Dr. Meg Lowman was an invited speaker at ArborReal, a tree-house building workshop for the students of IaAc (Institut d’arquitectura avancada de Catalunya) in Barcelona, Spain during May 2010. This forward-thinking architectural institute confers approximately 55 Masters degrees each year to students from over 25 countries, teaching them to incorporate nature into architectural design. With the legandary architect, Antoni Gaudi, as a celebrated citizen in Barcelona’s history, the urban landscape is alive and passionate about raising the bar for architecture and embracing the role that nature plays in inspiring architecture. Director of IAAC, Vicente Guallart, believes that trees as living systems can serve as models for architects to build structures that are living, dynamic systems (like ecosystems) for people to inhabit. IAAC hopes to work with Lowman and the TREE Foundation in the future, to integrate environmental education both into their curriculum and into the landscape of Barcelona.
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- The stunning landscape of Barcelona with sea, urban landscape, and forest.
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- Lowman met with the director and research staff at Parc de Collserola, to discuss ways to creat interpretation and citizen science programs in the forests surrounding Barcelona.
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- Masters students at IAAC complete a tree-house design project as part of their coursework to think about the importance of trees and forest ecosystems to inspire architectural design.
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