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BIO MAP 13

MAP13 architects is an international collective of architects founded in 2011. Marta Domènech, David López López and Mariana Palumbo are co-founders of the collective and the Barcelona team. They are researchers and lecturers at the School of Architecture of Barcelona and the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zurich.

One of their most recent and striking works is the free-form thin-tile vault Bricktopia Pavilion on the enclosure of the former factory "Fabra i Coats" of Barcelona. It was built with the technique of thin-tile vault and designed with the help of RhinoVault, a software developed at the Block Research Group at ETH Zurich.

They have published several articles in the field of Catalan Vault on its historical development, exploring their structural and geometric limits and also searching for alternative ways to build it with raw materials and do it more sustainable.

MAP13 Barcelona has also conducted numerous hands-on workshops building with this technique in New York, Barcelona, Madrid and most recently as experts for the UN Habitat World Urban Forum in Medellin.

Marta Domènech is an architect, lecturer and PhD candidate in the Architectural Design Department at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB, UPC).

She graduated as an architect in ETSAB 2008 and have also studied at the Technical University of Berlin. She holds a Master of Advanced Architectural Design from the School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM, UPM) and an Advanced Master in Theory and Practice of Architecture from the ETSAB. Both Final Thesis were awarded with the first price of “Architectural Criticism” by the Institute of Architecture of Catalonia for Young Architects in 2012.

She was visiting scholar at the University of Columbia in New York for research in the works of Rafael Guastavino in 2011. She was also co-founder of the international collective map13 architects and author of the thin-tile vault Bricktopia Pavilion. She has published several articles about the traditional technique of Thin-Tile Vaulting in order to recover its contemporary value to build in a more sustainable economically and environmental way.

She has also conducted numerous workshops building with this technique in New York, Barcelona, Madrid and recently as an expert for the UN Habitat World Urban Forum 7 in Medellin.

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David López López received his Master Degree in Architecture in 2010 from the School of Architecture of Madrid (UPM), where he was also an assistant at the Structures Department during two years. He received an Advanced Master Degree in Building Technology, specializing in structural design, from the School of Architecture of Barcelona (UPC) and an Advanced Erasmus Mundus Master Degree in Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions from the Civil Engineering Schools at the UPC and the University of Minho.

After gaining professional experience in different architecture offices, he co-founded the international collective map13 architects, which has been used as a platform to test and implement the results of academic research. He is a PhD candidate at the Institute of

Technology in Architecture, ETH.

His doctoral research within the Block Research Group focuses on the structural behavior and assessment methods of thin-tile vaults. David has experience in this field as a mason, designer, project manager and structural consultant. He has lectured on this topic in several conferences, at the UPC in Barcelona, ETH in Zurich, EPFL in Laussane, at the MIT in Boston and in Geneva invited by UNHabitat as an expert in the field.

Mariana Palumbo is architect and researcher at the Materials Laboratory with the GICITED group at UPC-Tech.

In 2008 she completed her studies in architecture at School of Architecture of Barcelona and l’ENSA Versailles. She holds a master degree in Advanced Architectural Projects from the School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM, UPM) and is currently a PhD student in sustainable materials in Barcelona, UPC.

She has been involved in several workshops on straw-bale construction and other alternative technologies and has supervised degree thesis on the development of low impact materials in architecture. She has studied at the University of Bath as a visiting scholar during her doctoral studies.

She is author of the thin-tile vault Bricktopia Pavilion, co-founder of the international collective map13 architects and partner of the Association Research in Sustainability that has been used as a platform to implement the results of her academic research.

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BRICK WORKS THIN-TILE VAULT

This workshop will consist of introduction to the traditional technique of Thin-Tile Vaulting (Catalan Vault). The workshop will encompass lectures introducing the design and structural characteristics of vaulted structures, in particular the tin-tile vaulting system, and the construction of one prototype of using this technique. This hands-on experience will include all the phases of the construction process, from the design to the construction of the prototype. The estimated duration of the workshop is four days.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

Between 8 and 24 people.

OBJECT

- Knowledge of an ancient building technique, but also efficient, durable, versatile and more environmentally friendly than most of the current vaulting construction techniques.

- Handling graphic statics and Rhinovault: very useful structural analysis and form-finding methods respectively.

- To achieve maximum creativity in the design of a piece with limited means. - Handling of cement mortar and plaster, with their peculiarities, setting speed, etc. - Be aware of the need for planning and construction phases by material and time. - Provide the participants with a global approach to the technique that allows them to

understand their logic throughout the creative and constructive process.

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PROCESS

The workshop will be theoretical (2 days) and a practical (2 days):

1st day_The theoretical part will be taught during the first day of the workshop and it will be a lecture on the scope and the art of the construction of the Catalan Vault as well as an comparison with other vaulting techniques. It will also present the exercise to be carried out by the students during the workshop: the site, the requirements… For the design, will establish some parameters that will have to be respected, which can be established together with the teachers of the KU LEUVEN.

2nd day_During the second day the proposals will be developed by groups. For the exercise proposed, It is estimated that each work group will consist of about 3 people). The proposals will be developed and presented through models.

3rd day_An introduction to the calculation of masonry structures by the simple method of graphic statics, in order to perform the next step of the workshop. It will also include a small introduction to the use of the Rhinovault computer design tool, developed by the Block Research Group. This form-finding program allows the design of vaulted structures that work only under compression.

The practical part will be divided into two different activities: modeling and construction. During the third day the students will model, using this software, the proposals of the previous day

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4th day_Construction of a simple vaulted structure. We propose to build an unidimensional arch (probably) to practice with the students all the phases of construction the Catalan Vault.

During the construction process, there will be different simultaneous working groups that will be rotating, with the intention that all the participants learn all the steps and that they work with all their companions at some point. Some of the tasks to be performed are: preparation of the work (scaffolding, formwork, etc.), preparation of the plaster, laying of the first layer of bricks with plaster (simple), preparation of lime mortar or similar, placement of successive layers with lime mortar or similar (folded), cutting bricks, constant plaster cleaning, etc.

PLANIFICATION

DAY01: Introduction to the workshop, theoretical explanation of the constructive technique of the Catalan Vault, examples, current research and comparison with other vaulting techniques.

DAY02: Group work on the different vaults. Development and modeling of proposals.

DAY03: Introduction to the RhinoVault design tool, re-design of prototypes using the software.

DAY04: Construction of a Vault.

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SPACE REQUIREMENTS

For the theoretical part we will need a room equipped with a projector.

For the construction of the vault we will need a space of about 100 square meters where we can get water and electricity. A nearby garbage point would also be of great help.

MATERIAL AND TOOLS NEEDED

Material for foundation: concrete, lime and stones

Scaffolding

Thick cardboards for the formworks

Tools for mounting the formworks: cutters, american tape, white glue, flanges (if available, laser cut for cardboards)

Vault construction materials: bricks and mortars

Tools: Masonry pallets, drawers, buckets, spades, shovels, trolleys, level, rope, hammer, scissors, nails, screws and other tools, stairs, woodcutter, concrete mixer, brick cutter

Personal protective equipment: gloves, helmets, footwear ...

Water

Rune container