
The workshop will explore an expansion of the traditional Brazilian Taipá earthen building technique, which involves reinforcing mud with a woven bamboo framework. Students will investigate the integration of these low-tech building materials with advanced 3D digital fabrication methods, effectively merging ancestral wisdom with innovative design systems. Situated within a local indigenous community, participants will gain cultural insights into the available labour force and the broader community's needs, enabling them to design structures that are resilient and responsive to both structural and environmental challenges.
Applications will open soon.
Franklin Lee and Anne Save de Beaurecueil have been heads of the AA Visiting Schools in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro since 2010, and have run a series of workshops that bring leading architects from around the world to rethink the Brazilian urban landscape by combining cutting-edge technology and critical theoretical exploration with local culture, material and labour sources. They are also design directors of SUBdV Architecture, using a mixture of high and low design technologies to generate socially and environmentally responsive geometries for architecture, furniture and urban design projects. They were AA Diploma Unit 2 tutors from 2005–10 and taught at the Pratt Institute and Columbia University in New York, from where they both also received Master’s degrees. They have published, exhibited and lectured about their work worldwide (@subdv_architecture)
The workshop is open to students, PhD candidates, teachers and professionals in architecture, design and art. Software Requirements: Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino (SR7 or later). No previous practical experience needed.
A £60 non-refundable deposit is required from all applicants. This amount will be deducted from the total fees listed below:
Full and Partial Scholarships are available for Mackenzie Students Please contact brazilvisitingschool@aaschool.ac.uk for further information.
Fees do not include flights or accommodation, but accommodation options can be advised. Students need to bring their own laptops, digital equipment and model making tools.