It was a pleasure to teach the Environmental and Structural Design Studio as part of the Master in Advanced Computational Design for Architecture (2025/26) at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, alongside
@lucia.leva and
@ladlaukik . Throughout the term, we explored bottom-up design workflows using Rhino and Grasshopper, with a particular focus on the WASP and Monoceros plugins. These tools supported investigations into rule-based aggregation, part growth, and wave function collapse, paired with multi-objective optimization techniques that students were developing in parallel modules.
The studio focused on situating architecture within extreme environments across the globe, classified as wet, wind, hot, and cold. Students began by carefully understanding these environmental contexts before developing building “recipes” capable of adapting to their specific climatic conditions.
Many thanks to our guest jury members
@carloslorayunen ,
@jcheng0105 ,
@deniz.krause , and
@janpernecky for joining us and offering thoughtful, generous, and rigorous feedback, sharing their expertise and deep knowledge in ways that are sure to enrich the student's paths going forward.
And of course, thank you to our students. This was an intense and technically demanding term, and it was inspiring to see how each of you rose to the challenge with curiosity, rigor, and ambition.
More information on final projects can be found here on the IAAC blog:
/projects/macad-master-in-advanced-computation-for-architecture-and-design/?course_name=macad-25-
2025 PROJECTS
Helsinki (Cold, WASP): Merihaus: Sea Urban Escapes for Seasonal Living
Harbin (Cold, Monoceros): The Harbin Code
Ulaanbaatar (Cold, WASP): A Breath in the Frost
Chihuahua (Hot, Monoceros): Geomorphing Terrascape: Dignifying Informal Praxis
Jeddah (Hot, Monoceros): Morphing Sands
Cordoba (Wind, Monoceros): Aerialis
Punta Arenas (Wind, WASP): The Huddle: Wind-Adaptive Research Hub
Reykjavik (Wind, WASP): Tectonic Hub: A Climate-Adaptive Recipe for Cultural Hubs
Bangkok (Wet, Monoceros): Monsoon Nest: Living Between Flood and Sky
Jakarta (Wet, WASP): Floating Grounds
(images use the order above)
