In June the students of the Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings traveled to Madrid to visit the office and architectural projects of MAEB faculty Elena Orte and Guillermo Sevillano of Suma Architects. Suma Architects are long-standing associates of the Valldaura Labs team, with a strong emphasis on timber structures and timber based-design in their projects.

This visit took place at a particularly significant time, as MAEB students were finalizing the design of the Prototype Ecohouse and preparing to launch the construction. The visit was particularly helpful for the students to learn about real-scale timber structural systems and evaluate avenues for translating or implementing what they learned in their Prototype proposal. 

Suma Architects have always been closely aligned to MAEB program, teaching Eco-Systemic Structures earlier in the year, and continuing their involvement through many phases of the program, including the design on large-scale ecological building block proposals and reviews and guidance for the Ecological Prototype Tiny House design.