DPS. Design Project Studio
Self-Sufficient Habitat

Thesis Advisors: Vicente Guallart

The Valldaura Labs Group directed by Vicente Guallart, aims to supervise and support the development of an innovative research agenda, following the best examples of past years thesis and development projects at IAAC. Developing a vision of Self-Sufficient Habitat with Valldaura as an experimentation laboratory, the Valldaura Labs Group will be exploring and defining the future of buildings and cities through the integration of technology, ecology, local resources and advanced production techniques.

Thesis Studio Projects will be directly related to the Valldaura labs agenda and will be covering the following topics:
Infrastructure of future cities: Internet of water, Internet of energy, Drone systems for the goods transportation and nature supervision;
Self-Sufficiency: Sustainable energy production methods (solar, eolic, biomass bioenergy etc), Green facades, Smart waste recycling, Self-Sufficient Buildings;
Food production: Robotics for agriculture, Indoor food production, Urban farming;
Local resources: Wood construction, Parametric brick construction.

All thesis projects follow specific requirements:
1. Prototyping. All the thesis will be oriented towards the development of functional prototype, which will be an obligatory part of final submission and could be potentially developed further.
2. Report. Students need to deliver a report on their Thesis Project, which should include a state of art of the subject, technological development, social implications and economical report among others.
3. Event. As part of research project development, students needs to organise an event with an experts in the field of their interest. Discussions and materials developed during the event will be used for the thesis project development.
4. Documentation. Students need to document all their development using photographs and videos to produce a short documentary of their work. The final presentation will include the prototype, the report and a media documentation of their work.

Final Submission of the Individual Thesis will be composed of a written and illustrated portfolio, scientific paper, as well as substantial models and prototypes that are shown in a final exhibition designed and set up by the students. Successful thesis projects will have an opportunity to continue and be developed at Valldaura Campus as research projects. This research will be partly supported by IAAC Valldaura Labs Group.

Facilities: Beside the main working space at IAAC Campus, thesis students will have full access to Valldaura facilities and will be mainly developing their prototype at the IaaC Valldaura Campus. In case the research will produce a full operative element, it will be able to remain on site. Students must agree to work at Valldaura Labs at least 12 days per month (approx. 3 times per week).

Faculty team: The head of the Thesis supervision will be Vicente Guallart, however there will be other experts collaborating with the specific Project develop by every student, including all Valldaura Labs members and external experts.

MAA02 14-16 -DYNAMIC CITYSCAPE Luisa Roth MAA02 2015
MAA02 2015-17 — 9 Cents. Andre Resende