Mobile Catalyst
MOCA is a mobile dwelling made of 0km dowel-laminated timber produced by the Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings & Biocities programme at Valldaura Labs, from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Throughout history, people have exercised their fundamental human right to liberty by combining self-sufficiency with movement, from migratory tribes through to interstellar explorers. In recent decades, the pursuit of self-sufficiency has been energized by the recognition of global climate change and the associated need to innovate resilient human habitations that meet contemporary requirements without relying upon fossil fuels. More recently still, the surge in remote work opportunities enabled by information and communications technology and prompted by COVID-19 renewed widespread interest in freedom of movement.
In this context, the 2022-2023 cohort of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia’s (IAAC) Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings & Biocities (MAEBB) programme was presented with the brief to rapidly design and construct a prototypical mobile home accommodating two individuals with basic domestic amenities, to be constructed entirely of 0km timber sustainably harvested from the grounds of IAAC’s Valldaura Labs facility within the Collserola Natural Park and fully processed on-site. This construction should also allow other functions in its central space, such as spaces for concerts, events, a library or a meeting place, so that depending on its context it can have multiple functions.
The mobility aspect of the brief instigated a conceptual journey bringing forth profound discussions on nomadism and collective sustenance, raising such questions as: how could a home take advantage of its mobility? Could it contribute to its immediate surroundings? Could the building allow collaboration and knowledge sharing? With these reflections in mind, a regenerative design was proposed that would connect, collect and share resources within networks.
The brief was extended from its initial definition of a home and developed to comprise an experiential engagement facilitator - a mobile catalyst - and thus the design was named MOCA. The main limitations arose from the trailer on which the home rests and local regulations. The final solution includes a platform 5.4 long and 2.4 wide on which the 3.6 m high house rests. The regulations also establish that the total weight of the construction (together with the trailer) cannot exceed 3,500 kg, and that the driver of the vehicle transporting the trailer must have Permit B96; values that became references and factors that influenced many design decisions.
The design of MOCA consists of two anchoring, solid toolboxes that contain tools and surfaces designed to initiate different activities in the central ‘reaction chamber’. The Toolbox A or Utility Toolbox is towards the front of the trailer and is the heavier toolbox. It includes all necessary utilities for a home; a kitchen, a shower area, a toilet, and a utility cabinet for electric and water metabolic systems. The Toolbox B or Activity Toolbox contains surfaces and tools that aid in activating the central space. An entrance door is provided on the Toolbox B side. It serves as the main access when the facade is closed or otherwise. The walls of the toolboxes are made with dowel laminated timber (DLT) panels of 4 cm thickness, mitigating the need for conventional toxic adhesives and maintaining the potential for circular reuse.
