CASA BATLLÓ
Barcelona, Spain
1904-1906
Stones, metal, wood, ceramic and colours
“Nothing is art if it does not come from nature.” Antoni Gaudí
CONCEPT
A new social space, dedicated to fostering Gaudi’s love for nature by creating micro ecosystems on the rooftop of Casa Batllo that will become a haven for local birds and pollinators that fuels a healthy ecosystem that benefits the local area.
“ Something fascinating occurs if you start to think how the biosphere, as a total system of interactions between lifeforms and their habitats (which are mostly just other lifeforms), is also like the inside of a dreaming head.
Everything in that biosphere is a symptom of the biosphere. There is no “away” that isn’t merely relative to a certain position within it. “
Timothy Morton
Using Rosa Canina or wild Catalan rose as a catalyst element, the aim is to redefine the function and perception of Casa Batllo to such, that highlights the importance of ecosystems within the city, educating and generating a symbiotic relationship with the city and the surrounding environment.
Different types of micro environments were explored in different spaces that keep evolving as the seasons progress. From interior to different exterior spaces, the environmental experiences vary depending on composition of various elements of nature.
BIODIVERSITY CATALYST: ROSA CANINA
SOCIAL CATALYST: GARDEN
RESEARCH
METABOLIC DIAGRAM
Through the immersive environment, individuals will be met with a laboratory and kitchen that teaches how to create beautiful concoctions from all the plants and flowers. Casa Batllo can become a gathering space for various social festivals and events in barcelona. As all the seasons progress different fauna will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the seasonal environments and scenes that help define the region.
SANKEY DIAGRAM
PROCESS DIAGRAM
By merging technology with natural systems found in local ecosystems we can create a closed metabolic system that benefits Barcelona, the people, and the plants and animals that define the ecology within the region.
PROPOSAL
A graden above – A cave below
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A 1:50 scaled prototype of the Roof and the landscaped mesh was made to understand and demonstrate the response of the mesh caused by the movement of primary structural arched tensors.
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A 6 soil bag system in 1:10 scale was prototyped to understand the support system as well as the properties of structural requirements of the tensor grid that translates the movement in bags.
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La Rosaleda is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at the Master in Advanced Architecture in 2021 by: Vasudha Karnani, Zackary Eisenberg, Marta Navarro; Faculty: Javier Pena & Oriol Carrasco; Assistant: Alexander Dommershausen