IE University Design Lab professors and students showcase their work at the Chicago Architecture Biennial
`Casa de la Lectura´, municipal public library in Segovia, Spain. Photos and cover© Whitt Preston
The event will feature work by 86 international institutions and firms addressing solutions to the world’s environmental, social, and economic problems through art, architecture, infrastructure and civic society initiatives.
Among the projects professors and students from the IE School of Architecture and Design have carried out at the Design Lab are those in collaboration with the City Council of Segovia, UNESCO World Heritage city. These projects have included the transformation of a XVIth century building into the `Casa de la Lectura´, the municipal public library, as well as `Las Casetas de las Biblio de Verano´, mini libraries in six public spaces built with local sustainable materials.
Romina Canna, Director of the d-Lab at IE School Architecture & Design
“The d-Lab is a unique training ecosystem, a platform where students work on specific architectural and design projects, engaging in local contexts that are often neglected by other design-related disciplines.”
Also on show at the 5th Chicago Architecture Biennial will be collaborations with local associations of Segovia such as the one with the association San Pedro de los Picos. The project encompasses the building evaluation and documentation of the Church of San Pedro de los Picos, an abandoned Romanesque temple, to facilitate its future rehabilitation. The students engaged in the use of advanced digital tools such as 3D scanning and photogrammetry, as well as exploring its potential community use in the historic center of this Spanish city.
The d-Lab, as IE University's Design Laboratory is known, enriches the educational experience of IE School of Architecture and Design undergraduate students, who participate in projects with a social impact on local communities.
David Goodman, Dean of IE School of Architecture & Design
“Our goal is to boost creativity to build a more sustainable, just and beautiful world through research and an innovative educational model. The d-Lab is a bridge between theoretical and practical education. Our goal is for tomorrow’s architects and designers to develop their critical thinking; we want them to understand the problems we face locally and globally, to look for new, impactful solutions through design. At the same time, we are working to strengthen their network of institutional and business contacts to accelerate their careers.”
Church San Pedro de los Picos of Segovia, photograph of its actual state and 3D scanning study. Images©d-LabLed by Romina Canna since its creation in 2013, the d-Lab has a team of professors made up of Maxon Higbee, Marcela Aragüez, Wesam Al Asali, Alejandra Albuerne, as well as Elena Cardiel, head of the FabLab, that students work with to provide design solutions for public schools, city councils, non-profit organizations and civic associations, involving themselves actively in the creation and development of design, project development, manufacturing and assembly.
