30 // IAAC Auditorium // C/Pujades 102 BARCELONA

Achim Menges, born 1975, is a registered architect and professor at University of Stuttgart where he is the founding director of the Institute for Computational Design (since 2008). In addition, he has been Visiting Professor in Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (2009-10), at the AA School of Architecture in London (2009-current) and at Rice University in Houston (2004). Achim Menges graduated with honors from the AA School of Architecture in London (2002) where he subsequently taught as Studio Master of the Emergent Technologies and Design Graduate Program (2002-09) and as Unit Master of Diploma Unit 4 (2003-06).
Achim Menges practice and research focuses on the development of integral design processes at the intersection of morphogenetic design computation, biomimetic engineering and computer aided manufacturing that enables a highly articulated, performative built environment. His work is based on an interdisciplinary approach in collaboration with structural engineers, computer scientists, material scientists and biologists. Achim Menges has published several books on this work and related fields of design research, and he is the author/coauthor of numerous articles and scientific papers. His projects and design research has received many international awards, has been published and exhibited worldwide, and form parts of several renowned museum collections.

Next lectures at IaaC:
Marcos Cruz on the 13th of June

EXPERIMENTAL STRUCTURES COMPETITION

admin — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:01:52 +0000

Can a pavilion inflate its skin and change its configurations according to the event? Can a pavilion be desmountable and so foldable to fit in a hand luggage? Can an exhibition space be adaptable descend from a ceiling and become a sensorial personal experience? Today the Experimental Structures Competition took place and we tried to realize some of this dreams.

The aim of the seminar, leaded by Josep Miàs and Silvia Brandi, is to investigate the extreme possibilities of textile constructions and structures which make them possible. Starting from analyzing existing technologies, we will end up building three pavilions that will be portable and packable, and that can be used as a living space, exhibition room, or meeting point…

The seminar is a technological adventure which counts on the active collaboration of two sector leader enterprises in the field of textile construction:

- SERGE FERRARI: an international producer of flexible composite materials and membranes of high performances for architecture.

- IASO: a company specialized in the engineering and the assembling of uncommon textiles architectures with high technology features.

At the competition exhibition of today each group had to present its ideas through a model of 1 m3. Three models have been chosen to be built in a 1:1 scale and presented on a inauguration party on the 4th of March. You are all invited!!