The relationship between space and well-being has always been a key consideration at IE University’s School of Architecture & Design. As this concept becomes increasingly widespread, the boundaries of what’s possible are being pushed. By providing students with a global vision of architecture and design, they are able to create multipurpose spaces that boost well-being and remain flexible as needs evolve.
In the Bachelor in Architectural Studies, students engage in project-based learning to develop a broad and creative skill set, while also mastering the essentials of what it means to be an architect. The recent projects designed by four current students serve as perfect examples of the way IE University fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and prepares them for a successful future.
Haitam Daoudi’s project “R+D Cuatro Caminos'' is designed to facilitate Research and Development (R+D) in urban life by creating a natural water purification system and river walkway. Water is the continuous element that’s featured across the site, and also serves as the object of study. Daoudi partially reuses industrial structures alongside new construction to provide water for the area’s 1000 inhabitants. The system connects four main plazas through a river walkway that mixes daily life with opportunities for further research.
In a beautiful former convent in Malaga called La Trinidad, Mirian Otto Hernández Palacios has conceptualized a sequence of safe spaces. The “El Faro” project—“The Lighthouse” in English—seeks to create a sense of belonging and guidance within this cultural heritage site. The goal of El Faro is to provide both a temporary and permanent refuge for women who have suffered domestic violence. Otto Hernández Palacios’ design encourages social and cultural exchange, helping build a community where women can rebuild their self-confidence and independence. The style is based on the architectural typologies of Malaga, helping establish communal living spaces that support social and professional encounters with the outside world.
Moving from Malaga to the Carabanchel area of Madrid, we can find a cultural hub for adults and children, spearheaded by June Aoun. The Carabanchel Library project plays with height and scale to create intrigue and surprise with every turn. The strategic concept centers around the division of different age groups, while allowing visual interaction through interposed terraces. Carabanchel Library’s architectural design uses common spaces where the masses interconnect and merge in order to provide cross-circulation.
Daniela Figueroa reminds us of the power of our senses with her project, “Body Narratives on Architecture and the Senses. Mercado de los Mostenses.” Figueroa uses the existing Mercado de los Mostenses to design a new concept that caters to the human body. She developed the idea of super humans; people who have different capabilities outside of what is considered “normal.” Sometimes monotonous activities such as walking, shopping, or accessing public transportation are difficult for super humans. This difficulty inspired SENUD, an area that disrupts normality through the manipulation of space to create different sensations and facilitate users to shop at the market.
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IE University School of Architecture and Design students in the Bachelor in Architectural Studies program focus on the concept of “Learning by Doing.” Each of their innovative projects showcases the creative thinking that IE University aims for in its programs. The spaces the students have created prove that our surroundings have a meaningful effect on us.
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