Monday 5 May 2025| 6 -7.30 PM Castello del Valentino Salone d’Onore|Recordings on YouTube
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5 thoughts on “A+ Lectures 2025|06 Transscalar Architecture|Andrés Jaque”
Devanshi Thakuriya
The lecture was interesting from the point of view of co-existence of different scales within our surrounding followed by some key projects by Architect Andres Jaque which had a strong sense of ecological co-existence as a highlight. The Interesting takeaway was how to view things from a newer perspective, like he explained in the case of Barcelona Pavilion when he looked beyond the touristy landscape and noticed details like the travertine remains of the construction supporting regular maintenance. The most fascinating to know was the diverse use of Titanium, from self-cleansing glass to our recent versions of apple phones. From UD point of view, the hidden layer of keeping the main piazzas like the New York Hudson Yard cool was an interesting use case of titanium in jets. I particularly enjoyed seeing his work of water treatment plant that was not just building an ecosystem by treating sewage water but also how it became an icon for the MoMA and the beauty it delivered during the night photoluminescence. The Rambla Climate House, the participatory design school were similarly very interesting. Another key highlight was how the narrative behind stone was discussed that we human being C stone as a dead object, but maybe it is too fast too slow and too small for the human eye to observe and take notice of stone as a living, being for smaller creatures beyond Macroscopic view. The stone life project was an eye open, which is also exhibited in the Venice, and I look forward to go and seeing it there.
Jaque’s lecture pushed me to rethink how architecture operates across scales, not just in form, but in hidden material and ecological networks. His work exposes the illusions of modernity, like the idea that zooming in or out gives us full control over a system. The vacuum cleaner displayed in a pavilion, for example, was a simple but striking way to reveal the invisible labor and waste behind “clean” spaces. I was especially drawn to his projects exploring titanium, how a single material connects to everything from shiny facades to urban infrastructure like NYC’s High Line. His focus on biodiversity, like in the Rambla Climate-House, shows architecture as more than human-centered design but as a mediator between species. Now, I’m curious about his latest Biennale project on fermentation and bacterial stone growth, it sounds like a radical reimagining of construction. Does this approach risk becoming too conceptual, or can it truly reshape practice? Either way, I’m excited to see it in Venice.
I was really curious to learn about the concept of “Transscalar architecture” and the lecture made me reflect on various aspects, regarding the environment, the social-political factor, togetherness, ecology and many more. This idea of thinking of architecture as an ecosystem, where we have different actors working simultaneously and on different scales is very interesting to me because sometimes we forget that architecture is a body-environmental being. Through the projects that were “unboxed” by Andrés Jacque, it was possible to perceive that concept in practice, showing the territorial implicances of titanium in Hudson Yards (the scale of transportation of materials needs to be taken into consideration); the interspecies relationships in the Transspecies Kitchen ((allowing the natural cycle to be repeated and renewed); and the earthy-togetherness in the Reggio School (the school as an actor of environmental reparation).
This lecture also reminded me of the topics of the first lecture “We the Bacteria”, because of the use of different materials like the cork facade at the Reggio School, that provides the conditions for species to develop and creates a better balance in the ecosystem.
What I appreciated the most of Jaque’s lecture. was his way of looking at architecture, not just as designing buildings, but as something that deals with social and ecological responsibilities across all kinds of scales, from the tiniest (even molecular) to the bigger social picture. What stood out to me was how he explored projects from unexpected angles. For example, in the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe, instead of focusing on its well-known design elements, he brought attention to the hidden basement, a space where travertine slabs are stored and constantly replaced due to salt damage. It was a great reminder that architecture is fragile and always in progress.
Then there was Cosmo at MoMA PS1, a small but powerful structure that cleans polluted water using bacteria, turning a temporary installation (also with the night photoluminescence) into an active ecosystem. I also found The Rambla Climate House particularly inspiring, designed for Murcia’s hot, dry climate and works to preserve water and humidity, creating a safe and livable space not only for people but for plants and animals too.
In conclusion I believe that these four points he summed up at the end of the lecture really capture the essence of his approach:
– Architecture shouldn’t be speculative, but it should be grounded and connected to reality
– Architecture should be collaborative
– Architecture needs to work with real time and real-world processes
– And above all, learning and teaching architecture shouldn’t be isolated but it should be rooted in reality, not just theory
Jaque’s lecture invites to see architecture not juts as a designed building but also as a deeply social, ecological and material practice. Talking on his award winning Reggio School in Madrid, he highlighted the participatory design approaches, where students, residents and developers shape the space together. The school building has a vertical ecosystem that fosters a connection of nature with the students. He also dived deeper into the politics behind materials like the self cleaning glass that uses titanium sourced from South Africa and how design decisions are shaped by global social and environmental contexts. His project in New York exemplified this, using treated sewage water to nourish other species that reflects the idea of transpecies justice. Projects like Rambla Climate House which includes what he calls as ‘climate crown’ to collect rain water from the roof of the house is fascinating. In Reggio school, strategies like octopus-like planning layouts balance the seclusion and openness with other neighboring environment. Another distinct approach was the use of cork that fosters biodiversity by supporting microorganisms, fungi, etc. His work urged me to rethink building as living participants in a shared world with multi-species.
The lecture was interesting from the point of view of co-existence of different scales within our surrounding followed by some key projects by Architect Andres Jaque which had a strong sense of ecological co-existence as a highlight. The Interesting takeaway was how to view things from a newer perspective, like he explained in the case of Barcelona Pavilion when he looked beyond the touristy landscape and noticed details like the travertine remains of the construction supporting regular maintenance. The most fascinating to know was the diverse use of Titanium, from self-cleansing glass to our recent versions of apple phones. From UD point of view, the hidden layer of keeping the main piazzas like the New York Hudson Yard cool was an interesting use case of titanium in jets. I particularly enjoyed seeing his work of water treatment plant that was not just building an ecosystem by treating sewage water but also how it became an icon for the MoMA and the beauty it delivered during the night photoluminescence. The Rambla Climate House, the participatory design school were similarly very interesting. Another key highlight was how the narrative behind stone was discussed that we human being C stone as a dead object, but maybe it is too fast too slow and too small for the human eye to observe and take notice of stone as a living, being for smaller creatures beyond Macroscopic view. The stone life project was an eye open, which is also exhibited in the Venice, and I look forward to go and seeing it there.
Jaque’s lecture pushed me to rethink how architecture operates across scales, not just in form, but in hidden material and ecological networks. His work exposes the illusions of modernity, like the idea that zooming in or out gives us full control over a system. The vacuum cleaner displayed in a pavilion, for example, was a simple but striking way to reveal the invisible labor and waste behind “clean” spaces. I was especially drawn to his projects exploring titanium, how a single material connects to everything from shiny facades to urban infrastructure like NYC’s High Line. His focus on biodiversity, like in the Rambla Climate-House, shows architecture as more than human-centered design but as a mediator between species. Now, I’m curious about his latest Biennale project on fermentation and bacterial stone growth, it sounds like a radical reimagining of construction. Does this approach risk becoming too conceptual, or can it truly reshape practice? Either way, I’m excited to see it in Venice.
I was really curious to learn about the concept of “Transscalar architecture” and the lecture made me reflect on various aspects, regarding the environment, the social-political factor, togetherness, ecology and many more. This idea of thinking of architecture as an ecosystem, where we have different actors working simultaneously and on different scales is very interesting to me because sometimes we forget that architecture is a body-environmental being. Through the projects that were “unboxed” by Andrés Jacque, it was possible to perceive that concept in practice, showing the territorial implicances of titanium in Hudson Yards (the scale of transportation of materials needs to be taken into consideration); the interspecies relationships in the Transspecies Kitchen ((allowing the natural cycle to be repeated and renewed); and the earthy-togetherness in the Reggio School (the school as an actor of environmental reparation).
This lecture also reminded me of the topics of the first lecture “We the Bacteria”, because of the use of different materials like the cork facade at the Reggio School, that provides the conditions for species to develop and creates a better balance in the ecosystem.
What I appreciated the most of Jaque’s lecture. was his way of looking at architecture, not just as designing buildings, but as something that deals with social and ecological responsibilities across all kinds of scales, from the tiniest (even molecular) to the bigger social picture. What stood out to me was how he explored projects from unexpected angles. For example, in the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe, instead of focusing on its well-known design elements, he brought attention to the hidden basement, a space where travertine slabs are stored and constantly replaced due to salt damage. It was a great reminder that architecture is fragile and always in progress.
Then there was Cosmo at MoMA PS1, a small but powerful structure that cleans polluted water using bacteria, turning a temporary installation (also with the night photoluminescence) into an active ecosystem. I also found The Rambla Climate House particularly inspiring, designed for Murcia’s hot, dry climate and works to preserve water and humidity, creating a safe and livable space not only for people but for plants and animals too.
In conclusion I believe that these four points he summed up at the end of the lecture really capture the essence of his approach:
– Architecture shouldn’t be speculative, but it should be grounded and connected to reality
– Architecture should be collaborative
– Architecture needs to work with real time and real-world processes
– And above all, learning and teaching architecture shouldn’t be isolated but it should be rooted in reality, not just theory
Jaque’s lecture invites to see architecture not juts as a designed building but also as a deeply social, ecological and material practice. Talking on his award winning Reggio School in Madrid, he highlighted the participatory design approaches, where students, residents and developers shape the space together. The school building has a vertical ecosystem that fosters a connection of nature with the students. He also dived deeper into the politics behind materials like the self cleaning glass that uses titanium sourced from South Africa and how design decisions are shaped by global social and environmental contexts. His project in New York exemplified this, using treated sewage water to nourish other species that reflects the idea of transpecies justice. Projects like Rambla Climate House which includes what he calls as ‘climate crown’ to collect rain water from the roof of the house is fascinating. In Reggio school, strategies like octopus-like planning layouts balance the seclusion and openness with other neighboring environment. Another distinct approach was the use of cork that fosters biodiversity by supporting microorganisms, fungi, etc. His work urged me to rethink building as living participants in a shared world with multi-species.