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Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia: The Latest Architecture and News

IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic

Students at the Digital Matter Intelligent Constructions studio at Barcelona's Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia have created a composite facade material of clay and hydrogel, which is capable of cooling building interiors by up to 6 degrees centigrade. Entitled Hydroceramic, the material utilizes the ability of hydrogel to absorb up to 500 times its own weight in water to create a building system that "becomes a living thing as part of nature and not outside of it."

Read on after the break for more on how Hydroceramic works.

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IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic - Image 1 of 4IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic - Image 2 of 4IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic - Image 3 of 4IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic - Image 4 of 4IaaC Students Develop a Passive Cooling System from Hydrogel and Ceramic - More Images+ 8

IAAC Invents a Family of Robots to 3D Print Structures of Any Size

One of the major challenges in translating 3D Printing technology into architecture has been the issue of scale. So far, this has generally resulted in ever larger printers, with one of the most successful examples being the KamerMaker, which has been used to 3D print a Dutch Canal House in 2x2x3.5 metre chunks. However, recognizing the limitations on the size of 3D printers, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) has developed a family of three small, mobile robots which together can print a structure of any size.

Read on after the break for more on the process.

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4th Advanced Architecture Contest: CITY-SENSE

4th Advanced Architecture Contest: CITY-SENSE - Featured Image

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and HP are pleased to announce the 4th Advanced Architecture Contest, on the theme of CITY-SENSE: Shaping our environment with real-time data.