Research Studio I – Emergent Territories Final presentations

By iaac | Published: May 14, 2010



With the model of the projects they have worked upon, students presented their proposal for Mumbai to invited guests Trilochan Chhaya( Dean of  BSSA, Mumbai) ,  Ethel Baraona Pohl (Editor), Marc García Duran ( Working with Ferrer Foundation, India & Housing Projects in Barcelona),  François Guisan  (Environment Engineer for Sustainability), Faculty Luis Falcon and Hemant Purohit and to their fellow students.
 There were discussions on how adaptable a city could be, and what it should look like, its Sustainability, economics, social and cultural aspects were all discussed about. Students  have also published a book on their research and have also provided  a scaled 3d milled project proposal on the city of mumbai.

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RSIII. Digital Tectonics (FAB)BOTS – Final Presenations

By iaac | Published: May 14, 2010



   The final presentations for the design research studio ended with MAA students presenting their works, to invited guest Mara Balestrini (Communicator / Microsoft),  Borja Martinez(Art Director,www.losiento.net),  Olaf Gipser( Architect,www.olafgipser.com), Jordi Truco(Architect / hybrid-a.blogspot.com), Carme Romero(Research Director www.hangar.org  Jorge Velazquez (Robotic Engineer  www.pal-robotics.com),  Olga Subiros(Architect / www.programcollective.com), Catalina Pollack (Architect), Esteban Colmenares (Architect), Faculty Marta Malé-Alemany , Victor Vina, Luis Fraguada, Assistant Cesar Cruz Cazares and fellow students.
Overall guests and critics were impressed by the amount of work done by students in the brief amount of time (four months) – This work involved forming a thesis for the development of the machine – the accessibility, adaptability, and specifity of the project. This also includes computation based on scripting, processing and Arduino, material engineering where some made their custom material to suit their machine, to making tools which adhere to the type of material that is made for the situation. seven different projects, seven different outcomes.

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Solar House Under construction In IAAC

By iaac | Published: May 14, 2010



The FabLab House Project (www.fablabhouse.com) is now undertaking construction phase in IAAC main hall. The pieces are being constructed in IaaC and will be transported to Madrid grouped together. The major structure (the machine room and first floor ground areas) have already been constructed, including the roof top sections, making it easier to make the paneling of the roof before putting it up on the structure. Other parts are also being assembled, at a very fast phase.
This assembly will go on through out the month to get it prepared for the Solar Decathlon Europe Competition (www.sdeurope.org), which will take place in Madrid in June 2010.

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Multiple Results

By iaac | Published: May 11, 2010

MULTIPLE RESULTS  Or the exuberant world of possibilities

In the current paradigm of architectural design, scripting and parametric control,
the idea of multiplicity takes a new momentum. Operating within this
paradigm architects claim total control over their process-based designs, they
claim total control over their creative material. A bigger importance is given
to the projects “solution” rather than to the resulting formal structure. No
wonder, since its fascinating to visualise the implicit multiplicity of forms and
structures within the ranges of diff erent parameters.
This exuberance of formal output opens up a world of possibilities that the
studio wants to tab.We are interested in producing multiple versions of single
result. We want to produce a series of a fi nal version, that is, a territory of possibilities.

As architects we have to develop instruments to gain the suffi cient ability
and insight as where to know when a process-based design is to be
declared fi nished. But creating an instrumental layer of information to inform
the process end is not enough. Let others choose, let the client, or
the Jury, decide wich is the fi nal version. We want to suspend the fi nal
decision making.
The studio wants to explore a simple strategy: our result will not be an
individual, but a series of variations of the same individual.

Team: Jordi Pagès i Ramon and Lluis Viu

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Contextualizing

By iaac | Published: May 11, 2010

Contextualizing :digital fabrication methods, devices, and emergent material formations

This master course framework aims at identifying project-specifi c, theoretical
key concepts that lure behind individual approaches and scrutinize and clarify
their critical agenda within the projects’ specifi c cultural milieus of to-be-defi
ned social and environmental contexts. Our group will address projects that
have constructed their conceptual framework around the subject of digital
production. It is open to any students interested in that subject, or those who
have decided to extend their research within the (FAB)BOTS Digital Tectonics
Research Studio.
The intention of the course is to contextualize and instrumentalize fabrication
work on two levels: a) to critically refl ect on it from within theoretical notions
of architectural and cultural discourse, and b) to actualize it within concrete
geographical, social, political, and economic environments.
Digital design and fabrication tools emerged in the 1990’s and was paralleled
with the introduction of Deleuze-Guattarian philosophy in Anglo-Saxon circles
of architectural theory. Common to both is that they mark a paradigm
shift from essentialist thought (based on notions of diff erence in relation to
absolute concepts) to a thinking that embraces an understanding of diff erence
grounded within itself, within its own logic of diff erentiation.

Yet while Deleuzian ontology of becoming emerged out of a tradition of
political critique and activism, its typical appropriation in architectural
circles in what could be called the pre-crisis years of late 1990’s and early
2000’s mostly stripped off its socio-political content and focused entirely
on issues supporting productive technique rather than critical agenda.
Within today’s post-crisis context, it seems timely to re-contextualize the
fascinating cutting-edge advancements of digital fabrication within a
culturally grounded critical and theoretical agenda. For this, a theoretical
framework with texts by Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, Sanford Kwinter,
Manuel De Landa, Bruno Latour and Peter Sloterdijk will be introduced
to, discussed with the participants, and instrumentalized for the development
of the individual thesis work.

Team: Olaf Gipser

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Fab House

By iaac | Published: May 11, 2010

The objective of the module IV thesis project is the development, implementation
and support of prototype self-suffi cient solar house for the Solar Decathlon
‘FabLabHouse’ Europe. The prototype will be constructed entirely in
IaaC premises, pre-assembled here in 20 modules to be transported and assembled
in Madrid, where it will compete from 18th – 28th June against prototypes
developed and implemented by 20 other universities worldwide.
Each student or group applies expertise to each of the technological systems
and construction involved with the house (PV skin, closing facilities, climate,
structure, interior fi nishes, landscaping, logistics …), taking charge of their development,
production , preparation and assembly facilities within IaaC / Fab-
LabBCN
Also, all the team of the module IV thesis project will fl y to Madrid with the
house from the day 8th to 21st (stay costs will be subsidized by IAAC), to participate
in the fi nal assembly of the house and attend the exhibition as well
as the competition weeks, coordinating the visits of public and displaying the technical evidence to the jury.

Each group will have the continuous supervision from each of the researchers
responsible throughout the process. Also, each group will have
external technical advice from a range of experts and project partner
companies.
Each student or group will present on the 21st, a technical report detailing
the systems developed and the techniques and methods of implementation
and optimization employed. Each team will produce a personal
method of recording suitable for the activities carried out throughout
the process.
The house, geometrically defi ned by parametric models, and manufactured
using digital production techniques, aims to reach a model of selfsuffi
ciency based on adaptability and participation. Therefore, making of
the house will best express your thoughts & philosophy.

Team: Solar House team

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The eco-Machinic Apparatus

By iaac | Published: May 11, 2010

While systemic thinking provides the cultural substratum for an understanding of the relationship between cause and effect in the realm of complexity, the discipline of architecture still lacks operational instruments for the organization of complex material transformations [artificial ecologies].

This thesis framework will therefore concentrate on the development of such instrument, the “eco-Machinic Apparatus”, an architectonic platform where technology is embedded in new forms of synthetic life. The”Apparatus” offers the opportunity to incorporate scientific and technical ‘know how’ while testing in real time its effects within the realm of architectural and urban design.

This research framework is organized around the development of the following 3 components:

The Apparatus:

Students will be asked to formulate their initial research hypothesis by extracting from their previous projects: – material properties – organizational principles and logics –energetic and informational flows.

These will be then synthesized in a first working model were the emergent patterns of self organization and potential for systemic self regulation will be explored.

This “Apparatus” will then become the main tool of design research allowing direct evaluation of architectural effects as a result of material and organizational changes; every experimental iteration will lead to a refining of the model and its material qualities, sensing capabilities and behavioral intelligence. As the experiment progresses a more complex behavior can be nurtured and qualitative differences can be appreciated.

LabBook:

While the “Apparatus” provides the main mean of research and architectural expression, the LabBook will be the recording instrument of the research activity. Formatted as a diary, it will register any daily activity, experimental findings, background research, fabrication drawings, comments and thoughts, conceptual and critical arguments. At the end of the course it will be bound as hard covered book.

VideoScenario:

A 2 min. video will be accompanying the final presentation as a mean to recreate a design scenario based on the behavior and performance of the “Apparatus” and its architectural scope and or repercussions. Presented as a conceptual scenario it can integrate ‘extracted scenes’ form research videos, stills or videos form the experiments, as well as staged scenarios of actualization.

A dedicated source of research links and cultural references to support the intern’s work will be made available upon arrival.

For preliminary research:

www.ecologicstudio.com

www.stemcloud.blogspot.com

UNIT BLOG 08/09: http://aainter10.blogspot.com/ UNIT BLOG 07/08:

http://aainter10.wordpress.com/

Team: ecoLogicStudio [Claudia Pasquero, Marco Poletto]

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