IE School of Architecture & Design Newsletter - May 2022

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STUDYING THE CITY

Studying the city today is very open field and able to propose multiple project strategies for the challenges posed by intense economic and social transformation. We should turn our attention to understanding where the social and economic system is moving to imagine the future and, in this context, to understand the theoretical concerns that inspire new trends in an urban world. 

The book, Modern Architecture and City: A Quick Immersion, published by Tibidabo Publishing, in 2022, explores the foundations of modern architecture and its role in shaping the city of tomorrow. Cities and their architecture are subject to intense pressure due to phenomena deriving from globalization, such as the transformation of physical and virtual forms of communication. Information and financial systems for capital develop more easily, affecting cities in very short time frames. 

There is a certain tendency to think globalization as a standardizing force that it is making all cities look alike. But, as such, big cities experience transfromations where depending on each one's history, its tradition of urban planning and forms of government the influence of this globalizing trend has very different results. 

There is strong criticism of its impact on climate change and the harmful effects on development that sometimes does not respond to the real demands of society. Even the phenomena of pandemics, such as COVID-19 and its impact around the world forces us to understand the advances in health that have occurred globally; but likewise, we must think about the development of telecommuting, with more adaptable spaces. But it is also true that globalization brings about some architectural paradigms that are sometimes presented as "hits" that are uncritically repeated. 

Nevertheless, there is room for a critical response to this dominant globalization, and it is wise to consider the emergence of interesting alternatives to the "mainstream." By developing and putting forth the concept of Advanced Modern Architecture having part of its initial ambitions, but facing the challenging issues of our society, then we can see new roles of city design as great contribution to create a better future. 

Prof. Joan Busquets

Urban planner, urban designer, architect, author, and professor at Harvard-GSD

The impact of logistics in cities

Applied research has a fundamental role in helping us deal with the complexities that characterize cities and to lay the groundwork for future research projects that will bring us one step closer to full understanding of the issues. Logistics, the necessary moving of goods, materials, and supplies, is a crucial aspect of our cities in many ways. Yet, it is often taken for granted or we do not perceive its impacts, whether positive or negative. Therefore, in June we will present the report "The Impact of Logistics in Cities," an IE Center for Sustainable Cities initiative, together with Prologis, to analyze and evaluate the impact of strategies, actions, and planning policies to make a positive impact on the urban environment while maintaining the efficiency and functionality of the logistics network.

If you wish to receive the research paper, please, sign up below.

The city as our laboratory

On May 5 at 7pm, our students gathered at the Madrid Longchamp store on 56 Serrano Street, to present what they had been working on for the past months: proposals to help the French luxury brand to find novel ways of associating its name with young consumers.

The presentation was the icing on the cake of the elective course "Communicating through objects: Experiencing Luxury", taught by Saskia Bostelmann, during which students have been able to act as 360-degree consultants of the brand.

As part of the course, students worked hand in hand with the company's professional team in Madrid, focusing on the evolving needs of consumers, current challenges of the luxury environment, and undertook hand-craft exercises to understand non-verbal communication through objects.

Cross-disciplinary action needed

Sustainable city-making is only possible if we approach the city as an ecosystem. In order to do that, it is important to understand how to achieve multi-disciplinary collaboration within all the sectors that have an impact on our urban environment.

In this video conversation with Amanda Ferber from Architecture Hunter and Dean Martha Thorne, Stefano Boeri - Italian architect, urbanist, academic and politician - helps us understand how to put people together to create better architecture and city-making.

Boeri has served as Councilor for Culture, Fashion and Design of the Municipality of Milan from 2011 to 2013. During the post-earthquake reconstruction works in central Italy, Stefano Boeri was appointed Urban Planning Expert Consultant.

In 2019 he presented Green Urban Oases at the UN Summit on Climate Action in New York, a project jointly created with the FAO, C40, and UN-Habitat. His policy-making experience can inspire us to find new ways of making a positive change in the built environment.

New models pushing cities forward

As more and more of the world's population move to cities, we must implement new models like the circular and shared economies to ensure these urban centers become sustainable, livable, and fair, says Martha Thorne, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design.

How do we use our resources in the best way? In this video, she shares possible solutions that would have a good impact on the future of cities and explains how we must take a more holistic view and recognize that everything is connected.

"It is the age of seeing cities as ecosystems", she adds.

Exploring architectural language through AI

Our MBArch alumni Jennifer Durand has not stopped innovating in architecture since completing her master's program. Together with her OLA (Online Lab of Architecture) team, she launched The Power of Data, an exhibition created in a virtual building, conceived by three-dimensional geometries based on various artificial intelligence algorithms. It is an immersive and interactive experience, as it allows the simultaneous connection of different users in the virtual space. An in-depth study of the spaces, sounds, lighting, dynamic textures, and types of routes that enhance sensations and interactions between the user and the building was carried out.

If you want to know more, Jennifer will be representing IE A&D Dean's Pick session at the Global Alumni Weekend in an interactive session with Associate Dean Cristina Mateo on June 4.

Bachelor in Design:

Final Project Show

June 1, 36pm CEST

IE Tower and Online

A Final Project distills the accumulated knowledge of the 4th year students of the Bachelor in Design as reflected in an in-depth individual proposal. It represents an opportunity for students to identify where their talents and interests lie as related to both our everyday lives and to the professional spheres and methodologies of their futures careers. 

The diverse topics chosen by the students apply innovation to touch on relevant issues of our society such as data protection, pollution, and death, to name but a few.

Led by Jeffrey Ludlow, students will present their projects for a jury made up of design professionals including Alessandro Ghetti (Fjord), Javier Peña (Concéntrico Festival), and Stephanie Chen (Hewlett-Packard) among others. 

Join us and be part of this important milestone!

Urban Future 22:

Combining revitalisation with climate action

June 1, 4pm CEST

Helsingborg, Sweden

Making new buildings sustainable will only have an impact over time. Nevertheless, the opportunities that arise when revitalizing urban areas are numerous and immedaite. 

Manuel Pérez Romero, Chair of the Center for Sustainable Cities, will discuss different topics such as mobility, local commerce and building retrofit as part of a panel, along with city representatives at the Urban Future Global Conference with Etienne Vignali (Project Manager at SPL Lyon Confluence), Paulo Palha (CEO of Neoturf), and Simi Lamoureux (Project Coordinator at the City of Turku) moderated by Gia Chinchilla (Founder of Climate Action LAb).

Leaders in urban issues, and regular guest speakers at IE A&D such as Carlo Ratti, Carlos Moreno, as well as IE GMRED Director Margarita Chiclana, will also participate in different events at the conference held in the Swedish city of Helsingborg.

South Summit: opportunities in immersive environments by architects who design spatial experiences

June 10, 10am CEST

Growth Stage at La Nave, Madrid

IE A&D is opening a conversation with attendees at South Summit: entrepreneurs, academics, and professionals in different fields. It is a chance to hear a panel of architects and designers, already working within virtual and augmented reality technologies, discuss the opportunities they see and the new rules they face, in terms of clients, company structure, and methods of collaboration.

Gianluca Pugliese (Director of LOWPOLY and a professor at IE University), Jennifer Durand (Architect and researcher at OLA.research and OVA, and alumnus of the IE Master in Business for Architecture and Design), and Juan Ortiz de Solórzano (Metaverse architect and cofounder of SpacesDAO) will share examples and applications of immersive technologies such as VR and the Metaverse in a panel chaired by Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean at IE A&D.

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