Educational Program - Academic Structure

PROGRAMME ORGANIZATION

The Master in Advanced Architecture comprises the following elements:

1. Introductory Design Studio IS and Introductory Courses IC
2. Research Studios RS
3. Development Studios DS
4. Seminars S
5. General Workshop W
6. Master Project MP
7. Open Thesis Fabrication OTF (optional)
8. Lecture Series LS
9. Research Trip

The programme is organized in four plus one (4+1) phases

Phase 1: Introductory Term (20 ECTS credits)
Phase 2: Research Studios and Seminars (19 ECTS credits)
Phase 3: Development Studios and Seminars (19 ECTS credits)
Phase 4: General Workshop and Master Design Project (15 ECTS credits)
Phase 5: Open Thesis Fabrication (25 ECTS credits), optional
Lecture Series (along the year) (2 ECTS credits)

The body of the students of this Master Programme will be multi-disciplinary. The programme is aimed at Professionals and Graduate Students of any design-related discipline (Architects, Designers, Interior Designers, Engineers, Software Developers, Urbanists, Artists, etc.)

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Class attendance is obligatory for studio and non-studio courses. In both cases, courses are graded as follows: High Pass (10, 9), Pass (8,7), Low Pass (6,5), Incomplete (4) or Fail (3,2,1,0). Under no circumstances will students be excused from presenting their design work at the final review of a project. An incomplete will require extra work defined by IAAC and the professor. MAA Diploma will not be delivered to students with an incomplete in their final grades.

STUDIO EVALUATION PROCEDURE

In addition to the above, Midterm Reviews will be held with the members of the faculty in order to inform each student briefly of the general feelings of the faculty about his or her work. Suggestions may be given on how to prepare for the Final Review.

PHASE 1 (20 ECTS CREDITS)
INTRODUCTORY TERM

The 10-week introductory Phase provides a common grounding of knowledge and skills to new IAAC students. It is a formative platform structured by a Design Project and four complementary courses anticipating ideas that will appear during the programme in relation to self-sufficiency, design strategies, innovative forms of planning and contemporary culture. A toolbox of both, theoretical and practical skills for further research work.

PHASE 1 COURSES AND CREDITS
IS.   Introductory Design Studio (8 ECTS credits)
IC1. Introductory Course 1_Practise_Fabrication (3 ECTS credits)
IC3. Introductory Course 2_Practise_Representation (3 ECTS credits)
IC4. Introductory Course 3_Theory Concepts (3 ECTS credits)
IC5. Introductory Course 4_Digital Tools (3 ECTS credits)

PHASE 2 (19 ECTS CREDITS)
RESEARCH STUDIOS AND SEMINARS

Phase 2 is an Open Educational Structure where the students can choose among the 3 different Research Studios and among  6  optional seminars according to their academic interests. This navigation system allows the creation of multiscalar and interdisciplinary customized agendas.
At Phase 2 students are required to attend 1 Research Studio and 3 Seminars.
Distribution of Research Studios and Seminars is done based on the student grades acquired at Phase 1.
Phase 2 is focused in three different scales of investigation: Emergent Territories, Self Sufficient Buildings and Digital Tectonics.

PHASE 2 COURSES AND CREDITS
RESEARCH DESIGN STUDIO AND SEMINARS

RS.   Research Studios   (10 ECTS credits)
S1.   Seminar 1_Practise Fabrication (3 ECTS credits)
S2.   Seminar 2_Theory Concepts (3 ECTS credits)
S3.   Seminar 3_Theory Instruments  (3 ECTS )
S4.   Seminar 4_Digital Tools (3 ECTS )
S5.   Seminar 5_Digital Tools (3 ECTS )
S6.   Seminar 6_Digital Tools (3 ECTS )

PHASE 3 (19 ECTS CREDITS)
RESEARCH STUDIOS AND SEMINARS

Phase 3 is an Open Educational Structure where the students attend the Development Studio that corresponds to the Research Studio assigned to them at Phase 2 and 3 Seminars among  6  optional seminars that they choose according to their academic interests.
At Phase 3 students are required to attend 1 Development Studio (the one corresponding to the Research Studio which they attended during the Phase 2) and 3 Seminars.
Distribution of Seminars is done based on the student grades acquired at Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Phase 3 is focused in three different scales of investigation: Emergent Territories, Self Sufficient Buildings and Digital Tectonics.

PHASE 3 COURSES AND CREDITS

DS.   Development Design Studio (10 ECTS credits)
S7.    Seminar 7_Practise Fabrication (3 ECTS )
S8.    Seminar 8_Practise Fabrication (3 ECTS )
S9.    Seminar 9_Practise Fabrication (3 ECTS )
S10.   Seminar 10_Theory Instruments (3 ECTS )
S11.   Seminar 11_Digital Tools (3 ECTS )
S12.   Seminar 12_Digital Tools (Scripting 3 ECTS )

PHASE 4 (15 ECTS CREDITS)
MASTER DESIGN PROJECT AND GENERAL WORKSHOP

The purpose of this module is to develop the Master Project (13 ECTS credits) of the course, where the students will have the opportunity to work individually co guided by prestigious international visiting tutors.
The Master Projects will address specific issues related to the self-sufficiency agenda, as well as the inherent material, organizational and spatial complexities determined by the chosen working scale and the experience gained during the year’s programme.
The transversal workshop (2 ECTS credits) offered by the Master programme is a short term intensive experience, in which the students work together for 3-5 days on collective projects organized by local or invited international tutors.

PHASE 5_ one term extension (25 ECTS CREDITS)
OPEN THESIS FABRICATION
Phase 5 is OPTIONAL and consists of the Open Thesis Fabrication project. It is Open to both MAA students and external participants. Phase 5 offers to the MAA students the opportunity of a deeper research on their final project. The subject of the Open Thesis Fabrication project will be open to be decided by the students, according to their personal interests. MAA students could proceed to further research of their projects by constructing prototypes, or by developing research on material or structure behaviors. During Phase 5, students will have full access to the IAAC infrastructure (always upon coordination with the IAAC staff) and the support of external advisors (occasional meetings).