Swarm intelligence research deals with natural and artificial systems composed of many individuals that are coordinated using decentralized control and self-organization. This is a project to embrace complexity and to develop non-linear design that operates through multi-agent algorithms, generating an emergent architecture.

In particular, it focuses on the collective behaviours that result from the local interactions of the individuals with each other and with their environment. Examples of systems studied in this field are for example colonies of ants and termites.

Ants and termites are both examples of swarm intelligence but they behave differently. Termites use their behaviour to make a structure whereas ants use them self to design a methodology to make a structure. While researching about those creatures we discover the rules of this complex and efficient decentralize control and self-organization. Could these rules be extracted, analysed and with the correct material and technology be applied by humans in new territories?

Looking closer at ants and their swarm intelligence. Their collective behavior of decentralized, self-organized system, resulting from the local interactions of the individuals with each other and with their environment.

This behaviour of the ants allows them to solve their problems by aggregation. This system allows the ants to have a hierarchy and roles for each ant within their community. When heading out for food collecting the Pathfinders find the shortest and best path to take. They find obstacles on the route. Another set of ants come to fix the problem, fill the holes or build a bridge over the gaps so the food collectors can reach the maximum efficiency.

This project is situated in and around the Besós River in Barcelona. The river flows along Barcelona metropolitan area, connecting the Catalan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. he site offers possibilities but its main problem is the lack of accessibility, both for public transport, cars, bicycles and pedestrians. In order to pass from one side of the river to the other, one might have to travel for up to an hour to reach one‘s destination, even though the river measures only 25m, in diameter. By ameliorating this problem of accessibility the site in the suburbs of Barcelona city will regain its potentials.

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