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2010-2011 Catalog

Trust of the Barcelona Institute Of Architecture

Collaborators

2010-2011 Catalog Table of Contents

Message from the Dean

The Institute About the Institute

Board of Directors

Advisory Council

Board of Trustees

The MBIArch Program About the Program

Program Format and Calendar

Program Details

Public Program

Admissions Applying to the MBIArch

Requirements

Scholarships

Resources and contact information Resources

Contact information

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

Message from the Dean

A profound statement about the current state of Architecture (how it’s involving, factors that are impacting the profession, concerns you have) and how education/research plays a role in these changing aspects. How/Why BIArch was built in response to point 1 – how the Institution will help prepare architects for this changing environment, what lies at the core of the research and educational focus of the organization, etc. A closing statement about the future and tying together point 1 and 2. Producing and distributing knowledge Young professionals and seasoned experts need to be in constant contact to combine transfer of experience with new perspectives for the advancement of architecture as a discipline and a ﬁeld of knowledge. The ability to formulate a constructive critique and develop sensible responses in face of constant change should be intrinsic to every design approach and/or process. BIArch was founded with the objective to effectively bring together theory and analysis with practical know-how. The Institute aims to be a place that both generates and attracts intelligence. The MBIArch is a fusion of academic research and professional specialization, complemented by elements of critique and dissemination of contemporary architecture: a laboratory that generates new ways of thinking and acting. We are looking at students whose aim is to leave an imprint on society’s structure and impact the current cultural environment that we live in.

josep lluís mateo PRESIDENT of the BIArch Board of Directors

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

The Institute

About the Institute

Members of the Board of Directors

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture (BIArch) is an international institution set up to further interaction between academic research, specialized practice and the cultural dissemination of contemporary architecture. Occupying a space midway between schools of architecture and professional praxis, BIArch is an open laboratory for professionals and researchers that aims to promote new ways of thinking and acting for a technological, energy and economic reality in permanent ﬂux. 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 actionbased discourse that has characterized architecture and urban planning practice in contemporary Barcelona. The Institute sets out to become a meeting point that is a reference for central architectural discussions and practices in the globalized world. The academic core of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture as a postgraduate institute is its MBIArch Post-Professional Master’s Degree program.

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

Board of Directors

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

The 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.

Joan Roig, Vice President Principal of Batlle i Roig Arquitectes Jorge García de la Cámara, Secretary Director of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture 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

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

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

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

The Institute

Advisory Council

Members of the Advisory Council

The Advisory Council of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture establishes a joint local and international framework for the Institute, deﬁning strategies for action and creating an extended academic and professional collaboration network, in a way that establishes BIArch and its academic program in the context of global architectural debates. The Advisory Council is constituted by active professionals and academics with strong ties to architecture and urban culture. A yearly Advisory Council meeting will be held while the MBIArch program in session to promote intellectual exchanges and debates between Council members, faculty and students.

David Adjaye, Architect. Principal of Adjaye Associates, London

Board of Trustees

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.

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture is a private foundation headed by Caixa Catalunya.

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

Members of the Institute’s board of Trustees:

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

Caixa Catalunya’s Social Work Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Architects’ Institute of Catalonia Barcelona City Council Zona Franca Consortium

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.

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

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

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

The MBIArch Program

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.

The highlights of the MBIArch include:

About the Program

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

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.

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.

– Architectural Design – Territorial & Urban Studies – Energy & Building Technologies – Architectural Theory & Contemporary Thought – Digital & Media Studies

Program Format and Calendar

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

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

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

Studio, design-based research, and operative or technological exploration through projects. Research and project work developed throughout the academic

A post-professional Master’s degree emitted by the

year will be assessed by an international academic

Barcelona Institute of Architecture will be awarded

jury during the ﬁnal evaluation sessions.

upon satisfactory completion of the program.

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

Program details Interdisciplinary Curriculum Five 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.

The MBIArch Program

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.

Other Program Highlights Faculty The MBIArch program is supported by an outstanding international faculty, comprised of leading academics and practitioners from around the world. Both permanent and visiting faculty will include members of the Institute’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council.

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.

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

The MBIArch Program

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.

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 Tokyobased 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.

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-firstcentury 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.

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

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

Applying to the MBIArch

Admissions

Selection process Upon reception of all required documentation, all

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.

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.

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.

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/

Requeriments

admissions/application

Application Requirements

ing 1.) a Personal Statement and, 2.) a Curriculum vi-

• MBIArch application form.

cy, computer proﬁciency, academic achievements and

• Application fee.

professional experience -if applicable-, publications,

• Original transcripts and certiﬁed copies of

articles, awards, etc. The third essay is optional and

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

Included in the form are two required essays regardtae comprising personal details, language proﬁcien-

applies to only those applicants interesting in applying for the Scholarship Award.

recommendations and one related to professional experience. • A portfolio with representative examples of design

Academic requirements

and research work demonstrating the ability to pur-

The MBIArch is available to those candidates who

sue study at an advanced level. The portfolio must

hold a professional architectural Degree from an

be securely bound in size A4 (210x297mm). The front

accredited college/university or its equivalent.

of the portfolio must have the applicant’s name, ad-

Original transcripts and certiﬁed copies of academic

dress, date, year and the university or college from

certiﬁcates and diplomas should be provided by the

which she/he received the architectural degree.

applicant and/or University. A full list of subjects

Also, each project should be labeled indicating when

and the results obtained should be included.

and where the work was produced, and a statement

Applicants who are currently completing a degree

of whether the project was academic, ofﬁce-related

must include ofﬁcial documentation stating the name

or personal, together with a one-two sentence de-

of the degree they will be awarded and the dates.

scription. Electronic, CD submissions and oversized

University transcripts and degrees from non-English

portfolios will not be accepted.

speaking Universities must be translated into

• Proof of your English level for non-native English speakers. • A copy of your valid passport.

English and officially certified. Note: Official documentation in Spanish does not need to be translated.

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

Admissions

Language requirements

Application & Program fees

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

Application fees for the 2010-2011 academic year 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 applicant’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 portfolio with representative examples of design and research work demonstrating the ability to pursue study at an advanced level. In case of a collaborative work, the contribution by the applicant must be clearly identiﬁed. The portfolio must be securely bound in size A4 (210x297mm). The front of the portfolio 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 project was academic, ofﬁce-related or personal, together with a one-two sentence comment about them. Note: Electronic, CD submissions and oversized portfolios submissions will not be accepted. Portfolios will be not be returned.

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.

Scholarships The BIArch Foundation offers four, full-tuition scholarships 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.

BIArch 2010-2011 Catalog

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

Resources, and contact information

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

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.

Opening hours The BIArch’s administrative ofﬁce is open Monday to Friday, from 8:00h to 14:00h and 15:00h to 17:00h.

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

The ofﬁce is closed on public holidays. The BIArch studio space is open 24 hours, every day of the week to all MBIArch students.

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

Contact Information For more information, please visit

www.biarch.eu

computers and software, although the BIArch will provide some workstations.

Other inquiries may be directed to

info@biarch.eu 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.

BIArch Barcelona Institute of Architecture Passeig de Gràcia, 92 08008 Barcelona, Spain +34 93 542 19 07

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