The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is proud to announce that the installation “Connected Ecologies” won the competition for the Model Award for Architectural Experimentation > Digital Architecture.
The winning project Connected Ecologies, submitted by Mathilde Marengo, IAAC Head of Studies, and Iacopo Neri, IAAC Alumni and Faculty in Computational Urban Design, is a web based platform that will allow the visitors of MODEL Festival to navigate a sensorial experience of ecological connectivity in Barcelona through their geolocation. The second edition of MODEL will take place in Barcelona from the 20th to the 30th of April 2023.
Based on the goals for ecological connectivity for Barcelona set out in the Nature Plan (2021-2030) of the City Council of Barcelona and the work of the IAAC Advanced Architecture Group in the development of a computer-aided ecological connectivity for urban design within climate change adaptation, the Connected Ecologies platform merges these goals with their simulation within the cityscape of Barcelona.
The platform will allow users to connect and have a sensorial experience of what the city would be like should these goals have already been met. Specifically, should the users connect with their headphones to their mobile devices, they will be able to listen to the soundscape for the specific location they find themselves in should the goals have been met, and according to what vegetation can in fact be feasibly developed according to their specific location, thanks to the data generated through the Computer-aided ecological connectivity computational pipeline, presented at ACADIA 2022.
The goal of the Connected Ecologies platform is to give citizens an understanding of different sensorial experiences related to the implementation of ecological connectivity strategies within the dense urban environment. Being a web based platform, the citizens will only need their mobile device, and internet connection in order to have the experiences, as well as possibly having headphones, for their experience to be a more immersive one.
About MODEL. Barcelona Architectures Festival
MODEL. Barcelona Architectures Festival (Model) is the most recent experimental and visionary architecture festival in the global framework of cultural events. The project was founded by Barcelona City Council and the Architects’ Association of Catalonia in 2022. This year, it is being run through the Fundació Mies van der Rohe.
With the aim of showcasing the independent work of local and international creators, the festival has invited architects, cultural researchers and curators to take part in the 2023 Model Awards and join the creative team managing this major Barcelona event. The Model Awards for Architectural Experimentation are given to groups and individuals and consist of a sum of money and an opportunity to think up and design one of the installations, augmented realities, curated projects or experimental projects to feature in the 2023 edition of Model in Barcelona.
