Study for IAAC Building

This work analyzes the spatial and functional development of the Barcelona UrbanTech Hub and its possible implementation in the Port of Barcelona. The Urbantech Hub is a project promoted by Barcelona Tech City, the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC) with the collaboration of the European Institute of Technology whose objective is to research and educate in multiple areas related to the ecological and digital transition of the city and buildings. Likewise, the Hub wants to promote the development of startups and multidisciplinary collaboration between companies, professionals, entrepreneurs, institutions, and citizens, to attract international talent and develop Barcelona’s human capital around the urban innovation economy. The Barcelona UrbanTech Hub is an innovative project in several aspects: From a material and construction point of view, the project proposes the use of solid industrialized wood due to its high ecological value, its speed of assembly and the advantages of being a completely prefabricated system. From an energy point of view, the project includes a productive roof consisting of greenhouses for local food production, a semi-transparent photovoltaic roof and wind turbines on the roof to produce electrical energy, taking advantage of the energy of the sun and the wind. From a technological point of view, the project incorporates digital manufacturing laboratories at various scales, prototyping and technology testing space. In short, a hub of knowledge, research and entrepreneurship housed in an innovative and ecological architectural project of reference for Barcelona.