Bruce: My Interests¶
Hope this doesn’t get too carried away…..
Makerspaces/Hackerspaces:¶
Makerspaces are a tool that I use to explore communities. With more and more folks living in urban areas where they may have little access to tools or the opportunity to build/create makerspaces fill a multifaceted need. In searching for makerspaces in Barcelona I found a reference to a network of community makerspaces called Ateneus de Fabricació. Fab Labs in the US are a specific creature based on the MIT community makerspace while in Barcelona the ‘Fab Lab’ term seems to be used more generically.
Ateneus de Fabricació¶
This is a network of makerspaces/fab labs that appears to be supported at least in part by the city.
What is the Ateneus de Fabricació network?This was a fascinating read. I find myself very curious to visit each lab in the network. Here they are:
Ateneu de Fabricació de les Corts This makerspace is in the Biblioteca Montserrat Abello which is in the Lex Corts barri near Camp Nou (the football stadium). Check the link for hours of operation.
Fàbrica del Sol Fab Lab This makerspace is near the Barceloneta a modest distance from our classrooms. Roughly the same part of the city but toward the beach.
Ciutat Meridiana Fab Lab aThis makerspace is on the north edge of the city on the way to Sabadell and Terrassa. It appears that it may have a bit of a focus on manufacturing.
Technology Park Fab Lab is a venue located in the Nou Barris Technology Park (the central park for Nou Barris). Also located on the north edge of the city though closer in than the Meridiana Fab Lab.
Gràcia Ateneu de Fabricació Digital This lab is located about a 20 min walk NW from the school on the other side of Avinguda Diagonal in the Gràcia Barri (what a surprise).
Other Makerspaces/Hackerspaces¶
MADE makerspace barcelona This makerspace was founded by three folks and is located in the Sant Barri also out near Camp Nou (south of the stadium). It appears to me that they use Jupyterbook or Sphinx to manage their static web pages – Appears to have a different focus and connection to the community. Can’t wait to visit.
ATTA33 This makerspace seems slightly focused on the needs of the architectural community at the nearby Disseny (design) Center. This one is just a few blocks from the school towards the Torre Glóries.
TransfoLAB BCN This very cool makerspace seeks to address a number of issues and projects related to the repurposing or reuse of waste in many forms. It has a makerspace but also residencies and an informal learning academy. Many classes are offered for students of different ages. Looks like a very cool space. Just a few blocks towards the beach from ATTA33 noted above.
MOB Makers of Barcelona is a coworking space with a Fabcafe outside the coworking door. In the past the Fabcafe has had various events but COVID appears to have disrupted this a lot. The Fab tech is in house from 10:00 - 15:00 each day. When we dropped in they suggested there was something connected happening next door. The address is C/ de Bailén 11 at the top of el Born not far from the Arc de Triomf.
Hanger
Alfaro:¶
This small town is located about 60 km west of Zaragoza. It is the current home of Hermano Jesus who was a Spanish Lit teacher for my brothers and I when we lived in Venezuela in 1972. Brian and I are hoping to perhaps visit him during our time in Spain.
Alfaro is a small town located along the Camino Ignaciano which is another less traveled camino like the well known Camino Santiago. The linked blog descibes the entire camino which starts near Bilbao and finishes just outside Barcelona in Manresa. Ignacius Loyola is one of the founders of the Jesuit order and this camino traces his trek to get to Jerusalem in 1522 during the plague.
All of which is nice but what is cool is that Alfaro is often visited for the stork population that is resident from December through August each year. A Spanish version of the storks in Denmark and other European locations.
Commomland and Planeses Farm (near Girona)¶
Ana Vara who works with the Pine Meadow Ranch project in Sisters mentioned a group she had studied for her PhD called Commomland. This fascinating project operates in many locations around the world. In Spain their current projects are mostly in the Almeria region (Calle Paseo 1, 04825 Chirivel, Almería) of Andalusia which is far from Barcelona. In the process of exploring their site I happened across other efforts labeled as ‘regenerative agriculture’. In particular there was a reference to Marc Gracia who is running Planeses Farm north of Girona. This polycultural experimental farm seemed like a potential location to visit. They also have produced a wonderful Polyfarming Manual which I will need to explore more closely. The farm has some relationship with CREAF at the Universitat Autonomous de Barcelona. The closest town to the farm is Besalu which is referenced as a well preserved medieval town. In the description of the town there is a reference to the Caminos de Sefarad which piqued my interest. Turns out there is a project to reveal the passage of the Jewish Community through Spain and places of interest to explore. There is a tourist guide for many of the larger cities and the Barcelona guide may provide some interesting places to explore.
Larroque-Saint-Sernin¶
This is the locale for Anita Lehmann’s painting workshop which starts after the Easter holiday (4/18 - 4/26). Getting there would be an adventure for sure. Barcelona to Narbonne and Narbonne to Toulouse can be accomplished pretty smoothly on Renfe and TGV (high speed trains). From Toulous there is a local train which gets you to Auch. At that point it bus or taxi to Larroque-Saint-Sernan which is hopefully close to the atelier which sounds lovely in this article from Interior Design
Stan Meyerhoff¶
If I get some time it might be fun to go find Stan and say hi. His email and address is in my password manager. Out of appreciation for his desire for anonymity I’m not posting specific information here. He and his partner live close to the border with Spain in France. Figueres is the nearest train stop in Spain. A bit fussy to get from there. Car might be the easiest if we wanted to rent.
Our Apartment:¶
Today (3/16/2022) we heard that our apartment is at Carrer del Clot 182 3rd floor, 2
Acrobatics School¶
This is just a temporary tag for future reference since it is just up the street from our apartment.
Museu de Ter (outside of Vic)¶
This turned up as I was looking at something related and I don’t want to lose these links.
Museum Website https://www.museudelter.cat/
English Guide https://www.museudelter.cat/tradueixlatevavisita/english.html
Getting there:
One can ride the rodalies train to Vic (zone 6) and then it appears that the 455 and maybe the 449 bus run regularly from Vic to Manlleu. Zone 6 T-casual is 55€ for 10 rides. We would use 4 of them (2 going and 2 returning) - about 5€ apiece each way.
Hotel Torres Manlleu: is just a couple of blocks from the museum and has rooms for roughly 50€. To me this makes sense as a way to visit for a little longer and not be rushing through the day.
Sagales: Sagales runs the bus lines in this region. I have downloaded a pdf of the 455 and 449 bus schedule but it’s pretty complex. It appears that a couple of different buses run on roughly 30 min intervals and pass through Manlleu as part of their route.
Xic de l’Urgell A falcon breeding facility is just outside Manlleu as well. We didn’t find this since we were a bit worn from walking and were ready to head home when we might have had time to go look for this.
Model. Barcelona Architecture Festival¶
There are 5 themes to this extensive festival and it appears that there will be multiple events happening every day. It will be hard to pick and choose. The landing page currently appears to offer a day by day listing of all activities that will be taking place including all the 5 themes.
Between Generations
Between Cultures
Between Species
Between Materials
Between Classes
All of these have some interest for me but the materials discussions are a natural fit for me. I think the way for me to explore this is to list the dates that I might actually have some time available (not M/W) and pick 2 or 3 possible events to keep track of. That will give me more than enough to think about.
Important Note: As this festival has evolved many events are showing up in the last minute or even after the festival starts. I need to check each day to see what is happening over the next two days and what has changed.
5/5 Thursday¶
The Augeries are virtual indicator species designed to let us know when things are out of balance. Plaça Urquinoana. Inferstudio Bethany Edgoose i Nathan Su - I’m not at all sure how this will work but it appears that the installation will be for the duration of the festival.
6/5 Friday¶
7/5 Saturday¶
FabLab Barcelona and IAAC open day The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and the Fab Lab Barcelona, will open their doors for the 2022 edition of the Poblenou Urban District Open Day. IAAC is a centre for research, education, production and outreach, with the mission of envisioning the future habitat of our society and building it in the present. IAAC follows the digital revolution at all scales to expand the boundaries of architecture and design and meet the challenges faced by humanity. The Institute develops various research programmes and projects bringing together experts in different disciplines such as architecture, engineering, biology, sociology, anthropology and other fields of investigation. IAAC, Carrer de Pujades, 102, 08005 Barcelona - just a few blocks towards the beach from Glories
Co-mida How to connect plants and communities through design and digital technologies? CO-mida is a 3D printed wall for food and energy production, co-designed by IAAC with the local community and installed in ConnectHort, where the event will take place. The event will consist of the wall presentation and a roundtable with experts talking about co-design, new technologies, digital fabrication and urban ecology. The roundtable will be moderated by Chiara Farinea (IAAC) and Elisabetta Carnevale (IAAC). This is at ConnectHort which is just down Independencia near the beach. Preregistration is needed through this webpage. The round table event is at 15:00 on the 7th.
Domesticidad a la Intemperie This is perhaps a discussion/presentation from 19:30 - 20:30 at Plaça Reial, 08002 Barcelona. The five case studies are private houses that incorporate a dialogue between nature, artifact and life from the design process to inhabitation. Although these are well-known houses, Ricardo Devesa’s approach makes us discover a new dimension and rethink our relationship with our natural and architectural environment.
8/5 Sunday¶
The Way is an immersive VR data experience. VR heaadsets will be provided and the event is free. The location is Carrer Ample, 21 from 11:00 to 16:00. Not sure this is high on my list but seems interesting if other events don’t take precedence
Solar Brunch 12:30 to 15:00 at Carrer del Dr. Trueta, 100, 08005 Barcelona. At the intersection between the slow movement and low-techs, we want to bring awareness and promote a resilient lifestyle. We want to open conversations around how to integrate ancient techniques into our present context. This event will be focused on ways to be less dependent on energy and promote the use of solar energy in a fun way: solar cooked food, solar powered music, solar fun. We will cook vegetarian food and provide beverages. 3€ paid and pdf is saved
9/5 Monday (busy)¶
The Woodpecker’s Delight is an online zoom event at 18:00. In a world increasingly challenged by global warming, it is clear that the construction industry is a major contributor to unsustainable carbon emissions. The identification of naturally renewable resources is a critical factor in determining a sustainable supply chain for the industry, and yet that cannot guarantee the role of architecture in the equation. This lecture will focus on the role of wood, adopted in its hybrid formats to contribute to the cultural and ecological equation in balance. This takes registration through the iaac link above. This is certainly relevant to SAE’s sustainability program and is of interest to me as well.
10/5 Tuesday¶
Tour of Fabrica del Sol that takes place from 10:00 to 11:30. The location is La Fàbrica del Sol. Passeig de Salvat Papasseit, 1. Barcelona which is between Port Vell and the Casino Barcelona at the Barceloneta. Seems like an interesting space to visit. Would be right after class on Tuesday. IAAC registration needed.
Innovation with Natural Materials 18:30 - 20:30 at ConnectHort, Carrer Doctor Truetta 100, Poblenou, Barcelona. How are the new construction processes and tools of the 21st century? What does it mean to build at km0, with what we have under our feet? The realization of the 3D printed house by the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and the Savasco Poctefa project by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia with its initiative to build from agricultural by-products. You will be able to visit the CO-mida vertical garden that we have at ConnectHort. Elizabetta will tell us about the realization of prototypes of vertical gardens co-designed with the users, intelligent and Bio Photovoltaic. No admission or registration required.
11/5 Wednesday (busy)¶
Design for a Warming World: Daniel Ibanez is a presentation from 19:30 to 20:30 at IAAC, Carrer de Pujades, 102, 08005 Barcelona (the fab lab I think) Daniel Ibáñez is a Spanish practicing architect and urbanist and Doctor of Design from Harvard University GSD. Daniel has recently been appointed Director of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). His professional, research, and academic focus is on the architectural and urban implications of advanced mass timber design. He is building the tallest social housing mass timber building in Spain and he is co-author of the book Wood Urbanism: From the Molecular to the Territorial (Actar, 2019). Additionally, he is a Senior Urban Consultant at the World Bank, advising international governments and institutions on housing and urban development timber projects. IAAC registration required. I could go to this while Dawn is at Drawing class.
12/5 Thursday¶
Materials Matter Fair All day from 10:00 to 20:00 at C/ Can Segalar 6-8, Barcelona, 08014. The event includes the participation of a selection of brands and professionals who will show different solutions (from natural materials to reusable systems). During the whole day you will be able to discover an exhibition of products and systems, accompanied by talks on architecture and interior design projects, to learn first-hand about development and research processes at the product level, and their applications from a technical and design viewpoint. IAAC registration required)
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Solutions at Fabrica del Sol 10:30 to 12:00 at Fabrica del Sol (see above). Not sure how this is different than the tour on Tuesday. This one may be more accessible for me. IAAC registration needed.
Circularity 18:00 - 19:00 This looks like a Microsoft Teams discussion (you’ll need the app) and is listed as being in Catalan. That would make it difficult for me but it may be of interest to others. Circular engineering is and must be the great ally of this change, providing long-term solutions that help us reduce our impact on the carbon footprint. Architecture and engineering are crucial for sustainable development. We have to design and build resilient infrastructures and we also have to redefine the concept of waste and turn it into an opportunity.
13/5 Friday¶
Spain’s First 3D printed (earthen) House Tour From 15:00 to 18:00 at IAAC Valldaura Labs, Ctra. BV-1415 (Horta-Cerdanyola), km 7, 08290, Barcelona. I feel like this would be very cool and I’m curious what the ‘earthen’ part of this is. IAAC registration needed. I have registered and I still need to figure out how I’m getting to this location. This is the same lab I’m hoping to visit tomorrow (14/5) for the Open labs day. Possibly taxi from Valldaura metro.
AUS Walk. This guided walkk will meet at Fabrica del Sol (Fàbrica del Sol, In front of the main door. Fàbrica del Sol - Passeig de Salvat Papasseit, 1, 08003 Barcelona) and is from 18:00 to 19:30 - the 3D house tour conflicts so I can’t go. We will discuss three buildings: La Fàbrica del Sol, as a demonstration of good practices in the rehabilitation of a modernist building, we will pass a “sick building” and the work of ISGlobal will be mentioned, as a research center on environmental health and will go through the Biomedical Research Center. If I can’t get to the house tour this will be a nice alternative.
14/5 Saturday¶
IAAC Valldaura Labs Open Day 16:00 - 20:00 The IAAC Valldaura Labs, a research centre for Self-sufficient habitats located on a historic 130-hectare farm at 20 minutes from downtown Barcelona, will open its doors to visitors on May 14th 2022. As part of IAAC’s commitment to promoting habitability on the basis of ecological principles, making the fullest use of all available technologies and resources, the Valldaura Labs is testing ground allowing to learn directly from nature in order to apply this understanding to the regeneration of XXIst century cities. IAAC Valldaura Labs, Ctra. BV-1415 (Horta-Cerdanyola), km 7, 08290, Barcelona. Registration (done for me) through IAAC required. Note: Might need to get a taxi from L3 Valldaura to the Lab.