This past February IAAC held the ground breaking ceremony at the Can Valldaura estate for our new project, Q Valldaura, and the first Green Fab Lab. The goal of this self-sufficient project is to generate "knowledge of nature through experience".

Future Projects at Q Valldaura

Map the forest- A program to map the forest placing sensors in local trees to map their growth and ability to remove CO2.

Green Economy- Develop applications, initiatives and companies with a strong digital component to extract information from the natural systems at Valldaura.

Natural network- Develop solutions using a modern technology in natural elements and ecosystems

Animal breeding- Maintain and breed horses and other farm animals

Energy for all of the Green Fab Lab's activities will come from five key renewable sources: sun, wind, water, biomass and biogas. This project is called Enegrid and is a collaboration with Endesa.

Energrid is a research project on intelligent energy management for energy efficiency in buildings and networks of buildings. The Green Fab Lab will be the first test bed site for Energrid applications.

Self-Net Man

At Q Valldaura each student and researcher will be self-sufficient while coexisting with various natural, social, economic, and knowledge networks. Food will be produced on site in organic gardens, by farms animals, through an active agricultural system and within biocultures.

Production within the Green Fab Lab will use local resources such as wood, fibers, or sensors, based on a network shared knowledge within the natural environment. Each person will contribute to the creation of energy for Q Valldaura to operate through all activities.

Each of these interactions create the "Self-Net Man" who is learning, adapting and sharing their knowledge with local and global communities.

Food- Active agricultural system on the old terraces.

Energy- Small biomass plant using remains of the forest.

Can Valldaura:

A History

(Can Valldaura c. 1960)

Valldaura farm, whose records date back to 1150, contains the remains of the first Cistercian monastery in Catalonia and also served as a royal palace for the Kingdom of Aragon.

The name Q Valldaura is derived from "Quadra de Valldaura" which was the property's classification for the better part of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The standing structure, Can Valldaura Nou, was constructed in 1888. There are plans to restore this farm building along with the original irrigation system.

IAAC will work in collaboration with the City of Cerdanyola and various public and private institutions, to recover and preserve the ruins through an environmentally friendly program within the Parque Natural del la Sierra de Collserola.

Valldaura Timeline

c. 1150- Cisterian Monestary

From the Blanch book of Santes Creus in 1150.

1297- Royal Palace

Royal Palace- Property deed of the Aragon Crown and the map of the Kingdom of Aragon.

Valldaura Volunteer Program

In February, IAAC held its first Can Valldaura Volunteer Program of 2011. Twenty-four Masters students (MAA 2010/2011) attended the program. Volunteers helped open paths, collect loose bricks, and remove wall layers in a continuing effort to rediscover the history of Can Valldaura. More pictures from this Volunteer Day can be found on our blog.