Study Urbanism in Barcelona

At IAAC, urbanism is explored as a laboratory for rethinking cities. Students learn to combine data, design and community engagement to imagine more equitable and resilient urban futures.

Barcelona itself becomes a living classroom, where real-world challenges connect research, participation and innovation at multiple scales.

Why study Urbanism at IAAC?

Learn from leaders in computational urbanism, ecological design, and spatial justice

Engage with real-world challenges across the Barcelona metropolitan area

Prototype your ideas using advanced digital tools and fabrication labs

The programmes: Two paths into urbanism architecture

At IAAC, Urbanism is explored through two programmes. The Master in Advanced Architecture integrates urban planning and data analytics into experimental design studios, while the Master in AI for Architecture & Business Innovation approaches the city through artificial intelligence, urban technologies and predictive models.

Master in Advanced Architecture

Urbanism at IAAC lives within the Master in Advanced Architecture, where students explore the city as a complex and evolving system. Through the Urban Planning & Data Analytics research studio, they combine sensing technologies, data analysis and participatory methods to build responsive planning frameworks.

The programme connects experimentation with real urban challenges in Barcelona, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration with peers in computation, robotics and ecological design.

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Master in AI for Architecture and Business Innovation

The Master in AI for Architecture & Business Innovation brings a technological perspective to urbanism, focusing on data-driven planning and predictive modelling. Students gain expertise in urban analytics, digital twins and AI simulations, applying them to topics such as contamination mapping, mobility prediction and smart infrastructure. Research projects link these tools with real contexts, advancing new approaches to urban technology and ecological systems.

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Continuing into the Second Year

Both the Master in Advanced Architecture and the Master in AI for Architecture & Business Innovation offer the option to continue into a second year, where students can deepen their research through specialised thesis clusters. These research lines connect advanced methodologies with real-world challenges, from ecological monitoring and biodiversity to AI-driven urban systems and digital twins for cities. The second year provides a platform to transform ideas into consolidated projects, bridging academic exploration with professional practice.

Technical skills

Computational Design

Algorithm-based approach to design solutions

Urban Simulations

Modelling city dynamics for planning insights

Spatial Data Sciencie

Analysing geographic data for informed decisions

Parametric Mapping

Dynamic mapping based on variable parameters

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools to process and synthesise different media

Urban Data Analytics for Collection

Cleaning, transformation, analysis and visualisation

Why IAAC & Barcelona

Barcelona offers an unparalleled setting for urban exploration. The 22@ innovation district concentrates universities, research labs and industry partners, creating a live test-bed for experimentation that connects academia with practice.

Pujades Campus

Home to Fab Lab Barcelona and advanced fabrication infrastructure for rapid prototyping, model-making and digital experimentation. 

Valldaura Campus

A 140-hectare forest campus dedicated to ecological prototyping, construction and full-scale experimentation with bio-based materials.

The Institute

IAAC is an innovative centre dedicated to prototyping the future. We don’t see the future as a distant horizon awaiting us. We understand the present as a moment to influence what comes next. The future is our daily inspiration, our driving force, and our biggest commitment: our minds live in the cities, the technology and the problems of the future. We stand at the intersection of imagination and reality, where every prototype holds the potential to shape the next era of habitat. We are architects of change.

Fee & Scholarships

Review important information regarding our programme fees, average cost of living in Barcelona and scholarships opportunities available for eligible applicants.

Admissions

Our admissions page provides information on everything you need to know about joining IAAC, from programme requirements and the application process to admissions events, information for international students and pre-course opportunities. Dive in to take the first step toward joining IAAC’s innovative community!