IAAC Material Lab
Innovation zone
The material library of IAAC (Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) arrives at Construmat to showcase a carefully selected range of innovative and sustainable materials, with a clear focus on circularity, efficiency, and resource intelligence.
An invitation to touch, observe, and rethink the way we build, drawing on the expertise and knowledge of one of the leading centres for architectural research and experimentation.
Promotion valid until 20.05.25
Exhibition of materials
The full exhibition can only be seen in Construmat: here we show you a selection of the materials that will be on show:
- The Brick Geopolymer is a material system 100% derived from the reuse of bricks found in demolition waste processes, either in powder form or in various sizes of aggregates.
- Cork Block is a load bearing material derived from cork waste and is 100% binderfree.
- Charcrete is a biochar-cement composite.
- Biochar geopolymer is a non-cementitious composite for interior and exterior cladding solutions of buildings.
- Graphene-Cement tile is a smart material system that can sense pedestrian and vehicle flows, track positions and recognize gestures.
- This bio-based material system is derived from mussel shells, a prevalent waste in countries such as Spain and Chile.
- ... And more materials that you will only be able to learn about if you visit the show.
Brick Geopolymer from Demolition Waste
The Brick Geopolymer is a material system 100% derived from the reuse of bricks found in demolition waste processes, either in powder form or in various sizes of aggregates. The same material can be used as a binder, avoiding the need for mortar in new constructions. This material enables the creation of upcycled building components through casting or the production of custom tiles and surfaces through 3D printing. Brick waste constitutes a significant portion of Construction and Demolition Waste, particularly in Spain. It is very difficult to upcycle bricks as units, mainly because it is hard to separate it from mortar which is why this material can be a novel solution for brick upcycling.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, Nikol Kirova (Faculty),
Evangelia Sarantopoulou, Snehal Pare, Yuvraj Shirke (Students)
Fricks Team: Juliana Simantob, Pinelopi Filothei Karali, Claudia Gowgiel (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio
Cork Block
Cork Block is a load bearing material derived from cork waste and is 100% binderfree. The block is developed through thermopressing waste from cork or forest industry including wine stoppers and biomass. The Cork Block allows circular architectural solutions and diverse geometrical configurations while it is easy to assemble, disassemble and reassemble, expanding the lifecycle of the material. Cork Block can be additionally post processed with CNC to create customized textures and final finishings.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, Nikol Kirova (Faculty),
Anish Hatekar, Shrey Kapur and Michael Sinzinger (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio
Charcrete
Charcrete is a biochar-cement composite. Building with biochar, a carbon-negative agricultural byproduct, means developing negative carbon emissions building solutions for architecture. While commonly used for soil improvement, it can also be used for structural applications. Its inherent properties, such as humidity absorption, acoustic and thermal performance, render it optimal for interior and exterior uses. Charcrete can be either cast or 3D printed, allowing for variation in the amount of cement in the composite based on the structural needs of the final product.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, Nikol Kirova (Faculty),
Simon Amine, Dimitra Roumelioti and Hakkı Emre Sayın (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio
Biochar Geopolymer
Biochar geopolymer is a non-cementitious composite for interior and exterior cladding solutions of buildings. The material can enhance acoustic performance, control humidity and improve interior microclimate comfort while absorbing CO2 and decarbonizing the atmosphere. Biochar Geopolymer can use different sizes of biochar chunks minimizing energy consumption and streamline production processes while promoting sustainability through “form follows availability” principles.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, Nikol Kirova, Daniil Koshelyuk, Aleyna Gültekin (Faculty),
Aastha Agrawal, Alessandra Diana De Rada Ocampo, Divya Gogia, Giovanna Giovanna (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio
Graphene-Cement Tile
Graphene-Cement tile is a smart material system that can sense pedestrian and vehicle flows, track positions and recognize gestures. The “sensing tile”, designed with surface-embedded technology, can be integrated into floor or wall surfaces, either beneath existing finishes or in the form of specialized ‘active tiles.’ The data collected from the tiles does not include privacy invading methods and the tile becomes a real time sensing tool for urban mobility flows and for predicting mobility patterns.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, David Andres Leon, Raimund Krenmueller (Faculty),
Hayder Mahdi, Nikol Kirova, Shruti Jalodia (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio
Mussel Shells For Grey Water Filtration
This bio-based material system is derived from mussel shells, a prevalent waste in countries such as Spain and Chile. The material composite properties include the ability for greywater filtration that could be applied for irrigation in regions experiencing water scarcity. This mussel shell composite is able to improve water pH levels, absorb impurities and optimize water treatment. It also enables the creation of upcycled customized components through a flexible mold casting technique.
Team: Areti Markopoulou, Nikol Kirova (Faculty),
Miti Shah, Yasmin Jaskulski, Vishesh Narola and Junaid Khan (Students)
Digital Matter Research Studio