Barcelona – UNIT 21

Ioana Drogeanu

Towards a ‘Non-Universal’ Architecture: Designing with Others through Gestures (1:1 Scale) | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024ioana.drogeanu.18@ucl.ac.uk Click To See Thesis The project highlights the collaborative potential of digital tools in creating deeply personal and culturally resonant architectural experiences by integrating intangible cultural heritage into tangible forms. By tracing Spanish cultural gestures at a 1:1 scale in VR, we embed personal traces directly into architectural elements. Co-authorship with

Austin McGrath

The Institute of Artificial Intelligence Education | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024austin.mcgrath.22@ucl.ac.uk The Institute is an avant-garde approach to participatory design processes. Conceived as a hyper-contextual latent space, the project harnesses the voices of the very visitors that flock to Gaudí’s renowned Sagrada Familia basilica and its adjacent park – a verdant oasis that offers respite from the Barcelona sun pre- and post-visit. Audaciously sited at the periphery

Jeffrey Cheung

Parque Para Perros Español | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024 jeffrey.cheung.18@ucl.ac.uk Historically, dogs have adapted to human-centric environments, and their intelligence is often evaluated from a human perspective. This project emphasizes the collaboration between humans and dogs in architectural design. It explores the analysis and spatialization of human movements and cues to understand how dogs perceive human movement sequentially, rather than generalizing a set of movements. Human movement

Zijie Cai

Vivir la Utopia: Barcelona Anarchist Memorial | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024zijie.cai.18@ucl.ac.uk Click To See Thesis The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), founded in 1910, marked the rise of Spanish anarchism, which united workers across Barcelona and Spain. Despite the decline of the CNT’s influence during the Franco regime, this project hopes to revive the movement’s legacy in contemporary memory by establishing an anarchist memorial at the former

Jess Georgelin

Metamorph | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024jess.georgelin.20@ucl.ac.uk The Centre for Lepidoptera research sits on the Turo de la Rovira hill overlooking Barcelona. A feedback system was developed as a way of rethinking rapid prototyping tools, where the final outcome was a product of the tool’s process, rather than a fixed outcome. The maker-object system involves objects that are both observers and observed, such as the interpreting apparatus that allows

Yujie Wu

Green-GAN | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024zczlywu@ucl.ac.uk My project explores generative design and machine learning techniques to facilitate sustainable architecture. This process revealed the power of data-driven generative methods for design ideation. Seeking applications in architectural design, I researched climate priorities for Barcelona. This inspired me to devise a novel technique for mapping estimated carbon costs onto architectural plan diagrams. My current approach trains conditional GANs to generate

Wei-Tse (Weitse) Wang

The Infinity Valley | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024weitse.wang.23@ucl.ac.uk With Spain’s ongoing challenges of rising energy costs and the demand for a more independent energy grid, the Infinity Valley represents a beacon of innovation, aiming to mitigate these issues. This project proposes the transformation of Barcelona’s highest mountain, Mount Tibidabo, into a “Battery” by 1 million cubic metres of water. The Infinity Valley incorporates the integration of pumped

Hau To Charmaine Tang

Paintstrokes of Catalonia | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024charmaine.tang.19@ucl.ac.uk Situated on Montjuic Hill in Barcelona, a site embodied with Catalan history, this project celebrates Catalonia’s cultural heritage and artistic tradition through painting as a design process for architecture. Montjuic Hill, once a place where revolutionaries of the Spanish Civil War were imprisoned, executed, and buried, stands as a poignant symbol of the region’s struggle for independence and its

Alexandros Photiou

Corazón De La Comunidad: Sequential Generation | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024alexandros.photiou.22@ucl.ac.uk Located on the “Aguas Park”, in the sequentially created Eixample district of Barcelona, this project proposes a novel approach to a community centre, in which the programme revolves around the creation of a community centre which supports and facilitates the cohabitation and interaction of children and the elderly. By utilizing a series of modular spaces, the proposal

Elle Ngamprasertpong

Swimming Landscape Formation | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024kullaphat.ngamprasertpong.20@ucl.ac.uk The project is a swimming landscape sitting on a hill site overlooking the city center. It is a formation of water landscape following a specific topography. From building scale to human scale, the building is designed following two principles: “viewing angles” and “light reflection”. All elements are designed to be part of the landscape, with water flowing naturally from

Pasathorn Srichaiyongphanich

Terra-Scape | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024pasathorn.srichaiyongphanich.20@ucl.ac.uk “Terra-Scape”, a ceramics gallery integrating greenery within 3D-printed bespoke terracotta systems. The initiative reintroduces buildings as green networks to Barcelona, the city’s rich ceramic tradition, historically valued for its adaptability to the Mediterranean climate. The project focuses on utilizing form and colour variations of bricks to control lights. By utilizing a customized image sampling script, nine 3D-printed brick systems are created to

Alex Perez

La Nova Generalitat Catalana | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024alex.perez.21@ucl.ac.uk In this project, we embark on a meticulous exploration of architectural design at a historically significant location. Our endeavour unfolds within a setting where preserving the existing façade, seating, and sand is paramount, rooted in a rich tapestry of historical relevance. The aim is to seamlessly integrate artificial intelligence with history and tradition, crafting a narrative that honours

Karina Lacraru

Learning The Ropes” – Barcelona Sailing Academy | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024karina.lacaru.22@ucl.ac.uk The project investigates the permanent courtship between sea and land, situating Barcelona’s Port Vell on the coastline of the built-up landscape. The Old Port represented the primary protector against storms, waves, and general inclement weather conditions. My chosen site, ‘Parc de Gossos’, a Dog Park – is currently a green space that functions as a

Wentong (Iris) Feng

Untitled Monuments | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024wentong.feng.21@ucl.ac.uk Nestled within the historical site of Barcelona’s 1888 World Exposition, ‘Untitled Monuments’ is a cultural center dedicated to film conservation and restoration. It uses a unique methodology where film acts as a generative script, determining the survival of image pixel points based on specific parameters. The site, Palacio de les Belles Arts, though demolished, remains significant to Barcelona’s cultural heritage

Yufei Cheng

El Gòtic Plays Itself | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024 yufei.cheng.21@ucl.ac.uk Situated within the historic core of Barcelona, this project conceptualizes a center for Catalan theatre and craftsmanship, drawing on the Spanish proclivity for festivals and theatrical expressions that transmute quotidian street life into elaborate stage settings. The methodology involves documenting and translating the cyclical patterns of seasonal changes, theatrical productions, street festivals, and parades into digitally

Xavier Thanki

Depositing Bodies of Data | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024xavier.thanki.23@ucl.ac.uk ‘Depositing Bodies of Data’ explores how data can be encrypted within a site to respond to climatic instabilities. Addressing the rising risk of flooding in the Ebre Delta, it proposes an inhabitable dunescape that harmonises with nature, to protect the regions culturally and economically vital rice farming industry. The project aims to develop a new architectural language by

Harrison Maddox

NEO-XANADU | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024harrison.maddox.18@ucl.ac.uk As the world experiences more extreme and frequent climatological events, as a direct consequence of the climate crisis, it is estimated that 410 million will be affected by rising sea levels by 2100. The effects of global warming have been accelerated by unsustainable energy production, extreme consumerism and outdated infrastructures & technology. NEO-XANADU is a project that attempts to explore an

Yuna Lee

Whispers in Shadows | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024yiwen.lee.21@ucl.ac.uk Located near Park Güell in Barcelona, my building project aims to provide a dedicated space for archaeological forensics and serve as an institute for learning and advancing knowledge in this field. This endeavor includes preserving artifacts and tracing their origins through time, offering insights into historical living conditions in Barcelona.Additionally, the project involves establishing a museum to exhibit these

Sneha Parashar

Resonant Geometries: The Mechanics of Dance | Barcelona, Spain | Unit 21 | 2024 sneha.parashar.20@ucl.ac.uk Located in the Eixample area of Barcelona, the music and dance department extension for the Maristes La Immaculada school provides an alternate environment for learning the creative arts. The seemingly abstract geometries throughout the building are formed from three different types of rhythms found in flamenco: heelwork, guitar music and vocals, formed through specified TouchDesigner