This module introduces students to Valldaura Self-Sufficient Lab. It develops a deep exploration of the geographical, climatic, ecological features of the site of future prototyping and experimentation. Including spatial and quantitative data, the goal of this module is to introduce students to the local dynamics of the place. Tree species, soil composition, material cycles, radiation, wind, temperature, humidity, biota, facilities, infrastructures, will be some of the components investigated.

Duration: 1 week

Output: A series of cartographic representations.

Faculty: Jon Minchin

This module playfully develops morphological prototypes derived from heliotropic inputs explored in the previous module. These morphological prototypes respond only to external inputs, regardless of any internal configuration.  This includes radiation as a main parameter but also humidity, temperature and wind flows. These inputs are the only design inputs to start crafting form-oriented prototypes. There is no consideration of any active systems. The goal of this module is to explore design strategies where form follows heliotropic inputs. Questions of compactness, slenderness, expansivity, horizontally, fragmentation, as well as the positionality (over, under, elevated, etc), are exposed to formal transformation by solar, wind and temperature inputs.

Duration: 3 weeks

Output: Catalog of heliomorphic physical models exploring variations

Faculty: Charles Waldheim / Jacobo Garcia Germán

This module develops morphological prototypes derived from thermodynamic inputs. In contrast with the previous module, this is only concerned with internal thermodynamic factors such radiation, convection, conduction, regardless of any external form. The goal is to find out what are the internal forms and spaces that could be created following different thermal flows. This internal exploration with revisited devices such as courtyards, atriums, solar chimneys, double skins, horizontal galleries, diagonal ventilation, etc..

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Catalog of thermodynamic drawings exploring variations

Faculty: Philippe Rahm/Kiel Moe

Considering only the active spatial devices this module adds another layer of transformation to the previous modules. It enhances the performance of building prototypes by critically exploring available and new potential technological devices that could be implemented in the project. Wind turbines, solar panels, responsive facades, digital devices are some of the multiple device explorations possible to be developed and implemented in this module.

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Sectional drawings + Devices model

Faculty: Matthias Shüler / Oscar Aceves

Buildings are bundles of materials and flows that are in constantly flowing in and out of its footprint. This module explores these metabolic systems that support the daily life of buildings to projectively envision new ways of dealing with them. If most of the buildings today have a linear metabolism, consuming resources, energy, water and information and generating waste products and emissions, the potentials to develop the building as a circular metabolism is yet to be fully developed. By looking at water systems, foods, information, carbon emissions, waste products, the goal is to come up with feedback loops that enhance the ecological performance of buildings.

Duration: 4 weeks

Output: Devices/models/diagrams for a circular metabolism of buildings

Faculty: Nikos Katsikis/Uriel Fogué / Jon Minchin / Jochen Schreer

One of the biggest environmental impacts of buildings is its material configuration. This module explores the use of materials that are attentive to environmental impacts. For instance, the manufacturing of one cubic meter of concrete generates twenty-eight times the carbon footprint of the manufacture of a cubic meter of wood. Analysing these aspects will be a key entry to material exploration. In addition, the research on the location of manufacturing and extraction of materials is the central aspect of this module as well. An important part of the environmental impacts of materials come through the transportation from origin to destination. So a local manufacturing of a high intense carbon emission (ceramic) might be more ecological than a distant low intense carbon emission material (wood).

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Cartographies of material geographies and material systems models

Faculty: Jane Hutton/Thomas Sherman

Buildings are made of materials such as concrete, wood, ceramics but the materiality of buildings transcends the material selection itself. This module explores buildings as a material construct whose textures and materiality provides a gestalt unique to any project. Earthy, geographical, ethereal, crystalline, mossy, hairy are some of the approaches to materiality present today. This module explores this material aspiration to create more vivid and materially exuberant building that is something more than an assembly of materials. This workshop will consist in the production of several material prototypes and sculptures.

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Sculpture/model

Faculty: Marta Domenech

After the loading of conditions for the design of ecologically positive buildings, this module explores its structural possibilities. Considering new technological advancements in manufacturing processes as well as in material innovations, this modules formalises the previous exploration in a structural scheme. This section will design, fabricate and test few structural variations of the project. The outcome of this module is a series of digitally fabricated models.

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: 1:10 models

Faculty: Khaled Saleh Pasha /Florian Foerster

An important percentage of the environmental, thermal and ecological performance of a building has to do with the façade. Historically at the centre of the design concerns, today façade design is in many cases the selection of solutions from pre-given catalogues and systems. This module is intended to control the performance of a building through its wall system. By designing the material(s), the arrangement of layers, thickness and its shape, buildings could achieve a much powerful environmental, thermal and ecological performance.

Duration: 3 weeks

Output: 1:1 prototype

Faculty: Salmaan Craig/Jacob Mans/Benjamin Peek/Miquel Rodriguez

With the neoliberal flexibilization of labour regimes and perpetual motion of people between places, this module critically explores how buildings can adapt to new programmatic and functional demands. The goal of this section is to develop hybrid programs that create both functional diversity but also adaptability to new forms of social organization and need. Considering the importance of hybrid programs for buildings but also the different temporal scenarios, this module aspires to position new architectures and buildings within the needs of contemporary society.

Duration: 1 weeks

Output: Photographic essay + diagramming

Faculty: TBD

While the effort of this Master is in the design and prototyping of ecologically driven buildings, this module will address the potential site settings that could be relevant to the project. Envisioning the complete design of the project in a particular place enables to think in questions of density, urban design, landscape architecture. The goal, therefore, is to create larger systems having the eco-buildings as a unit. The goal is to explore potential feedback-loops and couplings with the immediate physical environment from an urban design and landscape architecture perspectives.

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Model + drawings

Faculty: Jesus Vasallo

The last module of will consists of simulation and testing of the project itself. Through powerful means of visualisation, the goal of this module is to back-up the design explorations with quantifiable data. From thermal testing to emergy accounting, to carbon emission measurements, each project is ecologically ranked.

Duration: 2 weeks

Output: Model + drawings

Faculty: David Kennedy