The Radicant Machine: a thermodynamic architecture proposed for Barcelona’s historically industrial Sant Adrià de Besòs neighborhood. Designed to subvert the conventional practice of mitigating environmental variations with respect to time and orientation, the structure instead intentionally augments naturally occurring climatic disparities, thus generating extreme differentials in temperature, humidity and air pressure. By harnessing the full force of the coastal Mediterranean sun and wind as potential energy, circulatory flows are passively powered which condition and ventilate the interior volume.

How the ongoing developments, especially the engineered connections techniques, the evolution of digital production methods and the innovations of envelopes construction materials are transforming architecture?

AIR/ MINERAL:

MASSING:

LIGHT STRUCTURES:

Prototype A- Tensegrity model

Prototype B- Tensegrity model

Prototype B- Physical model of basic Tensegrity  unit

DETAILS:

FINAL MODEL:

Final Prototype, scale 1:2

Different panels with different materials

Close up pictures of the structural details

The Radicant Machine is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at the Master of Advanced Ecological Buildings in 2018 by:
Students: Nour El Kamali, Pablo Corrotto Pradillo & Michael Salka
Faculty: Miquel Rodríguez