IaaC Summer School. Finishing Phase 1


International team final review

Scaling up prototypes, beach review and project definition. IaaC Summer School enters in phase two, which consists in the parametric design, testing and production of one to one scale prototypes in informal housing and temporary shelters for intersticial spaces in Caracas city. 40 students from Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas are developing and fabricating new proposals based on the “barrio” technology and digital fabrication equipment at Fab Lab Barcelona in IaaC. The goal will be accomplish next august 11th, with the final review and exhibition of the prototypes produced.
More at: http://www.fablabbcn.org/informalism

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DUNEhouse_gianluca santosuosso

The concept behind the DUNEhouse project is to create a flexible tool* more than a design where the client has the possibility to define his own house. Mainly, the idea is based on a system composed by different volumes where each of them represents a program or a cluster of it (bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, swimming poll, etc.) and the client is able to distribute them on the plot and creating every kind of space and connection that he prefers. The catalogue on the left is showing, from the left, the growth of the house, from step 1 to step 5; and from the top to the bottom, 3 of the, almost infinitive, possibilities of distribution of the house. This system is working with different parameters in order to create the edges in which this tool can operate ( each of them operates following a non-linear logic but an iterative logic). In this project, the most important parameter is the wind, so the base geometry of the house (the sequence of air flow analysis below shows some of the wind test) is organised in order to maximise the wind flow and consequently the natural ventilation inside the building. To increase the effect of this mechanism all the house volumes (made of reinforced and insulated concrete shells) have been thought on the top of small artificial dunes working as thermal mass with the aim to regulate  the income air temperature (diagrammatic section on the left). Moreover, the shell insulation is given by a covering envelope composed by different soil bubbles working as a green wall where the plants are able to grow and consequently regulating the microclimate surrounding the house.

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IaaC Summer School_Fab Labs and Informalism


Faculty Luis Fraguada and Professor Javier Caricatto introducing the courses

IaaC summer school has started on the 19th of June 2010, With previous projects like the HyperHabitat (www.hyperhabitat.net), the FabLab House (www.fablabhouse.com) which were part of the XI Venice Biennale Architecture and The Solar Decathlon Europe respectively, This year the theme is ” FAB LABS AND INFORMALISM – High tech vs. Low Tech, Self Fabrication 2.0” where the study focuses on informal phenomena and possible connections with digital fabrication and associative design.It is a collaboration of IaaC, FabLab BCN and FAU-UCV (Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University Central of Venezuela).

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Reconstruction of the Pier in Burgas, Bulgaria – Week 7 : Final Proposal

Emil Burulyanov


The project concluded with a clear proposal for a series of ramps, creating a fluid pathway around the existing pier, easing access from lower and providing additional access from the upper alley level. Through programmatic, volumetric and spacial studies, each of the ramps was manually manipulated to extend or contract providing each of the prospective activities with the right amount of square meters. Gradually zoning and colouring programmatic activities, resulted in a proposed colouration of the ramps themselves, simultaneously marking activities and parting the aesthetic outlook of the ramps and increasing the sense of flow and homogeneous structure. Speculations and manipulations of the pier’s shape and volume resulted in expanded space for fishing and boat birthing, picnic and sunbathing, and stage/performance areas.


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IaaC GRADUATION CEREMONY YEAR 2009/2010

Iaac community during graduation ceremony

IaaC Academic year has come to an end. The Masters class has finished, students have finished the nine months full of intense classes, workshops and courses, the Fablab House research and Fab Academy have also finished.With a lot of events and happenings in the school this year – FabLab House, Dhub exhibition, Smart Geometry workshop amongst others – IaaC has been an experience for both Faculty and students.  The IaaC community had students from more than 28 different countries coming from every continent to participate in these various courses. This provided the opportunity for all to have different experiences in terms of culture and academics.

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Master Project III: Multiple Results_Final Presentations


Multiple Results – Derived as process-based designs by using the tools provided by the new means of technology and know how, students presented their work With Jordi Pagès i Ramon and Lluis Viu and guest critics Faculty Marta Malé-Alemany, faculty Areti Markopoulou, faculty Olaf Gipser and guests Eduardo Gutierrez from On-a architects www.on-a.es and Denis Maher www.assembledcityfragments.com ,they presented their work, which also opened discussions on how far one can push a design or a system to make it work for the user as well as the designer. Each project varied from design of hotels, bridges, housing log details, and structural systems.

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Master Project Theme IV: Contextualizing Digital fabrication_Final Presentations

Master Project Theme IV has finished off with students presenting their works to Tutors Olaf Gipser, Marta Malé-Alemany and guest critics Dana Cuff  from  UCLA  www.spa.ucla.edu/dept.faculty, Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto from Ecologic Studio www.ecologicstudio.com. Opening up different aspects of conversations while presentations were taking place, Students works were various topics with different approaches. The FabBots have evolved theoretically as well as contextually, material systems and script based fabrication technologies have also been explored to their limits.

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