IAAC Scholarship Competition

Please follow the specific instructions of the Master program of your interest below:

The submission must consist of one horizontal A3 page in PDF format, including a short explanatory text of no more than 100 words.The proposal should be visually driven, combining renders, diagrams, drawings, images, or maps to clearly and effectively communicate the concept.

In addition, we would like applicants to prepare a short video to complement their PDF submission, where they can explain their ideas clearly. We suggest a maximum duration of 1-2 minutes to keep it concise and focused, highlighting the key points of their concept.

TBC

Title: After the Pavilion

Description: This brief responds to a recent real-world event: the dismantling of the Osaka Expo Pavilion, one of the largest wooden structures ever built, with most of its material currently planned for use as biomass.

Applicants are asked to propose a systematic strategy for the reuse of the pavilion’s wooden components, imagining alternative futures beyond energy recovery.

The proposal does not need to design a single building that consumes all the material. Instead, applicants should focus on:

• Developing a reuse system, framework, or methodology
• Identifying where, how, and by whom the wood could be reused
• Proposing a strategy that could be replicable or scalable beyond this specific case

We propose to have different submission requirements for architects and non-architects:

Visual Submissions (Architect / Design Background)

• Format: PDF
• Sheet Size: A3 landscape
• Number of Sheets: minimum 1, maximum 2 pages
• Content: Collages, diagrams, plans, sections, 3D views, plus short supporting text

Textual Submissions (Non-Architects / Research Focus)

• Format: PDF or Word

Word Count: 1,000–1,500 words

“AI Building Generation” – Can buildings be generated by AI?

Elaborate a critical proposal questioning if AI could ever generate buildings beyond just images and shapes but with all of their level of detail and complexity. Identify the current challenges and propose a feasible future backed with technical details of how this can be done with the help of computational design and BIM.

Format:

1 (one) PDF document in A4 format, 3 pages max (max 8MB), vertical orientation. It should include: explanatory text, images and diagrams supporting the proposal.

1 (one) minute video / reel explaining the proposal. Please note that the video / reel submission is not mandatory, although it would positively the evaluation criteria.

For the Master in Design for Emergent Futures, applicants are invited to submit a short video presenting their personal research interests and future intentions within the program.

This exercise allows us to understand what are your topics of interest, how you position yourself critically, and how you translate ideas into action.

In your video, clearly address the following three points:

1. Your Topic of Interest
   What is the main topic, question, or field you would like to explore during the MDEF programme?

2. Your Positioning
   How do you personally relate to this topic?
Why is it relevant for you, your background, your context, or your future goals?

3. Your First Actions
   What are the first concrete actions you would take to start this exploration if you joined MDEF?
(e.g. experiments, research directions, tools, collaborations, fieldwork, prototypes, questions)

We are not evaluating polished production, we are interested in clarity of thinking, critical positioning, and capacity for action.

 

Technical Specifications

Duration

* Maximum length: 90 seconds (1 minute 30 seconds)

Format & Orientation

* Orientation: Vertical (9:16)

File Size

* Maximum file size: 300 MB