Tag: iaac | ArchDaily

Introducing the 75 Finalists of the 2026 ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards

Daniela Porto — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Two weeks and over 85,000 nominations later, the finalists of this year's Building of the Year Awards are in. The selection is much like the ArchDaily audience that chose it: diverse in geography, generous in ideas, and precise in intent. With projects from 46 countries, in a variety of typologies and scales, they present a beautiful snapshot of the current architectural moment.

Of a Feather: The Hidden Architecture of Bird Watching

Olivia Poston — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Around the world, a passionate community of bird watchers, from novice observers to seasoned ornithologists, is drawn to the subtle movements, distinct calls, and remarkable migrations of birds. This global fascination has led to the creation of thoughtfully designed spaces by architects and designers, enhancing the bird-watching experience while respecting the ecological landscapes in which they are placed.

Small Structures, Big Impact: 4 Rural Prototypes for a Changing Planet

Miwa Negoro & Susanna Moreira — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Facing an interconnected planetary climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion, regenerative design emerges as a pathway toward building resilient and ecologically attuned rural futures. At the intersection of architecture, agriculture, and local ecosystems, new models of resilient, self-sufficient agricultural practices are emerging. These projects are not grand industrial systems but small-scale, precise, and deeply contextual architectural interventions that create spaces that foster sustainable cultivation while respecting environmental rhythms, local materials, and community knowledge.

Cabins in Spain: Small-Scale Accommodations in Natural Settings

Agustina Iñiguez — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Amid coasts, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges, Spain’s natural environment encompasses a wide variety of climates, topographies, and vegetation species. Aiming to raise global awareness of the impact of construction on the environment and the importance of addressing climate change through new ways of creating architecture, several architectural practices and research teams are exploring the design of cabins or small-scale lodging prototypes. While capable of integrating harmoniously with their surrounding natural context, they also demonstrate strategies for self-sufficiency, resource utilization, and space maximization, as well as broad applications of innovative technologies and material solutions adapted to each region.

Climate-Responsive Temporary Pavilions: Exploring 4 Ephemeral Structures across Europe

Nour Fakharany — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Pavilions offer architects a unique opportunity to experiment, serving as compact spaces that push the boundaries of design and spatial concepts. Free from many conventional functional constraints, these structures allow for artistic expression and the testing of new technologies. Pavilions often act as living laboratories of architecture, positioned in public or cultural contexts. They transform their surroundings into interactive, memorable experiences, providing a stage for architects to showcase their most innovative ideas. In recent years, climate responsiveness has emerged as a crucial focus in pavilion design. By using temporary structures as a testing ground for more sustainable practices, architects can experiment with alternative materials and environmentally conscious approaches that address the climate crisis.

Manifesta 15: Barcelona Metropolitana Confirms its Program and the Complete List of Participants for its Next Edition

Paula Pintos — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 04:30:00 +0000

The city of Barcelona and the region are preparing to host Manifesta, the European nomadic biennial of art, architecture, and urbanism, which will celebrate its 15th edition on September 8, 2024. The event will take place in twelve cities over twelve weeks, where an extensive list of participants will materialize projects aimed at reimagining the future through art and architecture.

10th Advanced Architecture Contest – AI for the Built Environment

Rene Submissions — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:20:00 +0000

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) calls its 10th Advanced Architecture Contest as a global reflection to explore the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the built environment. This competition aims to inspire participants to envision novel applications of AI mixed with non-AI tools that can shape the future of architecture, urban planning, and design.

Design disciplines have evolved from material-focused to data-centric, driven by the digital revolution over the last three decades. The 90s introduced the internet, connecting people and information globally. The 00s saw the rise of online platforms, while the 10s witnessed the proliferation of

Mass Is More: An Installation Brings the Innovation of Industrialized Wood Construction to the Barcelona Pavilion

Mili Sánchez Azcona — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 04:30:00 +0000

On the 4th of October, the temporary installation "Mass is More", a project designed by Daniel Ibáñez and Vicente Guallart, from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), together with Alan Organschi from Bauhaus Earth (BE), was presented at the Barcelona Pavilion. It was open to the general public from the 1st to the 9th of October.

How to Build with Zero-Kilometer Wood? The Experience of The Voxel in Barcelona

Fabian Dejtiar — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Zero kilometer materials can be purchased locally, do not need to be transformed by large stages of industrial processing or toxic treatments and, at the end of their service life, they can be returned to the environment.

Design for Living: Global Contest to Rethink our Habitat, from the Body to the City

Rene Submissions — Tue, 05 May 2020 12:27:00 +0000

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) calls its 8th Advanced Architecture Contest as a global reflection to rethink human habitats, at a time when the fight for life and climate allows us to consider how we would like to live in the coming decades.

The contest encourages participants to propose a design related to their way of life, at the scale that most interests them from our bodies to the city, anywhere in the world, and that reflects different cultural, environmental, economic or social conditions.

The 3 Prizes (total value: 62.250 EUR) will be distributed at the discretion of the

OTF 3D Printing: Scholarship - IaaC

Rene Submissions — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 12:34:00 +0000

On behalf of IAAC, I’m glad to announce to you that the OTF:3D Printing Architecture program has extended the application deadline until April 19th for 2 FULL scholarships for next academic year. This is a great opportunity to learn about novel technologies for sustainable design and construction, thanks to additive manufacturing.

With the scholarship program we want to strengthen relations with local Universities or Research Centers in interesting contexts such as Moçambic, Zimbabue, Angola, Etiopia, Tanzania, Somalia, Angola, Camerun, Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya and many more. It's a long term project, that wants to establish long and strong relations

Call for Extended Abstract and Poster Submissions - Responsive Cities Symposium: Disrupting Through Circular Design

Rene Submissions — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 11:30:00 +0000

Responsive Cities is a bi-annual international symposium on the future of cities organized by the Advanced Architecture Group of IAAC. The 2019 edition focuses on “Disrupting through Circular Design” within the framework of the Creative Food Cycles (CFC) project, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and developed by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the Leibniz University of Hannover and the University of Genoa.

IAAC Global Summer School 2019 (GSS19) - Becoming | Applications Open!

Rene Submissions — Thu, 09 May 2019 16:37:00 +0000

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is pleased to inform you about the launch of Global Summer School 2019 - Becoming, 12th edition of the international summer educational program about the future of our cities, that will take place in Barcelona and in other nodes worldwide simultaneously from the 1st to the 14th of July 2019.

The Global Summer School (GSS) is a platform defined by ambitious, multi-scalar investigation on the implications of emergent techniques in our planned environments. Each year, international teams located in key cities around the globe explore a common agenda with projects deeply

Scholarships Programme Announced for the Academic Year 2019/20

Rene Submissions — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:57:00 +0000

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia has just launched its new Scholarships Programme, giving our applicants the possibility to participate and win any of the three partial scholarships covering 50%, 30% or 20% of the tuition fee of the first year of any Educational Programme.

Master in Advanced Architecture (MAA)
Master in City & Technology (MaCT)
Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction (MRAC)
Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings (MAEB)
Master in Design for Emerging Futures (MDEF) in collaboration with ELISAVA
Open Thesis Fabrication (OTF)

Each programme proposes a competition with a topic related to the contents of its courses. The deadline for submitting projects is February

IAAC Scholarships & Internships Offers for the Master in Robotics & Advanced Construction (MRAC)

Rene Submissions — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:57:00 +0000

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IaaC) is pleased to introduce you the new Master of Robotics and Advanced Construction (MRAC) and related scholarships and internship opportunities for students offered by our Institute.

Scholarship for IaaC's Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings

Rene Submissions — Mon, 28 May 2018 12:00:00 +0000

IAAC and BAD are launching 5 scholarships of 30% of fee for the Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings addressed to students and young architects from all Arab countries.

The objective is to boost innovation in architecture in the Arab world to create a team willing to make great innovative projects. Winners of the scholarships will have to collaborate in projects during 30% of their working time in Barcelona, at Valldaura Labs.

The Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings is a 12-month immersive academic program with an emphasis on using a practice-orientated approach to train professionals with advanced expertise in the design and construction

Architecture City Guide: 20 Places Every Architect Should Visit in Madrid

Miguel Picado — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Madrid is unfathomable. If the city itself is immense, it´s examples of interesting architecture are overwhelming. For over a half a century, Madrid has been an experimental laboratory for modern and contemporary architecture in Spain. With numerous examples of innovative and experimental architecture, as well as many failures, few of which are valued and recognized. This selection seeks to show archetypal examples of architecture that have transcended time; it does not intend to be an exhaustive list of the city´s architectural works. Many will think that the list lacks important buildings and personally, I couldn´t agree more. That is perhaps the beauty of Madrid: there is a diversity of opinion, there are thousands of sites to see, the city surprises you with every step you take.

5 Passive Cooling Alternatives Using Robotics and Smart Materials

IAAC — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

The IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) has developed a series of advanced materials and systems for air conditioning and passive ventilation, allowing homes to reduce interior temperatures up to 5 degrees lower while saving the electricity consumption caused by the traditional air-conditioning. The systems are made from long-lifespan materials, which lower the costs of maintenance in the long-term and can be used as low-cost alternative building technologies.