BIArch Catalog 2010-11

2010-2011 Catalog

Trust of the Barcelona Institute Of Architecture Collaborators

2010-2011 Catalog

2010-2011 Catalog

Table of Contents

The Institute

About the Institute 4

Board of Directors 4

Advisory Council 5

Board of Trustees 5

The MBIArch Program

About the Program 6

Program Format and Calendar 6

Program Details 7

Public Program 10

Admissions

Applying to the MBIArch 11

Requirements 11

Scholarships 12

Resources and contact information

Resources 13

Contact information 13

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

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The Institute

Members of the Board of Directors

Josep Lluís Mateo, President Professor at ETH, Zurich, and Principal of MAP Architects

Joan Roig, Vice President Principal of Batlle i Roig Arquitectes

Iñaki Ábalos, Kenzo Tange Professor at Harvard University, Boston, Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and Principal of Ábalos+Sentkiewicz Arquitectos, Madrid, Spain

Josep Acebillo, Professor at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Director of Architecture Urban Systems, Mendrisio, and Chief Executive Officer of Barcelona Regional

Toni Gironès, Director of Architecture Studies at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, and Principal of Toni Gironès Arquitectes

Gloria Moure, Art Historian. Independent editor, art critic and curator

Agustí Obiol, Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, and Co-Founder of BOMA

Jorge García de la Cámara, Director of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture and Secretary of the Board of Directors

About the InstituteThe Barcelona Institute of Architecture (BIArch) is an international institution set up to further interaction between academic research, specialized practice and the dissemination of contemporary architecture. Oc-cupying a space midway between schools of architec-ture and professional praxis, BIArch is an open labo-ratory for professionals and researchers that aims to promote new ways of thinking and acting faced with technological, energetic and economic conditions in permanent change.

The MBIArch post-professional master’s degree pro-gram is centered on professional training of architects who have an interest in developing higher-level capaci-ties in both conceptual analysis and design skills.

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture is backed by a public-private foundation made up of financial, professional, academic and political institutions with the objective of continuing and extending the action-based discourse that has characterized architecture and urban planning practice in contemporary Barce-lona. The Institute sets out to become a meeting point that is a reference for central architectural discus-sions and practices in the globalized world.

Board of DirectorsThe Board of Directors of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture is in charge of defining the academic structure and contents for the MBIArch program, as well as appointing faculty and overseeing the advancement of the Institute’s broader objectives. The Board of Directors also defines the contents and continuity of complementary activities that run in parallel to the academic program: the Institute’s communication strategies, editorial line, lecture series, seminars and international symposia.

Josep Lluís Mateo, President of the BIArch Board of Directors, Andreu Mas-Colell, BIArch Advisory Council member, and Narcís Serra, President of Caixa Catalunya.


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Board of TrusteesThe Barcelona Institute of Architecture Foundation is presided by Narcís Serra, President of Caixa Catalunya. All of the Institute’s efforts and its public program are made possible by the support of the members of the BIArch Board of Trustees.

Members

Caixa Catalunya’s Social Work

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Architects’ Institute of Catalonia

Barcelona City Council

Zona Franca Consortium

Collaborators

Generalitat de Catalunya

Diputaciò de Barcelona

Advisory CouncilThe Advisory Council of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture establishes a joint local and internation-al framework for the Institute, defining strategies for action and creating an extended academic and pro-fessional collaboration network, in a way that estab-lishes BIArch and its academic program in the context of global architectural debates. The Advisory Council is constituted by active profes-sionals and academics with strong ties to architec-ture and urban culture. A yearly Advisory Council meeting will be held while the MBIArch program in ses-sion to promote intellectual exchanges and debates between Council members, faculty and students.

Members of the Advisory Council

David Adjaye, Architect. Principal of Adjaye Associates, London

Enrique Alarcón Álvarez, Engineer. Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Dominique Alba, Architect. General Director of the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, Paris

Stan Allen, Architect. Dean and Professor at Princeton University School of Architecture, New Jersey, and Principal of SAA/Stan Allen Architect, New York

Oriol Bohigas, Architect. Principal of MBM arquitectes, Barcelona.

Manuel Castells, Sociologist. Professor at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Research Professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

Yung Ho Chang, Architect. Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and Principal of Atelier FCJZ, Beijing

Mónica Gili, Art historian. Director of Gustavo Gili publishing house, Barcelona

Irina Korobina, Architect. Director of the Center of Contemporary Architecture, Moscow

Qingyun Ma, Architect. Dean at the University of Southern California School of Architecture, Los Angeles, and Principal of MADA s.p.a.m., Shanghai

Andreu Mas-Colell, Economist. Secretary General of the European Research Council and Chairman of the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, Barcelona

Marcel Meili, Architect. Professor at ETH Zurich and Principal of Meili, Peter Architekten AG, Zurich.

Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Architect and artist. Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and Principal of Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Madrid.

Ramon Prat, Publisher and graphic designer. Director of ACTAR publishing house, and Director of Design Hub Barcelona, Barcelona

Josep Ramoneda, Philosopher and journalist. Director of the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Barcelona

Edward Soja, Geographer. Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles

Erwin Viray, Architect. Assistant Professor at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, and Editorial Associate at a+u, Tokyo

Riken Yamamoto, Architect. Principal and Professor at the Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture, and Principal of Riken Yamamoto & Associates, Yokohama

The Institute

Stan Allen, Dean of the Princeton University School of Architecture and BIArch Advisory Council member.


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The MBIArch experience will cover advanced theory-based research after architecture studies, focusing on the body of disciplinary and technical knowledge required to direct professional practice. The MBIArch degree is aimed at architects interested in exploring the analytical and operative capacities of the project, placing particular emphasis on conceptual roots as well as physical and material conditions. The program starts in September 2010.

About the Program

The MBIArch is an international post-professional master’s degree program for individuals holding a professional degree in architecture. The MBIArch program requires one year of full-time study and is offered entirely in English.

The MBIArch is a highly demanding program. Candidates must go through an exhaustive selection process and periodic evaluations. The program will be supported by an outstanding international faculty, including members of the Institute’s Advisory Council and Board of Directors.

Program Format and Calendar

The MBIArch program is structured in two distinct phases. The first phase will be analytical and theoretical, establishing a conceptual basis for design production and work through introductory courses and research case studies, as well as critical and design seminars. Following a selective examination period, candidates that complete the first phase satisfactorily will continue on to the second phase of the program, centered on a core Design Studio, design-based research, and operative or technological exploration through projects. Research and project work developed throughout the academic year will be assessed by an international academic jury during the final evaluation sessions.

The MBIArch Program

The highlights of the MBIArch include:

1. Academic & Professional Focus - a highly demanding curriculum that encompasses disciplinary and technical knowledge to direct a professional practice.

2. Outstanding International Faculty - including members of the Institute’s Advisory Council and Board of Directors comprised of leading Academics and practitioners from around the world.

3. Cutting-Edge Curriculum - 5 Areas of Interdisciplinary Studies: The MBIArch concentrates on five areas of research that define courses, seminars and design studios:

– Architectural Design

– Territorial & Urban Studies

– Energy & Building Technologies

– Architectural Theory & Contemporary Thought

– Digital & Media Studies

4. Worldwide Network - access to a prestigious network of architectural experts around the world.

5. Environment Conducive to Design - set in the city of Barcelona, internationally recognized for its high-level design, creativity and culture. Program facilities include one of Antoni Gaudi’s masterpiece buildings, “La Pedrera”.

A post-professional Master’s degree emitted by the Barcelona Institute of Architecture will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the program.


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Program details

Interdisciplinary CurriculumFive Areas of Study

Architectural Design

The pressure brought to bear on design practices by advances in technical knowledge, along with the dissolution of the traditional tasks and instruments brought about by digital technologies is paradoxically leading to a lack of intensity in creative responses, erasing the capacity for true individual expression. Through its focus on Architectural Design, the MBIArch program will operate within this contemporary landscape, resisting complacent design and pushing for a different architecture. Parting from a technical and scientific base, students will question contemporary attitudes towards the environment, while placing particular emphasis on the relationship between architecture and landscape as a source of design intelligence.

Territorial & Urban Studies

A challenging contemporary context is paving the way for a revision of our basic urban and territorial thought processes, in a way that might help us make difficult design and policy decisions for the benefit of our cities. The basis of Territorial & Urban Studies in the frame of the MBIArch program is observation and analysis of the increasingly socio-technical nature of cities, exploring the impact of networks on territorial phenomena and identifying the homeostasis of urban systems, while revealing the shared aspirations that configure our urban ideal. Cities as connective patterns prove that in urban discourse, knowledge is also inseparable from action.

Digital Media

What are the opportunities and the limits of digital media and technologies from the point of view of design practices? Moreover, what will be the consequences of their pervasive use and how will the influence the reappraisal of architecture as a discipline in the near future? Within the frame of the MBIArch curriculum, Digital Media will focus on a critical understanding of digital technologies in relation to both practical architectural issues such as visualization, prototyping, energy and structural simulations, as well as more reflective notions of meaning and representation, promoting a clear understanding of how these tools can be put to use in order to open up areas of innovation in architectural processes and design strategies.

Theory, History & Criticism

The loss of points of reference within design professions demands a deep reflection as to what architecture as a discipline and a field of study needs to be. Once traditional modes of criticism have been exhausted, we are presented with an opportunity to reframe thinking through action, to articulate reflection through design processes. Theory, History & Criticism will provide MBIArch students the opportunity to focus on the cultural context of architectonic practice and develop the necessary criteria to understand, navigate and act within the current professional milieu.

Energy & Building Technologies

Moving between buildings and urban or territorial scales, Energy & Building Technologies will focus on energetic sequences of collection, production, storage, distribution and use; with a strong emphasis on renewable energy sources. Focus will also be placed on structural innovations and building technologies, and though simulation and modeling tools will figure prominently as design instruments, the intention is to revert design processes back to fundamental principles such as rationality and efficiency, instead of understanding structure as a means of formal ostentation.

The MBIArch Program


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The MBIArch Program

Faculty

The MBIArch program is supported by an outstanding international faculty, comprised of leading academics and practitioners from around the world. Faculty for the first edition of the MBIArch (2010-2011) includes the following members of the Institute’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council:

Iñaki Ábalos

Josep Anton Acebillo

David Adjaye

Stan Allen

Toni Gironès

Gloria Moure

Agustí Obiol

Joan Roig

Visiting faculty includes:

Pier Vittorio Aureli, Architect. Professor at the Berlage Institute, Head of the Capital Cities Research Program and the “The City as a Project” PhD Program, Co-founder of Dogma, Rotterdam.

Pedro Gadanho, Architect, Professor at the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto, Editor in Chief of Beyond, Lisbon.

Juan Gallostra, Engineer. General Director of Grupo JG, Barcelona.

Hans Ibelings, Art historian, architecture critic, and curator. Editor in chief of A10, Rotterdam.

Aleksandar Ivancic, Engineer, Barcelona Regional, Barcelona.

Enrique Walker, Architect. Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York.

Other Program Highlights

Productive Land Program (PLP)

A deflated economy, the breakdown of public-sector protectionism, the revision of the concept of private interests and the search for new subsistence economies: this is the social framework of the Productive Land Program (PLP), an intensive 3-week fieldwork module that will operate on sites where land still has the potential for production. The program doesn’t focus on the supply side of energy--which produces activity--but on energy that is produced by means of different activities: agriculture, consumption and production. The PLP will offer students a space for on-site research and practical knowledge, and a chance to reconsider the productive capacities of land.

Design and Critical Seminars

Design seminars cover four weeks of in-depth focus on architectural analysis or production. During the first phase, design seminars will cover four weeks of lectures oriented to architectural and urban theory in relation to design production, while in the second phase they will concentrate studio work. Critical seminars are 3-day intensive engagements with visiting faculty, featuring critical approaches to specific contemporary design and theory issues.

Optional Advanced Research (OAR)

Students enrolled in the program will have the option to further develop their area of interest through an extended 6-month advanced research phase. Eligibility to participate in this phase will be on a case-by-case basis and subject to Faculty approval. Tuition fees for the OAR are not included in the MBIArch Program fees.

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Public Program

The BIArch’s Public Program encompasses Open Lectures, Dialogues and other events open to the public. As a complementary extension of the MBIArch, the Institute’s Public Program transcends the traditional boundaries that separate architecture schools from professional practices and wider communities of interest, keeping with BIArch’s strong international focus and spirit of active engagement in terms of both theory and practice.

Dialogues

With the intention of opening up fields of inquiry to complement the Institute’s fundamental theoretical, technical and academic concerns, the BIArch Dialogues provide an occasion for shared reflection and discussion between scholars, critics, independent professionals, entrepreneurs, curators, and cultural activists. The fundamental purpose of the Dialogues is to establish a framework for a twenty-first-century institution of learning given a context in which knowledge is permanently evolving. During the Fall 2009 cycle, The Reviewing Architectural Knowledge Formats Dialogues, directed by Jorge García de la Cámara, explored the generation and dissemination of architectural knowledge, with the general objective of extending the notion of architectural intelligence beyond curriculum.

Open Lectures

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture’s public program is fundamentally structured around the Open Lecture cycle. The inaugural Fall 2009 cycle featured three young architects representing the Americas, Asia and Europe: Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Tokyo-based Atelier Bow Wow and Toni Gironès, head of Architectural Studies at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Reus, in the Catalan province of Tarragona, and member of the BIArch Board of Directors.

The MBIArch Program

Top: Open Lectures, Smiljan Radic. Bottom: Energy, Matthias Schuler.


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Applying to the MBIArch

MBIArch Profile

• Master’s Program for individuals holding a professional degree in architecture from an accredited college/university or its equivalent.

• International mindset.• Aimed at architects interested in exploring

the analytical and operative capacities of the project, placing particular emphasis on both the conceptual roots of the project and the physical and material conditions of the form.

Application Deadlines

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture is currently accepting applications for its 2010-2011 MBIArch postgraduate program.The first deadline is March 19, 2010. The second deadline is May 3, 2010.The MBIArch starts in September 2010.

Note: We recommend that all non-EU citizens apply as early as possible in order to assure time for the visa procedure.

Requeriments

Application Requirements

• MBIArch application form.• Application fee.• Original transcripts and certified copies of

academic certificates and diplomas.• Three letter of recommendation: two academic

recommendations and one related to professional experience.

• A portfolio with representative examples of design and research work demonstrating the ability to pur-sue study at an advanced level. The portfolio must be securely bound in size A4 (210x297mm). The front of the portfolio must have the applicant’s name, ad-dress, date, year and the university or college from which she/he received the architectural degree. Also, each project should be labeled indicating when and where the work was produced, and a statement of whether the project was academic, office-related or personal, together with a one-two sentence de-scription. Electronic, CD submissions and oversized portfolios will not be accepted.

• Proof of your English level for non-native English speakers.

• A copy of your valid passport.

Selection process

Upon reception of all required documentation, all applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committe of the Institute. The BIArch Program management will notify the selection decisions to all applicants by telephone and/or e-mail followed by a letter that will be sent by regular mail. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be notified of their acceptance status within approximately 3 weeks after BIArch has received the required documentation.To be considered for the Scholarship, you must complete the optional essay on the application form describing how you will apply your outstanding academic and/or professional achievements to contribute to the MBIArch Program and to your community after completion of the Program. All award decisions are made by the Admissions Board.

MBIArch Application Form

All applicants are required to complete the downloadable MBIArch Application Form. The form is available at:

http://www.biarch.eu/web/guest/program/admissions/application

Included in the form are two required essays regard-ing 1.) a Personal Statement and, 2.) a Curriculum vi-tae comprising personal details, language proficien-cy, computer proficiency, academic achievements and professional experience -if applicable-, publications, articles, awards, etc. The third essay is optional and applies to only those applicants interesting in apply-ing for the Scholarship Award.

Academic requirements

The MBIArch is available to those candidates who hold a professional architectural Degree from an accredited college/university or its equivalent.Original transcripts and certified copies of academic certificates and diplomas should be provided by the applicant and/or University. A full list of subjects and the results obtained should be included. Applicants who are currently completing a degree must include official documentation stating the name of the degree they will be awarded and the dates. University transcripts and degrees from non-English speaking Universities must be translated into English and officially certified.

Note: Official documentation in Spanish does not need to be translated.

Admissions


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Language requirements

English is the official language of the BIArch. All appl-cants whose first language is not English, are required to prove English proficiency. Applicants must submit with the application’s package, scores from an interna-tionally recognized English language test. The minimum scores/qualifications accepted by the BIArch are:

• Europe’s Common European Framework for language report at level C1 or above:• Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)• IELTS (International English Language Testing

System) 6.0• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT (internet-based): 78 cBT (computer-based): 210 pBT (paper-based): 547

Note: Test scores may be waived for non-native English speakers if you have successfully studied in English schools and/or lived or worked in an English speaking environment for an extended period.

The BIArch reserves the right to request a personal or phone interview to test the applicants English proficiency level. In the case that the required English level is not met, the Admissions Committee would defer acceptance to the Program until the following year with the condition that additional English studies be completed.

Letters of recommendation

Applicants are required to obtain three letters of recommendation: two of them related to academic and, if applicable, one to work experience. These individuals should be qualified to attest the appli-cant’s professional potential and academic ability. Letters may either be sent directly to the BIArch Admissions Office or they may be included in the application package.

Portfolio

Applicants to MBIArch are required to submit a port-folio with representative examples of design and research work demonstrating the ability to pursue study at an advanced level. In case of a collabora-tive work, the contribution by the applicant must be clearly identified. The portfolio must be securely bound in size A4 (210x297mm). The front of the port-folio must have the applicant’s name, address, date, year and the university or college from which she/he received the architectural degree. Also, each project should be labeled indicating when and where the work was produced, and a statement of whether the proj-ect was academic, office-related or personal, togeth-er with a one-two sentence comment about them.

Note: Electronic, CD submissions and oversized portfolios sub-missions will not be accepted. Portfolios will be not be returned.

Application & Program fees

Application fees for the 2010-2011 academic year are:

75 € for applications received by 19 March

100 € for applications received after 19 March up to 3 May

The application fee can by bank transfer to the following bank:Payment Details for Bank Transfers Bank details: Caixa Catalunya Provenca, 296-298 08008 – Barcelona, SPAIN

SWIFT: CESCESBBXXX BANK: 2013 BRANCH: 0691 CONTROL: 31 ACCOUNT Nº: 0200825796 IBAN: ES3620130691310200825796

Note: Please reference the following - MBIArch Program & your full name.

Program Fees

The tuition fees for the 2010-2011 MBIArch program are 14.900 €. The program fees are to be paid in three installments:Tuition deposit – a 15% non-refundable deposit of 2.235 € is required from all applicants who accept the BIArch’s offer for admission. The fee must be paid within 20 days after having received the acceptation letter to the MBIArch (no later than last week of June 2010). 2nd Payment: 50% before 3 September 2010: 7.450 €3rd Payment: 35% before 7 January 2011: 5.215 €

Note: Study-related expenses such as reproduction costs, printing and model making, book purchases, study trips and field work are not included.

ScholarshipsThe BIArch Foundation offers four, full-tuition schol-arships plus a monthly stipend which will cover a portion of the estimated monthly living expenses to applicants demonstrating academic excellence. To support our interest in having individuals from Emerging Countries, two of the four scholarships will be awarded to outstanding applicants living and/or working in an emerging country.We would also encourage candidates to explore scholarships available in your own countries.

Admissions


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Resources

Facilities

The Casa Milà, also known as “La Pedrera” is the official head office of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture. The building, designed by Antoni Gaudí and completed in 1910, has belonged to the Caixa Catalunya and the headquarters of its Social Work since 1986. It also houses a major cultural center that is one of the city’s key reference points due to the various activities and exhibitions it organizes.

La Pedrera will house the Institute’s public activities, including Open Lectures and Dialogues. It will host the Critical Seminars, as well as the annual BIArch Advisory Council meeting.

In addition, the BIArch offers a variety of facilities for students enrolled in the MBIArch to develop their intensive work. These studios, model workshops, networking services (internet access, scanning, printing, etc.) and digital media facilities will be open full time. Students are advised to supply their own computers and software, although the BIArch will provide some workstations.

Libraries & Archives

The BIArch will provide its students full access to the library and archive facilities of the Col.legi Oficial d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) and other universities related to the Institute.

The COAC’s library is the 2nd of Europe in number of volumes. In total, the library has nearly 180.000 books within the five territorial COAC departments. The COAC library in Barcelona holds 73.000 resources between books, CDs, videos, DVDs, websites, etc. For further information, visit the Library section at the COAC’s website: www.coac.net

Opening hours

The BIArch’s administrative office is open Monday to Friday, from 8:00h to 14:00h and 15:00h to 17:00h. The office is closed on public holidays. The BIArch studio space is open 24 hours, every day of the week to all MBIArch students.

Contact Information

For more information, please visit

www.biarch.eu

Other inquiries may be directed to

[email protected]

BIArch Barcelona Institute of ArchitecturePasseig de Gràcia, 9208008 Barcelona, Spain+34 93 542 19 07

Resources, and contact information

Documents

BIArch Catalog 2010-11