Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia

The fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments per year, of which 85% end up in landfill before the end of the year. Considering filamentous fungi are capable of biodegrading cellulose and complex molecules and of producing a wide range of biomaterials, an opportunity to rethink the linearity of the textile industry emerges. Biodegradation of various combinations of denim textile waste, synthetic textile waste, food waste and spent coffee grounds was investigated using Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium. The resulting composite material was tested for its use in material production. The outcomes of the study showed that Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium could successfully grow on all the combinations of food waste (vegetable peels and coffee grounds) with textile waste (synthetic textile and denim textile) and even on denim textile waste only. Provided the soft nature of the substrate, the textile and food waste mycelium composite is also malleable and therefore interesting for applications in the textile industry. A protocol for post-processing of the flexible composite material using low energy and natural components (heat, water, glycerol and wax) was created to transform the composite into a leather-like fungal material.

Our current global Food System is facing extraordinary challenges in both size and severity, including a rise in unsustainable consumption behaviours, continued environmental degradation, growing food insecurity, and widening social inequalities. A Food System transformation is now both critically important and overwhelmingly complex, requiring nothing less than a complete overhaul of the entire value chain. Everyone is needed: Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with technological solutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with social innovations, researchers with novel methodologies, governments with food policy advancements, professionals with varying expertise, and last but not least, empowered and informed citizens with the ability and resources for better decision-making. Living Labs offer a holistic, place-based approach needed to facilitate multi-actor inputs on various levels, specifically Food System Living Labs (FSLLs) like the ones established as part of the FoodSHIFT 2030 Project. Nine front-runner Food System Living Labs were operationalised alongside a novel framework merging high-level interdisciplinary initiatives with a diverse set of innovative approaches towards more Sustainable Food Systems (SFS). The FoodSHIFT Approach concept was praised by external evaluators for its ground-breaking framework, and the nearly completed project has been listed as a best practice. However, positive applications alone will not ensure a cross-sector European-wide Food System transformation, and the following text offers a critical reflection coupled with experience-based solutions to further improve the FoodSHIFT Approach.

Exploiting crystallographic data repositories for large-scale quantum chemical computations requires the rapid and accurate extraction of the molecular structure, charge and spin from the crystallographic information file. Here, we develop a general approach to assign the ground state spin of transition metal complexes, in complement to our previous efforts on determining metal oxidation states and bond order within the cell2mol software. Starting from a database of 31k transition metal complexes extracted from the Cambridge Structural Database with cell2mol, we construct the TM-GSspin dataset, which contains 2063 mononuclear first row transition metal complexes and their computed ground state spins. TM-GSspin is highly diverse in terms of metals, metal oxidation states, coordination geometries, and coordination sphere compositions. Based on TM-GSspin, we identify correlations between structural and electronic features of the complexes and their ground state spins to develop a rule-based spin state assignment model. Leveraging this knowledge, we construct interpretable descriptors and build a statistical model achieving 98% cross-validated accuracy in predicting the ground state spin across the board. Our approach provides a practical way to determine the ground state spin of transition metal complexes directly from crystal structures without additional computations, thus enabling the automated use of crystallographic data for large-scale computations involving transition metal complexes.

The persistent presence of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in wastewater (WW) effluents raises significant environmental and health concerns, highlighting the limitations of conventional treatments for their remotion. Fungi, especially white rot fungi (WRF), offer a promising alternative for OPFR removal. This study sought to identify fungal candidates (from a selection of four WRF and two Ascomycota fungi) capable of effectively removing five frequently detected OPFRs in WW: tributyl phosphate (TnBP), tributoxy ethyl phosphate (TBEP), trichloroethyl phosphate (TCEP), trichloro propyl phosphate (TCPP) and triethyl phosphate (TEP). The objective was to develop a co-culture approach for WW treatment, while also addressing the utilization of less assimilable carbon sources present in WW. Research was conducted on carbon source uptake and OPFR removal by all fungal candidates, while the top degraders were analyzed for biomass sorption contribution. Additionally, the enzymatic systems involved in OPFR degradation were identified, along with toxicity of samples after fungal contact. Acetate (1.4 g·L ⁻¹ ), simulating less assimilable organic matter in the carbon source uptake study, was eliminated by all tested fungi in 4 days. However, during the initial screening where the removal of four OPFRs (excluding TCPP) was tested, WRF outperformed Ascomycota fungi. Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes versicolor removed over 90% of TnBP and TBEP within 4 days, with Pleorotus ostreatus and Pycnoporus sanguineus also displaying effective removal. TCEP removal was challenging, with only G. lucidum achieving partial removal (47%). A subsequent screening with selected WRF and the addition of TCPP revealed TCPP’s greater susceptibility to degradation compared to TCEP, with T. versicolor exhibiting the highest removal efficiency (77%). This observation, plus the poor degradation of TEP by all fungal candidates suggests that polarity of an OPFR inversely correlates with its susceptibility to fungal degradation. Sorption studies confirmed the ability of top-performing fungi of each selected OPFR to predominantly degrade them. Enzymatic system tests identified the CYP450 intracellular system responsible for OPFR degradation, so reactions of hydroxylation, dealkylation and dehalogenation are possibly involved in the degradation pathway. Finally, toxicity tests revealed transformation products obtained by fungal degradation to be more toxic than the parent compounds, emphasizing the need to identify them and their toxicity contributions. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into OPFR degradation by WRF, with implications for future WW treatment using mixed consortia, emphasizing the importance of reducing generated toxicity.

The synthesis of BN-containing molecules, which have an interesting isosteric relationship to their parent all-C cores, has drawn a great deal of attention as an avenue to alter and tune molecular function. Nevertheless, many cores with embedded BN are still hard to synthesize, and thus, further effort is required in this direction. Herein, we present an integrated approach to BN-containing polycycles rooted in an exceptionally clean B–N condensation of amines with a tri-allylborane. Having released propene as the only byproduct, the resulting BN precursors are seamlessly telescoped into BN-containing polycyclic cores via a set of additional methodologies, either developed here ad-hoc or applied for the first time for the synthesis of BN-cycles. As the “sharpening stone” of the process, BN-embedded naphthalene, which has previously only been obtained in low yield, can now be synthesized efficiently through propenolysis, ring-closing metathesis and a new high-yielding aromatization. As a more advanced application, an analogously obtained BN-containing bis-enyne is readily converted to BN-containing non-aromatic tetra-, penta- and hexacyclic structures via ring-closing enyne metathesis, followed by the Diels–Alder cycloaddition. The resulting air-sensitive structures are easily handled by preventive hydration (quaternization) of their B–N bridge; reverting this hydration restores the original Bsp²–Nsp² structure. In the future, these structures may pave the way to BN-anthracenes and other π-extended BN-arenes.

By making rapid prototyping accessible and inexpensive, additive manufacturing (AM) has transformed the fabrication industry. The adaptability of the process to various materials makes it applicable to multiple fields ranging from complex nanoscale production in the medical field to the manufacturing of large-scale structures in the construction industry. AM methods are constantly evolving, enabling the production of complex products with minimal initial investment. AM processes generate little waste and require no formwork, making them relevant to the construction industry, which conventionally produces significant amounts of waste. This chapter provides a high-level overview of AM as an innovative technique and key developments towards its use for a circular built environment. It further delineates the viability of AM techniques using earth-based materials for implementing a circular economy in the construction sector through a series of case studies developed gradually from the scale of architectural prototypes to realised buildings. These examples address factors such as fabrication processes, techniques, and materials used and their influence on circularity through the production cycle of construction achieved using AM. Through the case studies, the chapter promotes ‘closing the loop’ on resources by reusing and recycling excavated construction materials. The chapter concludes with projections for AM practices and potential commercial applications of the technology. Overall, the chapter is useful for anybody interested in the built environment looking at alternative and sustainable building methods, including users, researchers, and professionals.

Concrete is currently the second most consumed material in the world, with it’s core ingredient–cement, emitting 900 kg of CO2 into the atmosphere with each ton produced. Carbon sequestering amendments can help tackle the negative impacts of the concrete construction sector. As the concrete construction industry along with the computational design tools and manufacturers evolve, they move towards new materially and structurally informed construction methods aiming at carbon neutral solutions. The research investigates the use of biochar (carbonised bio-waste) as an aggregate for sustainable cementitious composites. The literature on the topic suggests that the main limitation of biochar as a concrete amendment is the reduction in mechanical properties associated with an increase in biochar content. This chapter, however, approaches this as a design challenge for maximising carbon sequestration while reaching optimal structural performance. Based on the novel biochar-cementitious composites developed in IAAC (the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia), the work further investigates and defines new design principles for traditional building elements so that they can obtain a carbon–neutral or negative footprint. The programmability of the material mix, for instance, combined with additive manufacturing and computational design tools makes it possible to design and manufacture functionally graded architectural elements whose properties vary based on the mechanical or qualitative performance, among others. The research chapter uses three case studies and examines fabrication strategies as well as new techniques for material allocation and performance-driven design toward carbon-negative materially informed building elements. Following the properties and origins of biochar, a novel approach for building structures acting as “carbon sinks” is proposed.

The research develops tools and strategies for urban mining and digital deconstruction to diminish the building sector’s dependency on new natural resources. It facilitates the data capture, analysis, and characterization of secondary raw materials and defines a database system for recovered post-demolition components, promoting high-quality upcycled materials for new construction projects. A “form follows availability” digital design strategy is explored from a sparse quantity of reclaimed material. It develops a relational database from a semi-automated post-demolition item assessment, and the consequent extracted material (wood battens) is cataloged and stored before being matched and used for a new demonstrator using robotic fabrication. Each recovered element is imaged, scanned, and weighed to create a unique material health indicator. This information is presented in a user interface to help the designer filter for relevant materials. The final step of the system matches designed components with relevant stored materials by their generative design requirements. The system’s flexibility is demonstrated using a construction system realizing curved surfaces from linear elements. By extracting multi-dimensional data on each wood batten and presenting their relevant indicators in a user-friendly interface, it is possible to create a dialogue between the designer and irregular shapes, augmenting the widespread use of reclaimed materials in structurally predictable assemblies. 85% of design components were well matched with the presented methods’ database materials. The predictability of the system after fabrication is verified by a 10 mm maximum deviation between the as-designed and the as-built structure.

One of the world's biggest pollution problems is noise, not only outside but also in indoor spaces of buildings. This paper focuses on the potential of using cork stopper waste to create a bio-composite for 3D printed furniture that helps tackling excessive noise levels in confined spaces. The experimentation first focused on creating a natural binder suitable for cork granules and 3D printing. Several different prototype mixtures were fabricated throughout the process with three different cork granule sizes and with the addition of clay to increase the material's strength, flexibility, and noise absorption coefficient. Intensive testing of various biocomposite types demonstrated how different sizes of cork granules react to sound waves when they are printed with different geometries. The resulting chair prototype proved an effective and promising performance of 3D-printed cork bio-composites for furniture inside our homes.

The global environmental challenges are calling for novel solutions and sustainable practices in the fields of architecture and construction. To respond to the SDGs agenda, the research investigates strategies for integrating biochar as an aggregate for carbon-neutral cementitious composites and to gain knowledge upon the effects that large quantities of biochar within the material system has on mechanical properties as well as carbon sequestration. The paper presents the development and assessment of a series of grades of Biochar Cementitious Mortars (BCMs). Assessment is structured upon (i) material consistency, (ii) structural performance and (iii) composite’s embodied carbon. The results propose that biochar, derived from agricultural waste, and as a carbon-sequestering material, can be used to lower the net embodied carbon of cementitious composites when used as an amendment and cement replacement. As BCMs meet compressive strength standards and can provide building materials with a net-negative embodied carbon, the material research provides valuable input for applications in the construction sector. It is proposed that in the later stages of the research the developed BCMs can be applied within a materially driven design process trough functionally grading the material and consequently designs with optimised environmental impact can be achieved.

The climate crisis and the growing urbanization needs urge design and construction practices to shift their focus to the anthroposphere as a source of, rather than just a destination for, building materials. The concept of urban mining is revisited by many to manage the existing building material stock exploring the potential for reuse in new constructions. By combining image-based segmentation with cadastral data in a GIS database, this paper proposes an end to end process for an integrated web-based application enclosing and delivering cross-referenced data about a city’s material stock. The study uses unstructured data from Open Street View to identify relevant patterns for making estimations of the quantity, state, and projected availability cycle of concrete, brick, stone, metal, timber, and glass in building facades. By applying predictive modelling at the city scale, the algorithm can identify, geolocate and quantify façade materials with a present accuracy of 87%. The developed method proposes an alternative automated way to physical inspections which makes it applicable to different cities that lack registers of building data. A data repository map is developed in the format of an interface, so that it can be used by different stakeholders including decision-makers in the formulation and planning of urban material reuse strategies, as well as designers in the early stage of circular design processes. Tackling the accuracy limitations of machine learning, the paper concludes with studying the potential of combining the use of image unstructured data with statistical data of existing building registers including age of buildings and preservation state.

In this work we explore the possibility to combine various perspectives of visualization and analysis of city data using concrete examples of the data from human trajectories and urban trees. This allows us to consider the city from the points of view of an urbanist, complex system scientist and a city anthropologist. It also allows to broaden the anthropocentric perspective, incorporating into the city map not just roads and city buildings, but also urban trees. We create a framework to create cartographic images of a cityscape, which is interlinked with trees in these cities. We also introduce a hybrid (quantitative and visual) framework to characterize human paths in cities developing a new green walk measure, which then allows us to extend the framework for urban multilayer information.

In the context of the ever-growing interest in the cyclic diaryliodonium salts, this work presents synthetic design principles for a new family of structures with two hypervalent halogens in the ring. The smallest bis-phenylene derivative, [(C6H4)2I2]2+, was prepared through oxidative dimerization of a precursor bearing the ortho-disposed iodine and trifluoroborate groups. We also report, for the first time, the formation of cycles containing two different halogen atoms. These present two phenylenes linked by hetero-(I/Br) or -(I/Cl) halogen pairs. This approach was also extended to the cyclic bis-naphthylene derivative [(C10H6)2I2]2+. The structures of these bis-halogen(III) rings were further assessed through X-ray analysis. The simplest cyclic phenylene bis-iodine(III) derivative features the interplanar angle of ∼120°, while a smaller angle of ∼103° was found for the analogous naphthylene-based salt. All dications form dimeric pairs through a combination of π-π and C-H/π interactions. As the largest member of the family, a bis-I(III)-macrocycle was also assembled using the quasi-planar xanthene backbone. Its geometry enables the two iodine(III) centers to be bridged intramolecularly by two bidentate triflate anions. In a preliminary manner, the interaction of the phenylene- and naphthalene-based bis-iodine(III) dications with a new family of rigid bidentate bis-pyridine ligands was studied in solution and the solid state, with an X-ray structure showing the chelating donor bonding to just one of the two iodine centers.

Background Some studies have shown that Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) may be a valuable biomarker for diagnosis and stratifying prognosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (RA-ILD). Citrullination and carbamylation are responsible for generating Anti-Modified Protein/Peptide Antibodies (AMPAs) and are associated with RA-ILD. Objectives To evaluate the correlation between serum KL-6 and AMPAs in patients with RA. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study that included patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria) with available KL-6 and AMPAs data measured in blood serum at study enrolment. ILD was diagnosed by high-resolution computed tomography and confirmed by a multidisciplinary committee.Serum KL-6 levels were measured by Lumipulse G KL-6 Kit (Fujirebio, Japan), using Chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA). The reference value for KL-6 in healthy subjects was 118-627 U/mL. The inter-assay variation coefficient of the reagent was ≤ 4.4%. AMPAs repertoire tested included ACPA, anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (anti-CarP), and autoantibodies to malondialdehyde–acetaldehyde (anti-MAA). ACPA, anti-CarP, and anti-MAA were determined by homemade ELISA tests. Antigens, cut-off values, and isotypes tested are depicted in Figure 1. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between serological markers. Results A total of 128 patients were included (24 RA-ILD and 104 RA-non-ILD). Patient characteristics were as follows: female 73%, mean age 60.3 ± 12.4 years, mean disease duration 6.5 ± 4.7 years, RF positive 68%, anti-CCP positive 83.6%, erosive disease 54.7%, and mean DAS28 2.94. Most patients received treatment with methotrexate 84 (65.6%), glucocorticoids 72 (56.3%), and biological DMARDs 23 (18.0%).Among RA-ILD patients, the median FVC and DLco (% predicted value) were 79 (IQR 74.7–88.7) and 62.9 (IQR 53.1–70.6), respectively. Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) was found in 11/24 (45.8%) patients. The mean KL-6 level was 476.4 ± 400.9 U/mL. KL-6 levels were elevated in 22 patients (17.2%). Serum levels of KL-6 in the RA-ILD group were significantly higher than those in the RA-non-ILD group (756.0 ± 673.4 U/mL vs. 411.9 ± 273.0 U/mL; p<0.001). Serum KL-6 had a moderate positive correlation with HSA-MAA IgA (r=0.56; p=0.048) in patients with non-UIP pattern ( Figure 1 ). Anti-CarP (Fib IgG: 81.8% vs. 54.7; p=0.019) and anti-MAA antibodies (HSA-MAA IgA: 36.4% vs. 10.4; p=0.018) were significantly associated with elevated KL-6 values ( Table 1 ). Conclusion Serum KL-6 is a surrogate biomarker of ILD, elevated in a subgroup of patients with RA-ILD. KL-6 elevation correlated with some AMPAs, such as anti-CarP and anti-MAA. Whether AMPAs are potential biomarkers for RA-ILD requires further analysis. Funding Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Grant # 37 933) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant # RTI2018-094120-B-I00). References [1] Qin Y, et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2022[2] Haro I, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 View this table: • View inline • View popup Table 1. Anti-Modified Protein/Peptide Antibodies (AMPAs) distribution according to serum KL-6 status in RA patients. • Download figure • Open in new tab • Download powerpoint Figure 1. Heatmap of correlation between serum KL-6 and AMPAs in patients with RA. Acknowledgements We want to thank all patients who have participated in the study. Disclosure of Interests Juan C. Sarmiento-Monroy: None declared, Albert Pérez-Isidro: None declared, Raul Castellanos Moreira Employee of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Virginia Ruiz: None declared, Beatriz Frade-Sosa: None declared, Ana Azuaga: None declared, Julio Ramírez: None declared, Maria Jose Gomara: None declared, Cristina Garcia-Moreno: None declared, Isabel Haro: None declared, Anna Colmenero: None declared, Manuel Morales-Ruiz: None declared, Estíbaliz Ruiz-Ortiz: None declared, Odette Viñas: None declared, Fernanda Hernández-González: None declared, Jacobo Sellarés: None declared, Juan de Dios Cañete: None declared, Raimón Sanmartí: None declared, José A Gómez-Puerta: None declared.

Despite the sizeable impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on nightlife, the night-time economy (NTE) is still high on the cards in cities. Whilst much attention has focused on leadership figures of the NTE like "night mayors", there is a vast landscape of institutionalized forms of night-time governance requiring greater recognition. Consultative night-time governance systems offer particular opportunities for advancing research and practice. We develop a typology of these systems discussing comparatively the role that night “councils”, “commissions”, “boards” and “panels” play in eighteen case studies. We deploy our typology to unpack the form and function of these systems, and the urban governance challenges the NTE encountered during COVID-19. We call for more empirical work on urban governance afterhours to better attend to the ways NTE conversations are convened in cities, and highlight the role these systems play in giving voice to those who take part in the NTE.

To address the need for a shift from a linear to a circular economy in the built environment, this paper develops a semi-automated assistive process for planning building material deconstruction for reuse using sensing and scanning, Scan-to-BIM, and computer vision techniques. These methods are applied and tested in a real-world case study in Geneva, Switzerland, with a focus on reconstruction and recovery analysis for floor beam systems. First, accessible sensing and scanning tools, such as mobile photography and smartphone-based consumer-grade Lidar devices, are used to capture imagery and other data from an active demolition site. Then, photogrammetry and point cloud data analysis are performed to construct a 3D BIM model of relevant areas. The structural relationships between reconstructed BIM elements are evaluated to score the feasibility for recovery of each element. This study illustrates what is feasible and where further development is necessary for automating building material reuse planning at scale to increase the uptake of circular economy practices in the construction sector.

Operating with an abundance mindset – rather than from a place of “scarcity” – is a new paradigm, relevant to the practices of design and construction, which expands the definition of “resources” as well as where resources, both raw and non-raw materials, can be found and “mined”. Within three scales of design and planning, the current research – developed at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) – examines the applications of computational technologies and life cycle assessment with the goal of setting up protocols for enhancing processes of urban mining and material reuse in future circular construction. In the material scale (i), selected projects experiment with up-cycled waste for the creation of new engineered composites for construction. In the building scale (ii), robotic technologies and computer vision are used to scan and sort the materials from existing buildings or demolition sites. Finally, in the urban scale (iii), google images, satellite data and ML are used to index the existing material stock in building façades in cities. The research calls for agents involved in design, planning and construction to shift their focus to the anthroposphere as a source of, rather than just a destination for, processed goods. The concept of “urban mining” is revisited to manage the material stock in urban systems and the use of anthropogenic resources in new production cycles. Through a multi-scalar approach, the outcome challenges the foundation of our material practices, presenting the potential to disrupt linear patterns of design and making in the built environment.

Cationic surfactants carry antimicrobial activity, based on their interaction and disruption of cell membranes. Nonetheless, their intrinsic toxicity limits their applicability. To overcome this issue, a feasible strategy consists of using solid nanoparticles to improve their delivery. The zein nanoparticles were loaded with four cationic arginine-based surfactants: one single chain Nα-lauroyl-arginine (LAM) and three Gemini surfactants Nα Nω-Bis (Nα-lauroyl-arginine) α, ω—diamide) (C3(LA)2, C6(LA)2 and C9(LA)2). Blank and loaded zein nanoparticles were characterized in terms of size, polydispersity and zeta potential. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts and the hemolytic activity were investigated and compared to the surfactants in a solution. Nanoparticles were found to be monodisperse, presenting a size of between 180–341 nm, a pdI of <0.2 and a positive zeta potential of between +13 and +53 mV, remaining stable over 365 days. The nanoencapsulation maintained the antimicrobial activity as unaltered, while the extensive hemolytic activity found for the surfactants in a solution was reduced drastically. Nuclear Magnetic Ressonance (NMR), molecular docking and monolayer findings indicated that zein entraps the surfactants, interfering in the surfactant–membrane interactions. Accordingly, the nanoepcasulation of arginine surfactants improved their selectivity, while the cationic charges were free to attack and destroy bacteria and fungi; the aliphatic chains were not available to disrupt the cellular membranes.