Future: Madrid

IE University, Bachelor in Communication and Digital Media

2025/2026

Course: Innovation Lab Creativity Tools

FUTURE:

MADRID


2025/2026


A note from the professor:

This publication is a collection of projects by a group of thirdyear

students studying in the Bachelor of Communication

and Digital Media at IE University, created for a little course

called Innovation Lab: Creativity Tools, which I have had the

pleasure of teaching.

It was challenging enough to rise to the level of a course with

a name that activates so many concepts in our collective

imagination, but to the best of my abilities, I have taken

my students on a journey through books, models, images,

essays, platforms, field trips, videos, lectures, feedback

sessions, and software.

The projects that follow are only the tip of the iceberg that

was their educational process. In the following pages, the

students let their analytical minds wander.

Their challenge was to analyze the current situation in

Madrid on the topic they are most interested in, and project

their findings into an extreme future, creating a series of

speculative articles that propose new ways in which people

will respond to the city—but most importantly, how the city

will respond to their demands.

It has been a pleasure guiding this group of students

toward these results, and with great pride and surely future

nostalgia, I invite you to browse their visions for the future

of Madrid.

Ruxandra Iancu-Bratosin

Adjunct Professor, IE University

Lead Researcher, IE Center for Sustainable Cities

ceo, 50SuperReal

Projects by:

Alegra Antelo, Alessandra Mazzi, Alexia Funes Minutti, Alexia Rocamora Falcone,

Ali Qurbonmamadov, Ambar Ruiz Massieu Herrera, Ana Sofía Cordero Vicente,

Anabelle Echevarria, Andrea Martine Puyat Luchangco, Antonella Gabuardi Silva,

Asia Zanoni, Ayana Yasmine Honjo, Bana Omar Moh’d Al-Omoush, Beatriz Canha

Pinto Benito García, Cameron Michel Anthony David Smet, Carlos Sabino Santos

Groizard, Duna López Aguilar, Elena Lola Inclan Crespo, Fátima Vassallo Chumbe,

Gabriel Thomas Carreño, Hala Dokh, Ilana Szarf, Imara Lais Haggarty Gómez,

Irem Dirsek, Isa Maria Groen, Isabelle Ann Marabut, Josefina Barbagallo, Julia

Frances Nichols, Lara Katinka Fortmann, Leonardo Rivas Sampaio, Lola Rose

Clarke, Lorena Rebollo Martín, Luisa Solana del Castillo Arrastia, Luiza Bailão

de Castro Silva, Manon Angelique M. Charpentier, Mariana Londoño Jaramillo,

Naomi Marie Shalom Dejardin, Natalia Sofia Ruiz Maeso, Ottalie Willa Tallis Violet

Montgomerie, Polina Kaloyanova Ilieva, Rania Diouri, Ricardo Rojas Massey, Riva

van der Voet, Shahar Gilinsky, Sofia Ibarra Villarreal, Talya Ehab Elakkary, Trygve

James Grindheim Borrell, Valentina Correa, Valentina Gonzalez Castellanos

Presented by Team Agora of BCDM C

Bachelor’s in Communications & Digital Media

Innovation Lab: Creativity Tools

THE

COMMUNAL

LIVING ROOM:

THE FUTURE OF THIRD SPACE LIVING

Team Members:

Andrea Luchangco, Ambar Ruiz-Massieu, Luisa Arrastia,

Antonella Gabuardi Valentina Correa, Rania Diouri

The Shifting Conditions of Urban

Living

Access to true privacy - something once

ubiquitous and taken for granted - has

become increasingly rare in cities

undergoing rapid population growth

and technological expansion. With 56%

of the global population now living in

large cities, urban centers like Madrid

are growing denser, and private space

is shrinking.

In the late 1990s, Madrid faced a

wave of international immigration,

and the city’s population has since

been growing at 1.4% per year. Madrid

currently has a population of 6.5

million, 5,400 people per square

kilometer; and this is only expected

to increase. As the city’s population

becomes denser, real estate prices

have also been steadily rising. In

2025, the average price per square

meter in Madrid was €5,467/m², 24%

higher than 2024. Rent prices have

also surged, increasing by 12%, and

the government has already begun

attempting to take action to make living

in the city more affordable. In Europe,

35% of urban dwellings are already

small units with limited amenities,

pushing households to rely on external

environments for activities they

physically cannot carry out at home. As

the median size of a home in Madrid

continues to shrink due to demand,

activities that were previously confined

to private spaces started to depend

on the cities’ public and communal

systems to function. In this way, we

found that public spaces have become

essential second living rooms.

The dependency on outside space

becomes even more clear when

considering the ways in which people

use communal areas. As private life

compresses, public space becomes

essential infrastructure. Cities facing

growing urban density

and the proliferation of

smaller homes often

fail to support the

fundamental human

need for personal space.

As living spaces shrink

and public exposure

expands, the desire

for privacy has only

intensified. As such, good

community design must

embed both connection

and refuge into the

urban fabric; without it,

community can become

overwhelming and

detrimental.

Since public spaces

have started to carry

heavier and heavier

burdens, hosting denser

and denser populations;

cities have deployed

more technological

infrastructure such as

sensors, monitoring

systems, and managed

access to regulate and

maintain those spaces.

Countries such as China

have already begun to

implement surveillance

systems that more

closely monitor and

penalize pedestrian

misconduct, and AIbased

traffic systems

that can detect and

profile pedestrians

are already being

developed and usedworking

toward realtime,

dynamic traffic

management. In Europe,

countries like the UK

have implemented facial

recognition technology

to identify people in

public and match them

to preexisting watchlists

in an effort to prevent

crime.

This kind of technological

integration will continue

to diminish data privacy

and increased reliance

on government systems.

When cities try to

manage overcrowding

with these tools,

they start to weave

technologies into

residents’ everyday

routines; and the more

people rely on public

space and infrastructure,

the more their routines

are monitored and

become dependent on

government systems and

organizations. In the last

decade, Google, Apple,

and Meta have handed

over the personal data

and information of 3.1

million people to the

U.S. government, and

EU governments’ data

requests have risen by

over 1000%, getting up

to speed with the U.S.

In addition to this added

pressure assigned to

public spaces, our planet

has been undergoing

supernormal levels

of climate change,

which also continues

to transform the way

people use and rely on

public urban spaces. In

many cases, we observe

that unshaded areas

or those that provide

no accommodations

for extreme heat can

pose obstacles for

public activities, pushing

them into the early

morning, for example.

North Carolina State

University’s College

of Natural Resources

cites planning outdoor

activities before 11 a.m.

as a recommendation for

summer temperatures

in the United States.

1,200 people in the U.S.

die from heat-related

diseases annually,

compared to 6,700 in

Spain in 2024. Shade,

evaporative cooling,

and materials that

lower radiant loads are

becoming a necessity

for any kind of outdoor

habitability to be

possible. During August,

the hottest month of

the summer, one out

of three residents in

Madrid are said to flee

the city, usually to the

north. While this is due

to the fact that August is

regarded across Spain

as a “vacation month”, it

is also largely attributed

to the intense heat that

plagues the city during

this time. In 2025, Spain

experienced its hottest

DAILY LIFE

IS MOVING

OUTDOORS

summer to date - these kinds

of climate extremes discourage

people from utilizing outdoor

public space. According to Jesús

Maturana from Euro News, the “8

to 17[th of] August was the hottest

ten-day period ever recorded in the

country” since 1950, and these

conditions will likely only worsen

over time.

What the City Revealed:

Insights and Trends

Using datasets from the

Ayuntamiento de Madrid, we

identified patterns that shaped

the foundation of our project.

When searching for datasets, we

focused on anything related to

public spaces or factors that could

influence how social gathering

areas are used. What we were

ultimately looking for was an

understanding of how people find

shared comfort and connection

in the city - and how much more

dependent we may become on

outdoor, communal environments

in the future. The data revealed

an uneven distribution of cultural

centers, high air-contamination

peaks during heatwaves, and

noticeable differences in how

residents engage with public

services.

From the insights we gathered

from the city portal’s datasets,

we mapped three aspects that we

envision will shape the future of

public life:

01. SPACIAL

SHIFT

More activities shifting from private to public spaces as homes become smaller

and spaces become more multifunctional.

02. TECH.

INTEGRATION

Greater technological integration, from sensors to mobility systems, shaping how

public life unfolds.

03. CLIMATE

PRESSURE

Less open-air comfort due to rising temperatures and worsening air quality.

These insights made clear that if more daily life takes place outside the

home, public spaces must evolve - not only to provide comfort, but also to

support new forms of sociality and communal living.

public space

becomes

essential

infrastructure

As private life

compresses,

PLAZA

OLAVIDE

REIMAGINED

A

SECOND

LIVING ROOM

THE

CONCEPT

Plaza Olavide

Gardens by the Bay,

Singapore

Plaza Olavide

Gardens by the Bay

Singapore

Crafting the Concept: Site, Models, and Iteration

We selected Plaza Olavide as our intervention site because of its openness and

existing mix of uses and activities. You can find restaurants, tapas bars, benches,

ping pong tables - overall just a ton of constant foot traffic. Because of its exposed

layout, we thought it was the perfect place to speculate about a future trend of

more activities where the shift from private to public happens.

Our moodboard initially started as a very loose collection of things we thought

would be fun in a plaza. We searched with no clear structure—just elements

that caught our eye. It brought together images of shade structures, playful floor

patterns, and flexible seating. As our concept developed, we refined it into a more

intentional set of references that aligned with the atmosphere and functions we

wanted to explore. These references guided our next phase: physical prototyping.

We entered this stage not entirely sure of how the idea would be executed, but it

gave us a lot of direction going forward. Using bottles, nets, cardboard, balloons,

and mesh, we explored concepts of filtered light, shared counters, and microenvironments.

We experimented with shaded enclosures, community counters,

and transitions between indoor and outdoor atmospheres; using these small-scale

models to understand how people might interact with the space, pause in it, and

flow.

Working with AI made it more efficient

to explore possibilities while also

revealing the challenges of turning

a vision into an accurate image.

Midjourney helped us experiment

with multiple variations, though

finding the right prompt required

patience and precision. Using these

tools, we started to imagine Plaza

Olavide as a shared living room for the

neighborhood - a place enhanced and

shaped by community life rather than

just a simple project. Our concept grew

clearer each time, leading us to create

a temperature-regulated dome that

could host communal cooking stations,

adaptive shade structures, co-working

spaces with air-ventilated bubble

capsules. All of these elements create

a space that responds to climate

pressure and changes, while still

remaining open and welcoming, giving

a sense of familiarity and comfort.

Ultimately, these prototypes became

essential thinking tools, aiding us to

refine the idea of what Plaza Olavide

could become.

Future Values

During our process, we examined

what the future could look like;

specifically, our urban future.

This made us reflect on the state

of privacy, living spaces, climate

change, and communal coexistence.

Eventually, a lack of space for the

demands of the city will lead to an

influx of community building thirdspaces

out of necessity. People

will grow increasingly reliant on

technology run by large corporations

and government managed services

or public spaces, and will crave

privacy and a sense of control.

There will be more reliance on public

spaces, which will lead people

to crave privacy and autonomy.

Individual spaces will become a

complete luxury. There will be more

reliance on government institutions

and technological integration. Due

to having a denser urban population,

even walking as a pedestrian will

have to be more closely regulated.

Public transportation systems will

be optimized by collecting personal

data, and more and more systems

will require people’s data to function.

will be necessary for daily functioning,

temperature regulation will be an

essential part to make them “livable”.

To illustrate this we’ve created the

communal living room: a speculative

environment that reflects how everyday

activities may gradually shift into

public space. This concept includes

space that would consist of a large

public kitchen where many people

can prepare meals simultaneously,

shared tables for eating together, coworking

areas for study or business,

and spaces for informal gatherings

that might otherwise occur at home.

The space would be enclosed by a

transparent, bubble-like structure that

would be temperature-regulated. We

believe this space truly exemplifies the

urban future we imagine - featuring

government-managed communal

spaces that facilitate the

execution of daily activities in

public.

Climate change will lead to a reliance

on temperature regulation, even

outdoors. Since temperatures

will become more extreme over

time, there will be a need for

temperature-regulated spaces

in public so people can carry

out activities outside of the

home. Since third spaces

THE

KITCHEN

The kitchen speculates a potential

future where living spaces become so

compact that kitchens are no longer

considered an essential feature in

individual apartments. Residents

surrounding the Plaza will gather

in a temperature-regulated bubble

filled with stovetops, sinks, kitchen

equipment, a small herbt garden, and

tables for casual meals and gatherings.

Some people may come to bake some

cookies with a friend, and others may

come to prepare all their meals for the

following week.

As it is a public space, it will operate

within a public identity registration

system, where users must check in with

their personal data, so they can easily

be held accountable if the kitchen is

left in disarray or damaged.

clear organization for pedestrians.

THE

LIVING ROOM

The Plaza will also be filled with various

enclosed and shaded areas allocated

towards independent work and

informal meetings. The Plaza will be a

vibrant third space brought to life by

nearby residents hanging out, working,

studying, and performing essential

routine activities; and the seamless

integration of nature.

Unlike in the present, pedestrian

activity passing through the plaza will

be more closely regulated, and directed

through specific avenues, preventing

incidents like collisions due to the high

volume of people and providing clear

organization for pedestrians.

Our Love

Letter

People tend to idealize or fear change, but

the future asks something different from

us: to adapt thoughtfully, to welcome

possibilities where limits appear, and to

shape the conditions we inherit into

something livable - and even enjoyable.

Our work is a reminder that even as

boundaries shift, we can design

spaces that help us meet

change with

intention.

REFERENCES

Calidad del aire. Episodios de alta contaminación

atmosférica por ozono. Portal de datos

abiertos del Ayuntamiento de Madrid. https://

datos.madrid.es/sites/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=af-

9140c2df29e610VgnVCM1000001d4a900aRCR

D&vgnextchannel=374512b9ace9f310VgnVCM-

100000171f5a0aRCRD

Ferreira de Macedo, P,, Ornstein, S., Elali, G.

(2021, May 23). Privacy and housing: research

perspectives based on a systematic literature

review. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/

PMC8931782/pdf/10901_2022_Article_9939.

pdf

Janos et al. (2025, September 22). The heat in

Europe caused more than 181,000 deaths in

the summers of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Science

Media Centre Spain. https://sciencemediacentre.

es/en/heat-europe-caused-more-181000-deathssummers-2022-2023-and-2024#:~:text=Reactions:%20record%20heat%20in%20summer%20

2022%20caused,What%20Ais%20the%20

SMC%20Spain.%20*%20FAQ.

Phillips, G. (2025, March 11). Western governments

want your data and Big Tech is happy

to provide – how to slow them down. Tom’s

Guide. https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/

online-security/big-tech-has-handed-the-us-gov-

ernment-3-1-million-user-accounts-in-the-last-10-

years

Police use of facial recognition technology: What

are my rights?. Liberty Human Rights UK. (2025,

April 11). https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/

advice_information/police-use-of-facial-recognitiontechnology-what-are-my-rights/

Next-Gen Pedestrian Safety: How AI is Revolutionizing

Urban Mobility and Protection. Urban SDK. https://

www.urbansdk.com/resources/next-gen-pedestrian-safety-how-ai-is-revolutionizing-urban-mobility-and-protection

Madrid Population 2025. (2025, November 26). World

Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.

com/cities/spain/madrid

Marakulin, R. (2023, August 36). August in Madrid.

Medium. https://awant.medium.com/august-in-madrid-ffae8372e872

Sustainability Directory (2025, April 7). What Effect

Does Population Density Have?. Sustainability Directory.

https://pollution.sustainability-directory.com/question/what-effect-does-population-density-have/

(2025). Madrid 2025: The New European Capital

of Real Estate Investment. Terreta Spain. https://

terretaspain.com/en/investissement-immobilier-madrid-2025/#:~:text=In%20Madrid%2C%20purchase%20prices%20have,more%20than%20the%20

national%20average.

AP

ULE

Hala Dokh, Sofia Ibarra, Alessandra Mazzi,

Asia Zanoni, Ali Qurbonmamadov, Alexia

Funes Minutti, Trygve Grindhem.

We are CAPSULE, and our project begins

with a simple but disarming question: What

happens when memory becomes a luxury?

In a future drowned in overstimulation and

digital numbness, we reimagine Retiro’s lake

as a living archive of human experience,

where memories glow, drift, and wait to be

fished from the water; but this isn’t nostalgia,

it’s a quiet act of resistance. A world trying

to remember what it feels like to be human,

fully, honestly, and without the filter of

constant digitalization. CAPSULE brings

those emotions and feelings back to real life.

It captures real feelings and human-centred

moments. Our approach doesn’t just store

memories; it lets people step inside them, and

rediscover the depth that modern life keeps

erasing. It is more than a speculative future;

it is a wake-up call so that we don’t become

nostalgic for a future we never lived.

When we are

overstimulated,we

ability to appreciate th

The noise drowns out

The Age of Fleeting Attention

Modern technology has brought

both extraordinary possibilities

and equally complex challenges.

As algorithms and AI increasingly

structure the rhythms of daily life,

the very nature of entertainment

has been transformed. We now

live inside endless feeds: hours

of frictionless scrolling and an

infinite catalogue of content that

exceeds what any lifetime could

hold. Paradoxically, this abundance

has begun to erode the very thing

it promises to enhance, our free

time, our attention, even our sense

of personal curiosity. Hobbies fade,

rest becomes restless, and the mind

is constantly pulled toward its

next micro-stimulation.

This raises an unsettling question:

what happens when we become

too busy for our own lives, not

because of responsibilities, but

because we are trapped in cycles

of digital consumption? What

happens if cognitive decline

begins earlier than ever, our

memory frayed not by age but by

overstimulation?

And if these trajectories

continue, how will we adapt?

Perhaps memory itself will

become a scarce resource,

something to preserve, trade,

lose the

e subtle.

the signal.

or even bought. Perhaps

libraries, once guardians of

collective knowledge, will

need to reinvent themselves

as repositories of lived

experiences, archives not only

of books but of consciousness.

In such a world, purchasing

for someone else’s memories

might become more

convenient than creating

our own adventures. The

question then is not just how

technology will evolve; but

what parts of our humanity

we will choose to safeguard as

it does.

Purpose and Focus: Short-form Content

Short-form content

is rapidly reshaping

attention, cognition, and

emotional depth, becoming

not just a trend but a

normalised feature of life.

With the dominance of

TikTok, Instagram Reels,

and YouTube Shorts,

entertainment has been

reengineered into a stream

of rapid, frictionless stimuli.

These platforms function

as passive dopamine

dispensers—rewarding

users with quick hits of

novelty that require little

to no physical or cognitive

effort. Dopamine, crucial

for motivation and memory

formation, reinforces these

instant-reward behaviours,

gradually rewiring neural

pathways that underpin

focus, emotional regulation,

and long-term memory.

Scientific evidence

increasingly reveals

the impact of these

patterns. According to

BrainMindSociety, the

average phone session now

lasts around ten seconds,

repeated more than 200

times per day. Each digital

interruption triggers a

cognitive reset, and research

shows it takes roughly

twenty-five minutes to regain

full focus. Columbia Science

Review highlights that shortform

platforms mimic slotmachine

mechanics through

algorithmic unpredictability,

keeping users locked in

cycles of reward anticipation.

Over time, this constant

stimulation fragments

attention, accelerates

emotional volatility, and

weakens the neural circuits

responsible for empathy and

deep processing.

Young people across

cultures are the most

active consumers, but the

behavioural effects extend

far beyond Gen Z. With

average daily time on shortvideo

platforms surpassing

150 minutes globally,

Indian Express and others

have classified this as an

emerging public health risk.

Early trends even suggest

rising cognitive decline,

supported by increasing

dementia cases across

Europe, a correlation we

visualise in the chart. What

once felt like mindless

entertainment has quietly

become a major behavioural

shift, replacing sustained

engagement with rapid,

shallow consumption.

Underlying these changes

are broader societal

patterns: declining capacity

for long-term attention,

reduced ability to retain

information, and a cultural

slide from active creation

toward passive absorption.

Distraction has become

normalised as connection;

overstimulation has

masqueraded as meaning.

This erosion of cognitive

depth leads to emotional

numbness and a growing

dependency on instant

gratification.

Social media and shortform

content provide the

illusion of connection and

memory while gradually

diminishing our real

cognitive and emotional

capacities. If these

trajectories continue, the

future will face declining

memory function,

weakened attention,

and a need for palliative

technological solutions to

compensate.

IDEATION

For our final project,

we began by examining

how increasing

digitalisation may

shape future Madrid,

focusing primarily

on the preservation

and recollection of

memory. We have

hypothesised that in

a world dominated by

digital tools, virtual

interactions, and AImediated

systems, the

ability for individuals

to remember and

emotionally engage with

their own experiences

may become increasingly

challenged. As more

aspects of life are

stored, curated, and

accessed through digital

platforms, memories risk

shifting from internally

encoded experiences to

externally archived data.

and individuals want to

prioritise meaningful,

emotionally resonant

moments over material

products. Academic studies

similarly indicate that

reliance on digital tools

may diminish the need

for biological memory

encoding, with possible

long-term cognitive

implications.

In envisioning this future,

we recognised that simple,

emotional and human

centered experiences may

become especially valuable

in a society saturated

Contemporary research

reinforces this concern.

Forbes published an

article that observed

how human experiences

are becoming a form of

luxury as the experience

economy expands

with automation and AI-driven

companionship technologies. This

led us to explore the concept of a

large-scale memory infrastructure,

a data center of memories that

functions as a living library of

experiences. Such a system would

allow individuals not only to store

and retrieve their own memories,

but also to access and immerse

themselves in the recollections

of others. Our project ultimately

underscores the growing importance

of preserving authentic human

experience in a world where

such experiences may become

increasingly rare, technologically

mediated and deeply significant.

IDEATION

Visual exploration

To emphasise the importance

of human experience we

wanted to have the memories

stored in glowing orbs

scattered across a body of

water. The glowing orbs

would be of various neon

colours that people would

‘fish’ using their magnetic

oar. After the memory is

‘fished’ their boat turns into

a crystal ball that displays

the chosen memory in an

immersive format. It is

also important to note that

peole have no control of the

memory they receive just as

it happens in real life. People

do not choose what they

want to experience in life,

but with fate it is chosen. The

body of water was chosen

to reconnect the humans

with the main elements of

nature. The body of water is

known to be a place where

people feel sense of calm and

wellbeing with the sounds

of water. That is part of

the experience as humans

are losing the essence of

connecting with nature

with the growth of digital

technologies and AI. The

activity of fishing is also an

activity that imitates the

idea that people need to go

through an experience to

make a memory. Therefore,

the effort done in this

situation is the fishing to get

a memory to experience,

rather than the traditional

method of actually going

through experience to

form a memory. The

body of water is also a

metaphorical representation

of the fact that experiences

are continuously flowing

shaping how humans

form and grow. Another

important point is that

people usually learn from

their own experiences or

from others experiences.

Therefore, with the growing

threat of singularity

and decrease in human

interaction, a speculation

would be that people are

losing the idea of learning

from other people’s

experience because of

minimal interaction. With

this speculative project,

the idea of learning from

other people’s experiences

would be brought back to

life. That leads us to the

reason we chose the Retiro

park pond. The Retiro park

body of water is a body

of water that is already

used now with boats to

form an experience. In the

speculative future we have

created we are recreating

this experience by allowing

people to buy and purchase

other people’s experience

due to the luxury speculated

with experiences. The pond

in Retiro is surrounded by

the trees and pathways in

the park that are also other

parts of nature that humans

are losing connections with.

Which is we believed it was

the perfect location.

Prototyping and Collective Decisions

Firstly, we split into smaller

groups and developed

a range of prototypes in

order to free and encourage

everyone’s creativity. These

included a river filled with

marbles, walk-in memory

pods, colorful reflective

glass that could filter the

world, as well as tunnels and

capsules featuring a game

of colorful lights projecting

memories. After discussing

each concept and combining

the strongest elements, we

created our final model:

memory pods placed on

the water that people on the

boat can fish and experience.

Once a marble is taken

from the water, the boat

appears from the outside

as a glowing, neon-like

bubble, while inside, people

are immersed in and able

to experience other people’s

memories.

These various suggestions

were explored through

visual prototypes allowing

us to compare how different

approaches communicated

our overall shared theme.

Through group discussions

and critical reflection, we

identified which ideas best

aligned with our overall

intention and how we could

incorporate each of them

to support one another.

Rather than choosing one

singular proposal, we chose

to synthesize and combine

key aspects from multiple

contributions, reaching a

collective agreement that

shaped our final outcome.

This decision making process

strengthened the project

by ensuring it represented

a unified vision formed

through shared input, and

mutual understanding.

As a group, we approached

the ideation process through

open collaboration, where

each member contributed

different concepts and ideas.

To the future or to the

time when thought

From the age of unifo

from the age of solitu

George Owell, 1984

Oblivio

Singularity is each day a way more

plausible future and one that

doesn’t seem that distant. This

makes sense in a world that praises

quick success, instant gratification,

efficiency, and profit. The big

question remains: what will happen

to us humans? Will we still be in a

quest for meaning or purpose in our

lives? This is an optimistic scenario

and hopefully what the future

holds. Yet we need to be prepared

for anything, including some less

optimistic alternatives, such as

one in which existential voids

prevail, and, instead of dealing

with the discomfort of our now

meaningless lives, we decide to

numb it to the point of complete

insensitiveness.

Meaning, then, will stop being

our main driver, and we will start

seeking pleasure as the main

motivator. Dopamine, being the

main neurotransmitter involved

in the sense of pleasure, will be

sought in different activities. As

humans can become resistant to

dopamine and need larger doses

each time, we will not only be

unemployable and numb, but also

past, to a

is free...

rmity,

de…

meaningless and dopamineresistant.

Dopamine will

be found through electric

shocks, pills, and shortform

content will morph in

ever-unimaginable ways.

AI companions will also

prevail. But despite its initial

contradiction, the most

craved good in this world

will be human experience,

a luxury only reachable by

those privileged ones who

have enough capital to

afford it. Social skills will

atrophy, critical thinking will

decrease, and our memories will now

be fully digitalized, not in our own

brains.

With the world becoming digitalised,

humans will end up emphasizing

human experiences and memory

revisiting over being online. As a

result, we project that technology

will be leveraged to give people the

opportunity to revisit their and other

people’s memories recreationally.

Where and When: Reminis

Despite the apparent

hopelessness of the

imagined future in which

human experiences are

craved but unreachable,

we as a group do believe

that the social dimension

of people, that selftranscended

nature that

distinguishes us, humans

from other species, will

prevail over any attempt

to standardize human

connection. The normalised

cycle of numbness and

pleasure caused by the

electric shocks, dopamine

pills, and AI companions

will be protested against,

and more humanists will

arise as they seek to fill the

void in the hearts of people.

This is when our projected

scenario begins.

In our speculative future,

human interactions are a

luxury, and the memories

of these will be scarce.

Isolation will most likely

prevail, though it will be

recognized as harmful.

As part of a humanist

initiative that aims to bring

back collective memories

and shared moments, our

idea seeks to facilitate the

accessibility of the general

public to memories of actual

human experiences.

50 years from now, the

large pond in Retiro Park

will be transformed into a

location dedicated to reliving

memories and experiencing

new ones. This will allow for

a social environment outside

of the overly digitalized

lifestyle that the world is

projected to become.

This is done because people

will want to relive past

experiences or experience

new ones, as social media

becomes nothing more than

a way to temporarily fill

the void in people’s souls.

Therefore, Retiro Park will

be transformed at night

to see said memories in

real time, pushing people

to re-experience human

interaction.

The title of this idea is

Capsule, a word whose

etymology comes from

the Latin word Capsula,

meaning little box or case.

In this imagined scenario,

the dopamine pills (or

capsules) people take for

more dopamine intake

are simply a metaphor for

the little box that already

induces us with dopamine;

that little box we call a

phone. We want to shift the

meaning of capsule into

a more optimistic one; a

case in which memories

(especially those of human

interactions) can be

projected and shared with

others. A new case, a bubble

boat, in which memories

are made tangible in the

form of marbles that can

be fished out of the body

of water (in our case, the

Retiro pond). Once the

people in the bubble fish a

marble, the memory will

project within the bubble,

and once it is fleshed out

for the person to live in it in

real time. This will provide

new experiences for people

who are fed up with the

digital realm. We intend for

this experience to work as a

door to be opened in people’s

minds on the importance

of social interactions and

the relevance of feeling in

our lives. This is done as

people want to relive new

experiences or revisit their

own, as the digital realm and

social media usage become

too overwhelming and

mundane. As a result, Retiro

Park will be transformed

at night to see said

memories in real time. It is

a transformative experience,

a new shared memory, and

it is meant to spark a bit of

humanism in an otherwise

hopeless speculative future.

The impact of Retiro

Park’s transformation will

cause people to seek new

experiences, as opposed

to being inside all day,

doomscrolling like we are

today. Whether alone or

with loved ones, people will

want to relive memories (or

experience new ones) with

other people, driving for

a more socialising society,

and away from normalised

overconsumption of

dopamine-driven content.

We also hope that by

accessing these human

memories, people will

make experiences way

more tangible and thus

meaningful; having to fish

for the memories means

there is an effort needed for

memories to prevail. We

want people to value human

experiences; we want people

to start seeking these and

stop the cycle of numbness

and pleasure; we want people

to understand how the actual

purpose and meaning can be

found in self-transcendence.

How discomfort and sadness

can actually lead to a more

fulfilling life.

Digital Prototype

There were many attempts

at prototyping, which finally

led us to decide, based on

the story we wanted to

tell, where to place each of

the elements.First off, we

decided to do it in a public

place, where there was

water involved. The pond

seems like the best option.

Memories are fished, adding

value to the act of finding

one and projecting it.

Memories are made physical. The

bubble boats are not individual,

forcing social experiences. Colors

make the experience more visually

appealing in a world where

dopamine is key for engagement,

yet it is created in a different

way. We want serotonin to be

the prevailing neurotransmitter

produced by this activity, floating

bubbles which forces people to

slow down. We also noticed how

we wanted no individual bubble,

leading to social interaction. The act of fishing for memories adds value

to the memory itself; a bit of meaning can be found in this simple act,

and the memory projection mirrors the feeling of actually interacting

with people.

What Changes or Possibilities Emerge?

The impact of Retiro

Park’s transformation will

cause people to seek new

experiences, as opposed

to being inside all day,

doomscrolling like we are

today. Whether alone or

with loved ones, people will

want to relive memories (or

experience new ones) with

other people, driving for

a more socialising society,

and away from normalised

overconsumption of

dopamine-driven content.

We also hope that by

accessing these human

memories, people will

make experiences way

more tangible and thus

meaningful; having to fish

for them means there is an

effort needed for memories

to prevail. We want people to

value human experiences; we

want people to start seeking

these and stop the cycle of

numbness and pleasure; we

want people to understand

how the actual purpose and

meaning can be found in

self-transcendence. How

discomfort and sadness

can actually lead to a more

fulfilling life.

By linking the past with the present and future, we have

proposed the current prediction that will push humans

to seek interaction once again amidst technological

innovation. The normalisation of dopamine addiction

will create a crisis due to a lack of human relationshipbuilding.

People will yearn for experiential memories.

In the future scenario of Oblivio (the future where

technology dominates society in every way), human

memories will become a luxury. We suggest an alternative

reality in a speculative future where people fish for

memories inside of a bubble in the pond in Retiro Park. It

will be transformed for the purpose of regaining human

essence and experiencing new memories outside of the

mundane, dopamine-driven society. This speculative

project serves as both a critique of what technology is

doing to the human drive, as well as the possibilities that

it could bring. It highlights the growing divide between

authentic experiences and digital overstimulation.

Ultimately, it raises the question on whether humanity can

add meaning to their lives before it is too late to change it.

v

THE

PARADOX O

CONNECTIO

TECHNOLOGY REDEFINING HUMAN NATURE

Tur ra corum quodit laudand aerum, ut harunt.

Team Members: Anabelle Echevarria, Duna López, Manon Charpentier,

Bana Omar, Natalia Ruiz, Irem Dirsek

F

N

A speculative glimpse into a future where

reliance on technology reshapes interpersonal

relationships and human interests.

Day by day, we become

increasingly dependent

on technology, be it

for simple daily tasks,

academic responsibilities,

or professional assignments.

Our paper speculates about

what the future society

may look like as a result of

this growing dependency,

focusing on the erosion of

human connection, both

with one another and with

nature.

By 25 years from now,

human-technology

codependency will have

intensified to the point

that it will fundamentally

alter human nature. By 25

years from now, humantechnology

codependency

will have intensified

to the point that it will

fundamentally alter human

nature. This evolution

will reshape our social

behaviour, our natural

interests, and basic curiosity.

Rather than turning to the

people around them for

support, relationships, and

emotional needs, individuals

will increasingly rely on

technology to fill these

spaces. Over time, this

dependence will weaken

essential social skills and

instincts. The natural human

impulse to connect with the

natural world around them

will also fade. With attention

spans shortened and

overstimulated by constant

digital influence, people will

struggle to engage with the

environment around them

even though it is the very

environment we all originate

from.

Research

To predict the future of human connection, we first need to understand

it in the present. We developed this understanding by analysing multiple

datasets about Madrid, including data on public spaces, cultural

events, mobility, emotional well-being, street lighting, institutional

communication, social settings, and domestic dynamics. Exploring

this variety of information allowed us to see the city from different

perspectives and to realise the patterns that subconsciously repeat

throughout the public’s daily lives.

Our research led us to conclude that human connection does exist

in Madrid, but it is not evenly accessible and often lacks warmth or

genuineness. Collectively, the datasets align with the tensions displayed

in our initial mind map: people are experiencing emotional detachment,

avoidance, and a growing tendency to seek comfort at the expense of

spontaneity.

A shocking finding was the division of the city regarding emotional

experiences. Madrid centre is filled with terraces, frequent cultural

events, nightlife, and constant street lighting - all aspects that

bring the city to life. In comparison, the outskirts of Madrid offer

more playgrounds, disability centres, and family-oriented spaces -

environments that feel more community-based. It is clear that the

city offers both public sociability and private care; however, social

connection spaces are unevenly distributed. This uneven dispersion has

led to a lack of communal emotional connection across Madrid as a

whole.

Another insight that we collected from the data was a trend of erosion of

personal well-being. Domestic violence rates have increased over the last

ten years, and meanwhile,

extracurricular activities

have mostly shifted from

creative or athletic ones to

academic and corporate

ones. While widely

different, these data sets

both demonstrate personal

strain, in terms of life at

home and of leisure and

recreation (or lack thereof).

The data revealed that people in different

parts of Madrid form different habits

based on how safe and comfortable their

surroundings feel. The COVID-19 data

showed that certain professions were significantly

more vulnerable to contracting

COVID than others, suggesting that they

were physically present in public spaces

because their work required it. It also

implies that professions with lower

COVID infection rates were able

to stay home and work remotely

instead. The street-lighting data

showed that Madrid is thoroughly

illuminated in the centre but lacks

lighting in the outskirts. Well-lit

areas encourage outdoor activity

and movement, while darker areas

make people more likely to stay

indoors. Both datasets are relevant

because they describe the conditions

under which people are more

likely to participate in public life.

Together, they support the hypothesis

that people are becoming more

comfortable in safe, controlled

environments - and the conditions

allow them to do so.

Creative Process:

The creative process of our

prototype was never linear; it

evolved from emotional patterns

we observed during our research.

However, it began to make sense

when we actually observed people’s

behaviour in Madrid‘s public

spaces. “The comfort coon” did

not appear all at once; it emerged

through a series of explorations,

sketches, tests, and feedback

moments, where each decision was

shaped by what we were learning in

real time. This section demonstrates

how our design slowly transformed

from an abstract idea into a

physical object that embodies both

comfort and warning. We started

by exploring emotional behaviours

in Madrid’s Creative Process:

The creative process of our

prototype was never linear; it

evolved from emotional patterns

we observed during our research.

However, it began to make sense

when we actually observed people’s

behaviour in Madrid‘s public

spaces. “The comfort coon” did

not appear all at once; it emerged

through a series of explorations,

sketches, tests, and feedback

moments, where each decision was

shaped by what we were learning in

real time. This section demonstrates

how our design slowly transformed

from an abstract idea

into a physical object that

embodies both comfort

and warning. We started

by exploring emotional

behaviours in Madrid’s

public spaces, noticing how

people often turned inward,

listening to music, scrolling

on phones, or isolating

within digital bubbles, even

in shared environments.

This sight research sparked

our question:

What if technology designed

for comfort was

physically embodied in

urban form?

Our initial sketches

and concept wtures

as metaphors for selfprotection.

Using Miro,

we visualised connections

between emotional safety,

isolation, and digital

dependence, highlighting

how sensory control could

be both comforting and

limiting. We were not

aiming to design a final

object yet; we wanted

to understand what an

“emotional shelter” looks

like when translated into a

form.

Once the idea became

clearer, we moved into

prototyping, the first physical attempt

involved using recycled cardboard and

translucent fabrics to explore enclosure

and sensory filtering. We aimed to create

a space to truly understand the feeling

of stepping inside. The prototype wasn’t

just representing emotional detachment;

it was actively creating it. From there, we

added an aluminium surface to make it

feel like a transparent glass window and

incorporated adjustable openings and

ambient lighting to show how digital

comfort can reshape emotional perception.

We also used AI tools like DALL·E and

Runway to visualise future versions of

the cocoon in urban settings, creating

speculative images that helped guide our

design decisions.

Speculative Future Scenarios:

After building the “comfort cocoon”

and observing how wbegan imagining

what these behaviours might mean

for the future. Our prototype reveals

something subtle: people immediately

feel safer and calmer inside an enclosed,

controlled space, while the outside world

suddenly feels overwhelming, open, and

unpredictable. From this, we explore a

future in which people grow increasingly

uncomfortable with nature and unfiltered

human contact.

This contrast made us realise how

emotional habits can quickly shift when

comfort becomes available on demand. If

this tendency grows, cities may begin to

create micro-environments that feel farther

than the public space around them. Large

plazas and open parks could start to feel

unmanageable for many people, leading

Madrid to fragment into networks of

smaller, controlled zones where people can

retreat when they feel overwhelmed.

Scenario 1: The Adaptive Shell City

In this scenario, Madrid is reshaped into a network of personal “shell

pods”- small, adaptable rooms scattered throughout the city. People step

into these pods to regulate their emotions, adjusting the lighting, sound,

and temperature to match their needs. Over time, the city becomes

a series of micro-spaces that let people move from one controlled

environment to another, avoiding spontaneity altogether. What were

once open public squares slowly turn into landscapes of isolated pods,

each offering a personalised version of calm.

Scenario 2: Synthetic Nature

Chambers

In a future dominated by comfort,

the physical natural world now

feels unfamiliar, even unsafe. In

response to this, Madrid introduces

“synthetic nature chambers” - indoor

rooms that recreate nature in

a curated way, including visually

perfect artificial trees, calming

music, and light that imitates a permanent

sunset. People would visit

chambers the same way we visit VR

rooms today. The physical natural

world remains available, but fewer

choose it. As a result, nature as we

know it becomes a destination for

those who still tolerate unpredictability,

though the majority will

prefer the completely predictable,

softened version of nature.

Scenario 3: The Memory Shell

The memory shell is a portable,

personal comfort cocoon. Instead

of stepping into a physical

structure, people carry a small

device that projects a soothing

bubble around them. It casts warm

light, soft sound, and familiar

visuals. At first, it’s something

people activate only in stressful

moments, but slowly it becomes

a crutch and they subconsciously

begin turning it on for any

moment of discomfort.

Over time, they will lose

the ability to face unfiltered

environments without their

memory shell.

Conclusion:

These speculative scenarios

aim to predict the future

while highlighting what

could happen if comfort

remains the primary design

principle of urban life. If

emotional safety is replaced

by emotional resilience,

public spaces may begin to

lose the unpredictability that

makes them alive. It could

create a risk of having a city

where people are always

protected but rarely present,

always comforted but rarely

connected.

always comforted but rarely

connected.

Conclusion:

These speculative scenarios aim to predict the future while highlighting

what could happen if comfort remains the primary design principle of

urban life. If emotional safety is replaced by emotional resilience, public

spaces may begin to lose the unpredictability that makes them alive. It

could create a risk of having a city where people are always protected but

rarely present, always comforted but rarely connected.

References

Dunne, Anthony, and Fiona Raby. Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction,

and Social

Dreaming. MIT Press, 2013.

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux,

2011.

Tharp, Twyla, and Mark Reiter. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It

for Life. Simon &

Schuster, 2003.

Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Penguin Press, 2023.

Norman, Don. The Design of Everyday Things. Revised and Expanded

ed., Basic Books, 2013.

What kind of

relationships

can grow

when people

choose

comfort over

connection?

Human connection and emotional resis

A Speculative Project, 2025

image produced by AI

tance to AI domination in public space.

This article explores a speculative future in

which Madrid’s public spaces have become increasingly

dominated by artificial intelligence,

surveillance, facial recognition, and digitally

mediated social interaction

CREATED BY: ANA SOFÍA CORDERO VICENTE, NAOMI MARIE SHALOM DEJARDIN,

IMARA LAIS HAGGARTY GÓMEZ, AYANA YASMINE HONJO, RICARDO ROJAS MASSEY,

FÁTIMA VASSALLO CHUMBE

The project unfolds in five sections, covering a diagnosis,

journey of creation, speculative future description,

future guidelines, and reflections. The sections

will be written as well as visual, balancing explanations

and research with diagrams, prototype imagery,

and AI-generated speculative visuals.

In this context, Plaza de España becomes a symbolic

site of resistance: a space where citizens reclaim authentic,

human-to-human connection through creative

and analog means.

A SPACE CALLED SENTIENCE.

Photographed by Boris Thaser

In 2025, Madrid looks like

a lively city. Squares like Callao

or Plaza de España are overflowing

with people gathering

together, walking their pets, and

enjoying an outdoor lifestyle. The

impression of a vibrant, life-filled

European capital

is kept alive by the

numerous tourists,

street performers,

and locals who fill

cafés, restaurants,

and sidewalks at all

hours. Nonetheless,

these spaces are

slowly being invaded

by technological

systems; smart city

cameras on traffic

lights, facial recognition detectors

on lamp posts and sensors on EMT

shelters are becoming the norm.

Not to mention the adherence to

smartphones that

can be easily noticed,

a reality that is now

having citizens rely

on smart technologies

and artificial intelligence

more than

ever, while corporations

benefit from our

increased use by

WE’RE MORE

CONNECTED

THAN EVER,

JUST NOT

TO EACH OTHER.

“AntiAI Clothing” - brand creating anti-AI fashion

having us depend on this,

gathering our data, and tracking

our behavior. The increased

presence of these technologies

undeniably alters the city’s

social dynamics. Interactions

that once occurred naturally

in public spaces

are now quietly

redirected through

screens and digital

platforms instead

of genuine encounters.

Everyday

routines reflect this

shift: the rise of

no-human-contact

ordering in restaurants,

navigating

while looking down

at a device for live directions,

or turning to an AI chatbot for

advice rather than a trusted

person. Together, these examples

show a steady

erosion of direct

human connection—one

that is

already reshaping

how we relate to

one another and

will likely continue

to grow in the

coming years.

“AntiAI Clothing” - brand creating anti-AI fashion

DIGITAL

S DEPEND

tudies on digital addiction raise

I

the paradox that although we are

always connected online, this very

connectivity might undermine

genuine interpersonal relationships. Research

ENCE

from San Francisco State University suggests

that excessive smartphone use among students One of his articles frames this phenomenon as

is directly correlated with increased levels of an “inevitable societal fracture” between both

loneliness, depression, and anxiety. The study groups.

argues that compulsively checking your phone This type of opposition can already be seen

frequently substitutes real human interactions through avenues like fashion and urban design.

and behaves like an addiction (Owens Viani). Examples include Urban Privacy’s “Faception

This coupled with the rising sensations of Reloaded” which promotes and sells anti

feeling watched because of facial recognition AI clothing that confuses face recognition

and AI-based surveillance systems that are algorithms, and playful projects like Pixeland, a

slowly becoming the standard in many cities multi-functional project in China which aims to

has started to create discomfort for many. encourage socialization and ordinary face-toface

interactions in public spaces; all different

Research conducted by Iliya Valchanov, CEO

and co-founder of the AI company Juma, raises ways in which opposers are responding to

concerns regarding a rising divide between new trends of non-stop data capture and social

enthusiastic adopters and those who resist technological reliance.

On a similar pro-humanity note, political scientist

Robert Putman believes human connections act

as a kind of “social capital” that allows communities

to function and cooperate (Putnam). He

refers to the accumulated web of small, everyday

human connections such as the strangers you

talk to at the plaza, the local barista who knows

what you’ll order, or the neighbors you greet.

According to him, these daily interactions are not

planned or formal, yet they are the experiences in

our lives that really ignite trust, familiarity, and the

sense of a shared community. He explains how

this “social capital” is known for being built in

public spaces like plazas, streets, or areas where

SOLATION

people are meant to linger with no obligation to

consume, pay, or be tracked. However, with the

rise in privatization of public spaces where you

must consume in order to be let in, places where

you are surveilled at all times, and the increased

dependency on short transactions in your smartphone

to get what you need, the opportunity for

spontaneous interactions decrease. The current

panorama makes these daily and casual momentary

interactions in free public spaces seen more

at risk of decreasing even further.

These studies, scholars, and current social

situation shape our diagnosis that people long

for meaningful and real interactions in cities, but

the rise in digital and AI-based systems expose

the possibility of replacing the spontaneity and

warmth of public life with something more impersonal,

monitored, and rigid.

mth of public life with something more impersonal,

monitored, and rigid.

Plaza de España, 2021

SURVEILLANCE

The mentioned technological fatigue

is precisely what started our journey

toward Sentience. During initial group

meetings, this phenomenon was identified as one

that felt urgent regarding Madrid’s future. Genuine

human connections slowly becoming increasingly

scarce felt like a topic with a severity that was

easy to grasp, as it touches on an aspect that

many are already noticing. A current reality where

people are constantly being surveilled and corporations

have made us reliant on technological systems

that feed us what we consume (and in turn

influence what we think and believe) whilst having

more data on us than ever, allows us to predict a

future where human connections become scarcer

with the passing of time.

We envision a future where remote daily tasks and

activities become the norm, resulting in isolation

for many. A future where people forget what it

was like to do many human-to-human contact

activities, like in-person working, a true presence

in gatherings with loved ones, or even talking to

a real person when they have a doubt or issue

instead of an AI. Previously mentioned studies

also let us predict a future where, while many accept

this reality and fall into it, others will not. This

projection led to our main idea: a strictly human,

non-digital, “protective space” for those who

reject the notion of the saturation and infiltration

of technology in every angle of our social lives;

Sentience.

PIXELAND

Chongqing, China, 2020

— 100architects

The project’s vivid grid of colors,

patterns, and modular “pixel”

units directly informed our design

approach, inspiring both the chromatic

palette and the structured,

block-based layout of our final

DISCONNECTED REALITY

Tokyo, Japan, 2017

PLAZA DE

For Sentience, a location in Madrid was extensively

discussed, looking for the ideal area to do a project that

would turn resistance into a public statement. Places in

the city that had symbolic meaning and strong identities

such as Retiro Park for its emblematic role as the city’s

green heart, or Malasaña’s Plaza del 2 de Mayo for its

cultural art energy were considered. Nonetheless, we

agreed on Plaza de España as the perfect location because

it stands at the historic core of Madrid. It is sitting

near Gran Vía commerce, gets a considerable amount

of tourism and daily flows, and offers an open-air space.

More importantly, it also sustains a great history of civic

opposition; Plaza de España has acted as the stage for

public dissent numerous times.

Plaza de España, 2011

ESPAÑA

In 2011’s Indignados/15-M protests, a massive public

rejection of a government’s economic system after the

2008 financial crisis, took shape primarily in Puerta del

Sol, but spread across other areas of the city (Pérez G).

Plaza de España acted as one of the secondary stages,

a wide public area where that atmosphere of demand for

change was also made visible. Additionally, mass rallies

against Cataluña and its amnesty deal took place in the

public square in 2023, confirming its role as a modern

protest focal point (Jones). Most recently, in June of 2025,

Plaza de España hosted a major anti-government rally

calling for Pedro Sánchez’s resignation as well (Europa

Press Nacional). For us, situating Sentience in a square

historically linked to public dissent, confrontation, and

resistance would communicate a clear message.

MOODBOARD MOODBOARD

PROTOTYPE

MOODBOARD

&PROTOTYPING

Prototyping helped us translate that message into form.

To do so, we created mood boards to establish how

Sentience would actually look like; these were heavily

inspired by the style of the previously mentioned anti-surveillance

clothing and masks that confuse recognition

systems. Colorful, vibrant, reflective, pattern-filled

visuals took over Sentience’s vibe. Guided by class

material/research on AI bias and citizen resistance, we

imagined those disruptive patterns not as only accessories,

but as architecture too, an aspect that was

further envisioned through the creation of a 3D model of

Sentience. Through it we established the zone as a large

pavilion with roofs made out of seemingly unpredictable

shapes, that were decorated with the visuals we had

envisioned in our mood board.

This all paints our final speculation of Madrid’s future; a city

dominated by advanced technology and artificial intelligence,

directly impacting citizen’s lives and their perceptions of reality,

and their behaviors. Citizen surveillance is more prominent than

ever, blurring the ethical lines regarding personal privacy. People

go out of their homes less due to endless technological options

for entertainment. Human to human contact is highly replaced with

AI interaction, with corporations being a major reason behind it,

seeing as they profit off of AI products and services like AI sexual

experiences

or AI psychol-

SENTIE

ogists, for

example.

Within this,

humanity’s

knack for

noticing when

something

harmful is having a greater grip on us than it should arises, resulting

in a portion of the population resisting this reality. Society in

the city is divided; those who accept the technological embrace

and those who reject it. The opposition organizes themselves,

proposing to the local government the idea of a space to openly

resist this which will look out for people’s well-being, which is in

turn approved and supported by a government that has supported

outdoor well-being initiatives for their citizens in the past. Thus,

Sentience comes in, our final representation of Madrid’s speculative

future.

The final version of Sentience is a large structure in Plaza

de España built from unrecognizable, reflective, and colorful

materials that aim to deflect and confuse the AI cameras and

scanners that are speculated to be commonplace at that moment

in time. The Pavilion is visually stunning and unique, with it being

a form of art aside from its functionality. This disruptive visual art

style has become synonymous with the technological resistance,

which is why people inside Sentience wear clothing that is similar

in look to the pavilion itself, both for its functionality of resisting

surveillance

ENCE

and its

symbolic

meaning.

These people

behave in a

highly traditional

social

manner, with

Sentience

being a no technological zone; no phones, no digital devices, no

AI. Only physical interaction, conversation, and mindful presence.

It’s a place for people to go back to their roots and overcome a

society that tries to disconnect people by instead sharing important

moments of genuine contact; a zone that encourages interactions

with strangers to make new connections and keep what

makes us social beings alive.

HUMAN

CONNECTION

Sentience is more than just a place to avoid surveillance; it’s a

space that represents people’s right to rebel and do so through

art and expression. A place that tells corporations that they

won’t win so easily and will never be able to kill genuine human

connection to fill their pockets. It is a needed expression from a

people that has felt disconnected, with its natural social human

essence having been slowly taken away, and a resistance

against what some feel has consumed us for the worst. Nonetheless,

for some other citizens, it is seen as an act of unnecessary

rebellion from contrarians that won’t accept the comforts

of modern reality. Technological corporations, from another

perspective, see it as an annoyance and a threat due to the sway

this causes against potential customers of theirs.

REBORN

Produced by AI

After the envisionment of this speculation, what does this possible future tell us about

ourselves and what we, as humans, need? And what guidelines should a city like Madrid

follow to ensure these needs are met? In a future where cities become an intelligent organism

that never stops watching, predicting, or optimizing, the rhythms that make social

life feel natural, spontaneous, and genuinely human are altered. This unveils a deeper

need that people are pushed to: the need to return to the natural fundamentals of being

a human. The need to behave like a social creature, a desire to exchange ideas without

being monitored, to talk about politics or philosophy without being profiled, to experience

presence without performance, to seek advice from the wise, life-filled people one looks

up to. In a future where

this is sought after, society

shifts its values, giving less

importance to efficiency

and atomization, and

instead seeking to protect

emotional well-being and

maintain human control

over their lives.

Such a society would

demand certain forms of

urban guidance which offer

spaces where people can

step away from algorithmic

systems and genuinely

reconnect with each other.

These necessary infrastructures

from emotional

well-being and overall independence

from technology

can be broken down into

five core guidelines that

would contribute toward

more human-centered public

futures. First, protecting the right to disconnect is essential, meaning that public spaces

should offer areas where surveillance, data collection, and algorithmic mediation are

intentionally minimized or blocked. Second, the prioritization to maintain/reclaim human

moments by designing public spaces that encourage real, in-person interaction where

people can touch, share, and experience together. These everyday human moments become

a simple but powerful way to push back against a public life dominated by screens

and AI systems. Next, cities should design for emotional intelligence, meaning that public

spaces shouldn’t only be designed to function efficiently, they should also make people

feel safe, welcome, and understood. Furthermore, the balancing of AI with human agency

should be kept in check, both for people personally and at an organizational level, now

that AI should function as a supportive tool, helping expand creativity and expression

without dominating the experience. Lastly, when designing public spaces, we should put

care for people at the center of every decision.

WE’RE

BACK

WITH

SOMETHING

THAT

SHOULD

HAVE

NEVER

LEFT.

THE FUTURE WE ENVISION

IT IS, ABOVE ALL ELSE, PRO

Drawn by Ayana Honjo

ISN’T ANTI-TECHNOLOGY;

HUMAN.

Even in a future shaped by

algorithms, people rediscover

what makes life meaningful:

presence, conversation,

and community. Sentience

becomes an act of hope,

showing that human connection

survives despite

the systems around us. Our

hope is that cities never

forget this.

WORKS

CITED

“Anti AI Clothing - Faception Reloaded.” URBANPRIVACY, 2025, urban-privacy.com/

collections/faception-reloaded. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.

“AntiAi Clothing.” AntiAi Clothing, antiai.biz/.

brownell, dana. “From Innocent Shares to Surveillance: Protecting Your Privacy in a

Digital World.” AntiAi Clothing, 5 July 2025, antiai.biz/blogs/news/from-innocent-sharesto-surveillance-protecting-your-privacy-in-a-digital-world.

Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.

De La Serna, Victor. “Plaza de España, La Bien Nombrada.” ELMUNDO, El mundo,

28 Nov. 2021, www.elmundo.es/madrid/2021/11/28/619fd7c1fdddff2ca08b45c1.html.


Europa Press Nacional. “Miles de Personas Abarrotan La Plaza de España de Madrid

En La Protesta Del PP Contra El Gobierno de Sánchez.” Europapress.es, Europa Press

Nacional, 8 June 2025, www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-miles-personas-abarrotan-plaza-espana-madrid-protesta-pp-contra-gobierno-sanchez-20250608111928.html.


Jones, Sam. “Rally Held in Madrid against Catalan Amnesty after Sánchez Sworn in as

Spanish PM.” The Guardian, 18 Nov. 2023, www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/18/

protest-rally-madrid-catalan-amnesty-pedro-sanchez-sworn-in-spanish-pm.

Owens Viani, Lisa. “Digital Addiction Increases Loneliness, Anxiety and Depression | SF

State News.” News.sfsu.edu, 10 Apr. 2018, news.sfsu.edu/archive/news-story/digital-addiction-increases-loneliness-anxiety-and-depression.html.

Pérez G, Daniel. “15M: Origen, Significado Y Qué Fue El Movimiento de Los Indignados

Del 15 de Mayo.” Diario AS, 14 May 2021, as.com/diarioas/2021/05/14/actualidad/1620989259_994666.html?outputType=amp.


“PIXELAND.” 100architects, 26 Dec. 2018, 100architects.com/project/pixeland/.

Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Sanz, María. “Plaza de España: Un Paseo Por Una de Las Plazas Más Grandes de Madrid.”

Time out Madrid, 4 July 2023, www.timeout.es/madrid/es/que-hacer/plaza-de-espanya-1.


Valchanov, Iliya. “The Resistance to AI: An Inevitable Societal Fracture? | Juma .” Juma.

ai, 2024, juma.ai/blog/the-resistance-to-ai. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.

AI USAGE STATEMENT:

AI used for visual exploration and style reference.

All core ideas and creative direction originated from the team.

Image 1: AI-generated digital prototype of Behavioural Gardens

T

HE CITY AS CARE

Rethinking Homelessness in Madrid

SUMMARY

The project “The City as Care: Rethinking Homelessness

in Madrid” explores how urban design can support the

wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness.

Through data analysis of Madrid’s green space inequality

and homeless shelter system, we propose the ‘Behavioural

Garden’: A greenhouse-centered public space that

nurtures growth, rest, and community.

AI tools played a key role as ChatGPT supported data

analysis and research, while Midjourney generated

visualizations of the speculative space.

BY: ISA MARIA GROEN, ISABELLE ANN MARABUT, JULIA FRANCES NICHOLS, ALEXIA

ROCAMORA FALCONE, RIVA VAN DER VOET, BEATRIZ CANHA PINTO BENITO GARCÍA

WHERE CARE

Homelessness is

a global issue,

commonly seen in

large metropolitan

cities. Despite

attempts to

marginalize these

vulnerable

communities, the city

of Madrid faces a

large concentration of

unhoused individuals

throughout the city.

Yet amid the city’s

vibrancy, there exists a

quieter layer of urban

life: those without a

place to belong.

In the face of

adversity, around 150

individuals are

residing in an

encampment by the

Paseo del Prado.

This community

is commonly

susceptible to theft,

poor hygiene, and

unstable makeshift

homes, causing severe

stress, trauma, and

fear. This tension

between visibility and

invisibility paved the

way for our starting

point into exploring

how the city itself

could become an

instrument of care. Th

aspect of our chosen

topic that we will

analyze is the

wellbeing of Madrid’s

homeless community,

and more broadly,

Image 2: AI-generated digital prototype of Behavioural Gardens

BEGINS

e

how the city can

integrate emotional

and physical

wellbeing into its

infrastructure.

We defined each

member’s strengths

in the process of

creating a group DNA,

and discovered a

shared focus on

community as a form

of care.

Our speculative lens

has significantly

broadened our

curiosity about the

future of well-being

in public spaces,

discovering that

design can be more

than just aesthetics; it

can become a tool for

visibility and care.

This shaped our

collective goal:

“to design a civic space that not only

shelters but also heals, nourishes,

and connects people.”

RESEARCH

Researching Madrid

helped us narrow

down our focus to

homelessness.

We explored its

underlying causes,

examined the

government’s current

response, and looked

into potential

solutions. Before

focusing directly on

homelessness, we

studied urban and

green areas in Madrid.

Combining both

qualitative and

quantitative research

helped shape our

speculative project.

Through this process,

we recognized that

well-being in Madrid

is not equally distributed.

Those without

shelter are also those

most disconnected

from green and

communal spaces,

the very environments

proven to foster health

and belonging.

Our data analysis of

emergency shelter

facilities across

Madrid further

highlights this

imbalance.

Around 43% of all

facilities are

emergency winter

shelters, while

temporary reception

centres make up

about 28.6%. Only

14.3% are social

services centres, and

another 14.3% are

social dining halls.

This breakdown

reveals a strong focus

on short-term,

crisis-based responses

rather than long-term

solutions or social

reintegration. It shows

that Madrid’s aid

system remains

primarily reactive. It

provides temporary

relief but leaves little

room for community,

growth, or recovery.

Image 3: Pie Chart of Shelters of Municipal N

We also analyzed the

distribution of green

zones across Madrid’s

districts, revealing

another layer of

inequality. Districts

like Fuencarral-El

Pardo and Villa de

Vallecas have over

150 green zones,

while central areas

such as Centro,

Chamberí, and Retiro

have far fewer.

This shows how

access to nature

and public space is

concentrated on the

outskirts, while those

in the city center,

especially people

experiencing

homelessness, remain

disconnected from

these restorative

environments.

For this reason, we

chose Paseo del

Prado as the location

for our speculative

public space, placing

care and connection

directly in the city’s

heart, where visibility

and accessibility are

most needed.

We also observed that

central districts

(for example Centro,

Salamanca,

Chamberí) are dense

and service-rich but

have limited available

space, whereas outer

districts are greener

yet lack strong social

infrastructure.

Through our research,

we discovered the

“Madrid on the Street

Service”, a program

providing care

resources and

monitoring for

homeless individuals

through emergency

shelters and social

service centers.

etwork for the Care of Homeless People Image 4: Bar Graph of Number of Green Zones per District in

Madrid

Image 5: ‘Homeless camp

on Paseo del Prado’ (2019)

https://madridnofrills.com/

homeless-camp/

These findings helped

define the location

and goals of our

proposed public

space: one that

prioritizes the well

being of vulnerable

communities.

In exploring

homelessness,

we came to some

sobering conclusions

about its current and

projected state in

Madrid.

Rising unemployment,

unaffordable housing,

and overcrowded

sheltershave created a

cycle that keeps

homelessness at

critical levels.

Locals describe the

government’s

approach as a

“band-aid

solution” (El País),

offering relief but little

lasting change.

Authorities often

pursue “clean city”

policies, clearing

public spaces and

displacing homeless

individuals from

tourist and

commercial zones.

Although official

statistics suggest

a decline in

homelessness, these

figures only count

those registered in

outreach programs (El

País), meaning many

remain unaccounted

for. Meanwhile,

mental health crises

continue to rise,

driven by poverty,

trauma, and substance

dependency. Social

isolation and

discrimination deepen

the problem, as

homelessness is often

treated as a public

disorder rather than a

social inequality.

Ultimately, we shaped

our design idea

around the concept

of “Behavioural

Gardens” for the

homeless community.

Inspired by the

Garden 2 Plate

Project in London

(2025), where gardens

at existing homeless

accommodations

acted as a therapeutic

space to improve the

mental health and

wellbeing of people

JOURNEY OF CREATION

A speculative

project doesn’t

suddenly come

to one’s mind; it’s

grounded in analysis,

research, and

exploration. Through

our research, we

discovered that the

issue is far more

complex than it first

seems, with

many underlying

connections to

mental health. One of

our conclusions was

that, due to stricter

admission rules and

reduced accessibility,

people might

experience shorter

and more controlled

forms of reintegration.

It’s like reintegration

becomes conditional:

you must follow the

rules to stay. Such

explorations led to the

final speculation.

Our focus for the

moodboard logically

followed from these

conclusions.

For example, a

project where different

LED lights help you

manage your mood

became one of

the pictures for the

moodboard. All the

photos show how

nature is integrated

into the projects, as if

it is part of the

structure and

materials instead of

just decoration.

We liked the idea

of different, smaller

installations inside

one bigger installation,

and also mainly

focused on organic

shapes.

Image 6-10 References:

https://www.designboom.com/design/radar-exhibitions-around-world-october-10-02-2025

https://trellis.net/article/biomimicrys-role-shaping-sustainable-built-environment/

https://www.pixoto.com/images-photography/landscapes/travel/super-treegrove-50751883

https://cz.pinterest.com/pin/41236152832437330/

https://locallll.com/projects/auby/

Image 11: close-up of physical prototype of perforated dome roof for outdoor transparency.

REIMAGINING

‘PASEO DEL PRADO’

Image 12: inside behavioural garden dome, revealing micro gardens

The physical prototype process transforms our ideas into reality.

We aimed to craft our visualization of an outdoor wellbeing space that

heals, not hides our homeless communities.

We created a

perforated roof and

used glass cups as a

sort of dome inside

the installations. We

integrated these best

ideas into our final

prototype. The final

physical prototype is

based on a lot

of greenery,

mostly inside the

installations. The glass

cups are served as

different ‘gardening

stations.’

Image 13: physical prototype of man inside garden dome, place

of self-reflection

With enough

speculation and

analysis, we had some

idea for the physical

prototyping; however,

we started the crafting

with an open mind.

Before the final

physical prototype, we

split our group into

two different groups to

experiment with

the materials. These

sessions of 2 times

20 minutes helped us

think outside the box.

Image 14 (above): physical

prototype of woman with

garden domes,feeling a sense

of belonging

Image 15 & 16: physical to digital prototypes visualise the

outdoor space as a place of connection and belonging.

The perforated roof

shows how natural

light may be regulated

according to mood

and mental state.

We created places

to sit and to relax to

enhance the idea of

community bonding

and feeling at rest.

We added different

ideas that showed

how this shelter would

be self-regulating:

‘self-regulating

vertical rain systems’,

‘climate-controlled’,

and ‘smart farming

technology’.

Out of the physical

prototypes we

created, 3 prompts

that we would later

put into different AI

photo generators.

Image 17 &18: AI generated digital prototype of inside the Behavioural Garden domes, close up of gardening stations tha

A GARDEN OF

Our final public

space called ‘The

Behavioural Garden’

is generated with

Midjourney. It is a

public space in

Madrid (Pase del

Prado) designed

to support people

experiencing

homelessness through

growth, rest, and

community. Instead of

controlling behavior,

it nurtures wellbeing

and belonging.

The Behavioural

Garden transforms an

unused urban lot into

a greenhouse

centered public

garden. A place where

people can grow

plants, share food,

learn skills, and find

calm and connection.

The Greenhouse

Pavilion acts as

a transparen

structure for

vegetables a

provides she

heat or cold

it, the Comm

Area include

seating and

can be used

meals, work

or creative a

There are als

Corners, sma

areas design

t promote connection to the land, boosting wellbeing

BELONGING

t

growing

nd also

lter from

. Around

unal

s flexible

tables that

for shared

shops,

ctivities.

o Quiet

ller

ed for

reflection, rest, or

informal support.

Sensors embedded in

the garden detect

collective emotions

like stress or calm,

and the space reacts

accordingly. Light

changes color, the

greenhouse opens or

closes its panels for

airflow, and even the

sound environment

adapts to create a

sense of balance and

comfort.

The project is

also scientifically

innovative, exploring

how food can grow in

adaptive environments

and how design can

respond to human

emotion.

FUTURE VALUES

Image 19: Speculation Mindmap of

the state of Homelessness and its

impact from Present to 15 years from

now.

By 2040, we

predict that Madrid,

on the surface, will

seem to have solved

homelessness. The

streets will be clean,

and the numbers will

look good.

But in reality, many

people will have just

been pushed out of

sight or into

controlled shelters on

the city’s edge.

We imagine a

system that focuses

on order instead of

real change, people

get basic help but lose

freedom and visibility.

Madrid’s story shows

how social problems

can look “fixed” when

they’re really just

managed and hidden.

Im

vi

After 5 years, we

predict that new

shelters will relieve

short-term pressure,

but they will not

address the root

problem: housing

in Madrid remains

unaffordable for most

residents.

According to the data

sets we analyzed and

articles from El País,

homelessness

might appear to be

improving, but it’s

really just being

buried.

We also expect the

introduction of stricter

admission rules in

shelters: referral

systems, time limits,

and behavioral

conditions, reducing

accessibility even

further. Many people

won’t meet the new

requirements, leaving

them without

support.

After 10 years, the

city center becomes

increasingly exclusive

to high-income

residents. People will

experience shorter

stays and higher

turnover in shelters,

cycling in and out

without real

reintegration.

While visible

homelessness in

central Madrid may

decrease, hidden

homelessness will

grow in outer

municipalities.

Data will show

“success,” yet

exclusion deepens,

as only a small

percentage of the

homeless population

truly benefits from

government programs.

After 15 years, we

predict that street

homelessness will

appear to lessen,

but psychological

isolation and

dependency will

grow. Mental health

services will likely

remain overwhelmed,

leading to more

untreated cases and

stronger reliance on

shelters.

Over time,

care may shift

toward controlled

reintegration centers,

where help becomes

conditional and

bureaucratic. Mental

health is managed but

not healed.

Welfare may also turn

digital, with AI and

monitoring systems

replacing personal

care.

This is a pessimistic

view, but it’s also a

realistic one. If

current trends

continue, as ‘El País’

highlights, the

disregard for

Madrid’s homeless

population could turn

into a future where

homelessness seems

solved but only

because it’s been

hidden, not healed.

age 21: inside garden domes, emphasis on

sibility with transparent glass

WHERE LOVE GROWS

Ultimately,

Behavioural Garden

is our love letter to

growth. A vision of

how public space

can begin to heal and

combat the erasure

of neglected

communities.

The space does not

aim to resolve

homelessness, but

rather to imagine a

reality where care

replaces neglect

and where design

encourages, inspires

visibility.

Architecture does

more than provide

shelter.

It can foster moments

of connection

dignity, and

belonging. Th

simplicity of

garden can c

how people r

one another

city around t

offering a spa

connection. T

shared meals

Image 21: AI-generated photo of man engaging

with gardening stations, learning to grow

,

e

a

hange

elate to

and the

hem by

ce for

hrough

and

quiet spaces

designed with

responsiveness, we

are reminded that

empathy can be

cultivated.

Behavioural

Garden reminds us

that a mere space

can generate

large-scale change.

If a single

greenhouse can

foster warmth,

peace, and

community, then

perhaps cities, too,

can learn to grow,

not through power,

but through adaptability

and trust.

AI STATEMENT

During our project, we used AI tools

to help us with both research and

visualization. We used ChatGPT to

explore data about Madrid, analyze

datasets, and create bar charts and

other graphs that helped us understand

patterns. This process helped us

translate data into something more

visual and easier to interpret.

For the final prototype images of our

public space, we used Midjourney

to generate visuals that represented

the atmosphere and concept of our

design. We used these tools as

creative and analytical support, but

all decisions and creative ownership

remained with us.

REFERENCES

Shelters of the Municipal Network for the Care of Homeless People (Graph 1)

https://datos.madrid.es/portal/site/egob/menuitem.c05c1f754a33a9fbe4b2e4b-

284f1a5a0/?vgnextoid=5eaaa516f8045410VgnVCM1000000b205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=374512b9ace9f310VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

A bar chart showing the number of green zones per district in Madrid 2024 (Graph

2) https://datos.madrid.es/portal/site/egob/menuitem.c05c1f754a33a9fbe4b2e4b-

284f1a5a0/?vgnextoid=79c6adbb460dd510VgnVCM2000001f4a900aRCRD&vgnextchannel=374512b9ace9f310VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Data we used during research, we don’t show a graph of this but we talk about it in the

text: https://datos.madrid.es/portal/site/egob/menuitem.c05c1f754a33a9fbe4b2e4b-

284f1a5a0/?vgnextoid=b690d671b511a610VgnVCM2000001f4a900aRCRD

El Pais Article that we talk bout in the text: https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2025-06-01/

la-paradoja-de-madrid-los-albergues-se-saturan-pero-cada-vez-hay-menos-sin-techo-en-la-capitalo-desaparecen.html

Article about the london project that was our inspiration: https://www.nursinginpractice.

com/clinical/mental-health-and-addiction/wellbeing-through-gardening-for-people-experiencing-homelessness/

How we found out about the homeless camp on Paseo del Prado: https://madridnofrills.

com/homeless-camp/

Extra articles used for mindmap:

https://english.elpais.com/spain/2025-05-13/the-homeless-people-of-madrids-barajas-airport-im-sick-of-sleeping-on-the-floor.html

https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2025-10-14/los-barrios-mas-humildes-de-san-blas-serebelan-contra-almeida-por-su-gestion-de-la-basura-nuestras-calles-estan-inundadas-deporqueria.html

Images

https://www.designboom.com/design/radar-exhibitions-around-world-october-10-02-2025

https://trellis.net/article/biomimicrys-role-shaping-sustainable-built-environment/

https://www.pixoto.com/images-photography/landscapes/travel/super-treegrove-50751883

https://cz.pinterest.com/pin/41236152832437330/

https://locallll.com/projects/auby/

Chat GPT for helping us during our data research and Midjourney for image creating.

FINE D

Project name: A Public Space in a

Speculative Future

Authors: Ilana Szarf, Leonardo Rivas,

Luiza Bailão, Polina Ilieva,

Shahar Gilinsky, Talya Elakkary

Tools and platforms used: Miro,

ChatGPT, Runway ML

INING

Food is one of the most fundamental

necessities of life and has enabled

human survival since the time we

lived in caves. While it may have

started solely as a need for survival,

we have created rituals around

food that have stayed with us for

centuries. We taste, cook, and gather

around for meals not only to nourish

ourselves but also to connect, share,

and celebrate. Eating has become an

inseparable part of our daily lives

and a ritual rooted in our cultures and

identity. Yet, looking ahead, we face

the possibility that food and eating, as

we know them, may no longer exist.

This speculative project explores a

world in which food transforms from

a social and cultural experience into

a controlled, technological system

centred on survival. In this future,

eating no longer involves real food,

but pure nutrients and vitamins

lacking any emotional or cultural

significance. The idea of restaurants

and markets will disappear, while

eating as we know it today becomes

a privilege reserved for the richest.

Access to ‘real’ food determines

social standing, and beauty standards

shift towards obesity, which once

again becomes a symbol of wealth.

Meanwhile, new systems of

production and distribution emerge.

Feeding tubes and AI-regulated

rations replace traditional meals, with

organic food from the past circulating

illegally on black markets.

FO

OD

SHARING A MEAL

Human beings have long treated

eating as a fundamentally social ritual

that strengthens human connection.

According to Oxford University

research, people who eat socially

tend to have a larger social circle

and feel better about their lives

than those who eat alone. Some

theories suggest that eating together

may have been something humans

evolved to do for bonding rather than

just for pleasure, and historically,

shared meals have been important

to many communities across the

world. The habit of gathering

around a common table dates back

centuries, and archaeologists have

found evidence of communal feasting

dating back at least 12,000 years.

Some anthropologists even argue that

eating together is part of what makes

us human and sets us apart from

other species. Across civilisations,

important collective meals became

key social institutions. For example,

the ancient Greek symposia and

Roman convivia (medieval feasts and

banquets) show how eating together

could be intertwined with political

negotiation, intellectual debate, and

community celebration.

“The meal is a social

institution in which

people perform their

relationships.”

“ONE MEAL USES

THE SAME AMOUNT

OF WATER 2,160

PEOPLE NEED IN A

DAY”

The act of commensality (eating

together) is vital for social life. In

many Spanish-speaking cultures, the

sobremesa - the time spent conversing

at the table after a meal - emphasises

that eating is also a time for bonding

and telling stories. Anthropologists

and sociologists suggest that a

meal is more than just a source of

nourishment; it is a social institution.

The table acts as a mirror of social

structures in which shared meals

reinforce hierarchies and roles within

a group. In early modern Spain, for

instance, one’s seat at the table was a

clear marker of status.

Nowadays, the tradition of sharing

meals is slowly disappearing due

to a variety of societal shifts, such

as long work schedules, complex

family dynamics, and the increase

of single-person households. Many

people now eat in isolation, even

if they don’t want to. A UK survey

found that about one-third of

weekday evening meals are eaten

alone, with the average adult eating

10 of 21 weekly meals in solitude.

In Spain, on average, 23% of adults

eat lunch or dinner by themselves

during the week. Even when people

do sit down together, they are less

present with each other now than

in the past. One report noted a

steep decline in Spaniards who eat

while conversing with companions,

as people now do so while staring

at a TV or phone screen. Modern

habits and technologies have

started to lessen face-to-face social

interaction at the dinner table, and

sociologists have begun to worry

about the consequences of this

‘de-communalisation’ of eating.

Multiple studies have linked eating

in isolation to negative effects like

poorer nutrition and health, lower

mood, and loneliness. Some suggest

that eating alone represents the most

extreme form of disconnection in

society, to the point that such a meal

is not considered a ‘real meal’ at all.

Having to eat alone carries a heavy

symbolic burden, as cooking or eating

in isolation strips the experience

down to simple biological fueling.

This not only ‘desocialises’ the meal

but even makes it feel ‘dehumanised’.

Our social fabric is built from small

family traditions, cultural recipes, and

holiday celebrations. Without them,

we lose not only a sense of belonging

but also one of our identities.

BEHIND EVERY BITE

EXTREME DEMANDS ON WATER

Feeding humanity requires large

volumes of water, which makes food

production the world’s top water

consumer. Agriculture accounts for

roughly 70% of global freshwater

withdrawals, with that number

approaching 90% in dry regions,

especially for meat and dairy

production. A single beef-based

meal can use around 3000 litres of

water, which is about what 50 people

drink in a month. Even staple crops

and plant-based foods are waterintensive,

with rice, wheat, and soy

each needing thousands of litres

per kilogram. Highly demanding

technological industries, such as data

and AI centres, have also worsened

the water demand. Data centres need

billions of litres for cooling annually,

and a single large AI data centre

may use as much water as a town

of 50,000 people. All this happens

while only 0.5% of Earth’s water is

accessible freshwater for human use,

with pollution shrinking the supply

further and leaving many water

sources unusable or contaminated. As

the population grows, global water

demand has risen about 1% per year

since the 1980s, and currently, twothirds

of the global population face

severe water shortages at least one

month each year.

“WORLDWIDE, AGRICULTURE ACCOUNTS FOR

RUNNING OUT OF LAND

Food production is one of humanity’s

most land-intensive activities. As

the global population rises, this

competition for land is intensifying,

every new city and highway often

comes at the expense of farmland.

In a region of Spain, around 71% of

new urbanisation directly replaced the

highest-quality cropland.

At the same time, desertification

(the permanent loss of fertile land)

is accelerating in many regions due

to warming temperatures, droughts,

and overuse. In Spain, up to 75% of

the country’s territory is now deemed

susceptible to desertification under

the pressures of climate change and

intensive farming. According to

UNESCO, 90% of the planet’s land

could be degraded by 2050 if current

practices persist. We are running out

of healthy land to farm as soils erode

or salinise, and crucial ecosystems

are being damaged.

Climate instability is threatening food

production, as crops struggle under

rising temperatures and unpredictable

rainfall. One of Spain’s key farming

regions, Extremadura, has seen a

35% decline in rainfall over the past

50 years, imperilling the acorn-rich

forests that feed its pigs. If current

trends continue, we face a scenario

where conventional farms can no

longer produce enough food for

everyone, simply because there isn’t

enough accessible land to grow it.

70%

ROUGHLY 70% OF FRESH WATER WITHDRAWLS”

A PLANET AT TS LIMITS

Modern agriculture has become

a major polluter, accounting for

roughly 26% of global greenhouse

gas emissions. Farming-related

deforestation, methane from livestock

and rice paddies, and nitrous oxide

from fertilisers all contribute to

this statistic. Land-use change for

agriculture accounts for nearly

one-quarter of food’s emissions.

The United Nations has recognised

that our global food system is the

primary driver of biodiversity loss.

Turning wilderness into farms and

pastures has wiped out habitats and

imperilled countless species, while

monoculture plantations and intensive

grazing leave little room for wild

nature. According to UNEP, over

85% of threatened species are harmed

by the expansion and practices of

agriculture. As natural ecosystems

collapse, we lose pollinators, soil

microbes, and genetic diversity that

agriculture itself relies on. In the U.S.,

concentrated livestock operations also

produce large amounts of waste. One

hog can generate around 540 kg of

manure, and at industrial scales, this

excess manure pollutes water, soil,

and air.

PLATES LEFT EMPTY

In 2023, the UN Food and

Agriculture Organisation warned that

progress against hunger has stalled,

with the number of undernourished

people rising again after decades of

decline. Across the world, food access

is uneven. For many, healthy food is

unaffordable or unattainable, while in

other places, cheap, ultra-processed

food is the easiest, and often the only

option. Even worse, roughly one-third

of all food produced is lost or wasted

before it reaches a stomach due to

crops spoiling, lack of storage or

transport in developing regions, and

retailers rejecting imperfect-looking

produce. Not only does this food go

to waste, but it also causes enormous

environmental damage. About a

quarter of agriculture’s greenhouse

emissions come from food that is

ultimately wasted, and 3.3 billion tons

of CO2 are generated annually by

food that is never consumed.

Today’s food systems are increasingly

industrialised and globalised, and

often controlled by large agribusiness

corporations. Smallholder farmers,

who still produce a substantial

share of the world’s food, often find

themselves marginalised. Many

lack access to markets, credit,

or technology, and struggle to

earn a living income. Meanwhile,

multinational companies control

seed patents, fertiliser markets,

processing facilities, and distribution

networks. This consolidation of

control can create higher barriers for

small producers and fewer choices

for consumers. As emerging hightech

farming systems like big data

analytics, AI-driven predictive

farming, and proprietary GMO

seeds are developed, there is a risk

of further corporate consolidation.

One scenario foresees a centralised

corporate model of predictive

agriculture, dominated by a few

agriculture-tech giants offering

proprietary seeds, farm machines,

and data platforms, which would

essentially lock farmers into

subscription-like dependencies. All

of these issues show that our current

food system is not built to meet future

demand sustainably and justly. We

already produce enough food in terms

of calories for everyone, yet millions

starve, indicating vast distribution

failures and socioeconomic inequities.

The UN’s Sustainable Development

Goal 2 (“Zero Hunger”) is slipping

further out of reach, and without

systemic changes, we risk reaching

a point where the majority of the

human population will never have

equal access to nutrition.

FOOD OF THE FUTURE

Artificial, machine-made food is no

longer just an idea, but a reality. In

the last few years, lab-grown meat

and 3D-printed food have started

to appear in restaurants and stores.

The United States recently became

the second country, after Singapore,

to approve the sale of cultivated

chicken grown from animal cells.

In 2025, a lab-grown salmon passed

FDA safety evaluations and became

the first cultivated fish served at a

restaurant. Even 3D-printed foods are

becoming a reality, with an Austrian

company selling the world’s first

3D-printed plant-based salmon fillets

in supermarkets.

We have entered a time of rapid

technological advancement in food

production, with researchers even

exploring nutrigenomics - crafting

diets based on a person’s genetic

makeup. These advancements have

been supported by serious investment

and institutional involvement.

Startups making cultivated meat,

synthetic dairy, and protein foods

have attracted billions of dollars

in funding in recent years. Even

traditional meat companies like

Tyson and Cargill have invested in

lab-grown meat ventures as they

recognise that this may be the future

of protein.

Governments have also begun

responding to this transformation

by funding research and updating

their regulations. In Europe, the

Netherlands recently allowed limited

tastings of lab-grown meat as a step

toward future approval, and the

European Food Safety Authority is

actively evaluating how to regulate

these foods. Policymakers are already

preparing for a transformed food

industry, and public institutions are

beginning to align with technological

development.

This way of producing food also

carries significant environmental

benefits. Cultivated meat and

precision fermentation require far

fewer natural resources than raising

livestock, while growing cells in

a bioreactor or printing a steak

can avoid many of the ethical and

environmental downsides of industrial

farming. There would be no need for

animals to be slaughtered, and issues

like manure pollution or antibiotic

overuse would disappear.

Alongside these technological

changes, there is also a notable

cultural shift toward more functional

and ‘engineered’ eating. People in

urban and tech environments are

increasingly treating food not as a

source of leisure or tradition, but

as a utility for fuelling the body.

An example of this is Soylent, a

nutritional shake intended to replace

traditional breakfast and lunch meals,

with many consumers embracing it

to save time spent eating. Soylent’s

creators strongly believe that food

is fundamentally fuel and that its

emotional or cultural meaning is

irrational. Their motto is “food

as fuel, not experience”. Similar

behaviours can be seen in how

people quantify and optimise their

diets through calorie-tracking apps,

nutrient monitors, and personalised

supplements. This signals a significant

shift in our relationship with food, as

it has started to become increasingly

optimised and controlled. A recent

study spanning multiple countries

found that roughly 40% of the public

would support rationing highemission

foods like meat or limiting

fuel consumption to reduce climate

impact. This suggests a growing

willingness to accept stricter, more

regulated approaches to eating if they

are seen as fair or necessary for the

greater good.

SPE

CUL

EXTREME SCENARIOS

The study of future food systems

increasingly requires us to move

beyond conventional predictions and

embrace more radical, speculative

thinking. Current foresight research

argues that traditional scenario

models rely heavily on conservative

assumptions that often overlook

uncertainties that shape the state

of the world, such as geopolitical

shocks, political breakdowns, or

social upheavals. However, the

stability of such conditions is no

longer guaranteed, and extreme

scenarios now serve as a critical

way to confront the blind spots

that conventional models leave

unexamined. Rather than being

solely pessimistic visions of the

future, these scenarios serve as a

way to test our assumptions and

ensure that policymakers are not

blindsided by disruptions they never

even considered. Such futures also

reveal what society considers worth

protecting. By imagining what

we could lose, we can understand

the importance and values we

associate with food culture today.

Therefore, instead of being seen as

purely pessimistic or an impossible

future scenario, they can serve as a

methodological tool for understanding

what is at risk and what we need to

preserve moving forward.

MINDMAP

The mindmap was an essential tool

during the project’s development

stage, and its goal was to focus on a

current global trend, analysing how

it will evolve, and examining its

implications for the future. To begin,

the professor used education as an

example and depicted the current

depreciation of the value of education

in a mindmap. In this project, the

initial topic to explore with this tool

was globalisation, analysing current

trends and how they will evolve and

shape social structures and ways

of living over the next 5, 10, and 15

years. However, the topic was too

broad, and it was difficult to explore

niches and value changes in depth.

This aspect, combined with the

group’s limited knowledge of the

topic, led to a change in the overall

theme. The goal was to find a topic

that would lead to more specific and

insightful speculations, so Artificial

Intelligence was selected as the new

focus. This technology is something

the whole group was familiar with

and had discussed before on several

occasions, both in an academic and

a personal context. To avoid the

same problem as with the first topic,

the approach was to explore which

aspects of everyone’s lives AI impacts

(including relationships, education,

governance…), and then choose one to

analyse further.

There has been a rise in awareness of

the resources this technology requires

and how, combined with the fact

that the population keeps increasing,

this could be a serious problem for

humanity in the near future. After

delving into the resource aspect

related to AI, intensive research

revealed many other reasons why

we, as a society, might face shortages

of several resources. In order to be

concise and have the possibility of

explaining this topic in a broad way,

changing the topic to resources overall

(not specifically its relationship with

AI) was necessary. After that, more

and more information was found

regarding scarcity and inequality in

access to resources, and the research

ultimately led to the conclusion that

food can be replaced with alternatives

that require fewer resources. That

became the focus of the project -

exploring how humanity could adapt

to the need for lower production costs

across different areas, and, more

specifically, in the food industry. To

explore this topic in the best way

possible, we considered both positive

and negative outcomes, challenged

our preconceived ideas and biases

about the future, and explored how

the world could function in the future

without being constrained by our

current beliefs.

MOODBOARD

After gaining a clear understanding

of the project’s direction, the next

step was to visualise how this new

world would make us feel. With this

tool, the goal was to depict a future

in which food is no longer something

people choose, enjoy, or even think

about. One of the main references

we used is the Black Mirror episode

“Fifteen Million Merits”, in which

people live solely for producing

energy, as that is the main currency

in this dystopian world. What came

out of exploring this scenario was the

idea that a resource like food could

be extremely valuable in the future,

and might end up being used as a

currency. The project did not go in

that exact direction, but the possibility

was part of the thinking process. The

conclusion was that it would be more

feasible for this basic resource, which

everyone needs, to be controlled

by governments rather than used as

currency.

In this future world, a utilitarian

mindset is used to distribute food,

with everyone getting exactly what

they need to survive, no less and no

more, which would be determined by

a developed AI model.

This is the scenario the moodboard

aims to depict, focusing mainly on the

feeling it would provoke in us. Those

feelings were key to defining how the

public space would function, a place

only visited for necessity. This is an

intentional aspect of the moodboard,

trying to portray the fact that this

public space would be focused on

efficiency, on getting everyone fed,

and not necessarily on the people

enjoying that process. Images

depicting human energy extraction,

full-body feeding suits, and wearable

nutrient devices further reinforced the

idea of giving humans exactly what

they need to function correctly. These

references suggest a future in which

‘food’ is controlled by inputs and

data rather than by choice, flavour, or

tradition. With all of these images, the

goal is to prompt people to question

their perception of food, raise

awareness of how important the time

of a meal is in our current society, and

consider the possibility that this ritual

may slowly disappear.

PHYSICAL

PROTOTYPING

Physical prototyping was a crucial

step in the process of visualising

the final space. The speculative

world was created, and now it was

time to bring it to life and begin

imagining it within a physical, 3D

space. Recycled materials like plastic

bottles, styrofoam, tape, glue, and

magazines were collected and used to

create different textures and colours

for our prototypes. The first step was

for the group to split into two, with

each team creating a prototype in

just 10 minutes. This exercise was

conducted twice and resulted in four

unique prototypes, from which the

best aspects of each were selected to

create the final product.

The goal of this step was to conduct

hands-on physical experimentation

without overthinking every decision.

One of the pillars of the project, the

feeding tubes, was conceptualised

during this stage of the project.

While the initial prototypes explored

other concepts, such as large screens

displaying images of food scattered

throughout the space, they were not

implemented in the final prototype

for several reasons. The idea of using

food images to stimulate the brain

and taste receptors was unnecessary,

as the flavour pills introduced later

in our project were created to do

precisely that. One prototype had

separate pillars for each nutrient,

but the idea was rejected due to its

lack of convenience and because it

did not portray high technological

advancement, which was key to our

project. This was also the reason

for changing the tubes from being

mouthpieces to direct plugs into the

stomach, as they raised concerns

around hygiene and taste, and it

made more sense for the nutrients

to go directly into the digestive

system. After deciding on all these

components, the final physical

prototype was assembled. It was a

process of trial and error; there was

a lot of rearranging and removing

of different elements. There was

also a problem with the scale of our

prototype, as the building was too

tall in comparison to the people’s

figurines, which was solved by

lowering the roof and bringing

the entrance closer to the feeding

columns. Overall, the physical

prototyping helped bring the project

together and gave the group a strong

visual example that was later used for

more accurate AI prototyping.

AI PROTOTYPING

The AI prototyping was the most

complicated and time-consuming

part of the project. This is because

AI prompting, especially for

images, requires precise details

and exact wording to achieve the

desired result. The main tools used

were RunwayML, ChatGPT, and

Midjourney. At first, the AI-generated

images were completely different

from both the physical prototype

and the collective vision. This was

primarily because the right words

weren’t used, such as ‘pillars’ instead

of ‘columns’ and ‘futuristic’ instead

of ‘advanced’. These AI models

are trained on an abundance of

human data, works, buildings, and

art. Therefore, the idea of futurism,

based on previous data, is blue-toned,

science-fiction-esque, with people

in uniforms, and holograms. This is

precisely what the AI created, so the

prompts had to navigate around the

conventional notion of futurism to

produce the right images.

The images were starting to look

better as the prompts became more

intricate and elaborate. The next

problem was placing the feeding

station inside the San Anton Market.

AI repeatedly transformed the space

into labs, containers, and industrial

sites.

An image of the market itself was

uploaded along with the prompt to

fix this issue. However, the AI only

implemented the style of the walls

and ceiling of the building, rather than

how the space inside is structured.

Instead of utilising the four floors

that the market has, the images AI

created had high ceilings, escalators,

and yet only one floor. This is when

the project pivoted, and the building

was changed to San Miguel Market,

as it only has one floor, so the AI

could focus on the feeding station.

An additional issue emerged when

trying to get different angles of the

feeding station for a variety in the

final publication.

All of these elements work together

to elevate the world-building and

make the speculative future feel more

tangible. Ultimately, the more refined

the prompts became, the clearer the

images and our idea turned out to be.

These AI-generated images allowed

the project to move beyond the initial

vision and physical prototyping, and

to become a fully realised world.

The AI would not comprehend when

the prompt asked for a close-up

shot of a man connected to a tube,

and for this reason, the prompt

had to be rewritten and adjusted

accordingly to produce the best

result. Not only did the project

need images of the feeding station

itself, but also of the small, specific

aspects of the speculative world,

like the nutrient liquid inside the

tubes, the manufactured flavour pills,

the food museums, and the blood

identification stand at the entrance of

the feeding station.

THE FEEDING STATION

In this speculative future, the famous

San Miguel Market in Madrid is

transformed into a feeding station,

designed as a public space for

people to ‘eat’. To begin the feeding

process, an individual enters by

passing through an identification

screen, where they must place their

finger on a scanner with a microneedle

to collect a small sample of

their blood. From that blood sample,

the AI system gathers all of their

information and determines which

nutrients and vitamins they are

deficient in, and what they will be

receiving from the tube. The screen

assigns each individual a column

and a tube number, and the LED

lights on the floor guide them to their

allocated spot. When they arrive,

they plug the tube into their stomach

device. If someone accidentally goes

to the wrong tube, the tube refuses to

function since it is able to recognise

each individual with information

from the stomach device. The

pumping lasts around 1 minute, and

once done, the individual can unplug

and leave. This feeding process must

occur once a day, and individuals can

A FUTURE WITHOUT TASTE

choose their preferred time for

feeding on their own. Children over

the age of 12 can go by themselves,

but anyone younger must be

accompanied by an adult or a robot

supervisor. The stations vary in size

depending on the neighbourhood and

demand. This San Miguel station can

accommodate up to 150 people in 5

minutes, since it is in the city centre

and serves a larger population.

In our speculative future, we imagine

a world where food has shifted from

a cultural practice rooted in emotion,

culture, and community to a highly

controlled technological system. This

future emerges from the research we

conducted on food scarcity, global

food inequality, and lab-grown food,

all of which indicate that access to

nutrition is becoming increasingly

stratified and will soon be unable to

support the human population.

EFFICIENCY VS

PLEASURE

The human race has never been

one to choose logic over emotions

when making decisions, especially

in terms of what to eat. The optimal

lunch for nutritional intake is boiled

chicken liver that provides iron and

B12, with brown lentils cooked

in seaweed broth on the side for

protein, iodine, fibre, and a spirulina

powder drink for more protein and

antioxidants. In our speculative

world, this kind of biologically

perfect meal becomes the norm rather

than the exception. Taste, choice,

and nostalgia are gradually erased

from food as AI systems calculate the

most efficient and nutritious way to

feed the population. The act of eating

becomes standardised, solitary, and

tightly regulated. Over time, citizens

internalise the logic of optimisation,

viewing pleasure itself as an

outdated indulgence. Food becomes

nothing more than a measured

input, administered, tracked, and

stripped of the cultural and emotional

meanings that once defined the eating

experience.

THE

VALUES

OF

THE

FUTURE

FOOD CULTURE

AND IDENTITY

As food shifts toward uniform,

optimised, and government-regulated

nutrition, food culture and all

the identities built around it will

dissolve. The diversity of foods that

once defined countries, regions,

and families disappears, replaced

by standardised nutrient blends that

lack any form of personal or cultural

expression. What we eat today is

deeply tied to who we are: childhood

meals, traditional dishes passed down

through generations, and the flavours

that mark holidays, memories, and

belonging. In a world where everyone

consumes the same formulas,

these cultural aspects are erased.

Food tourism, a global industry

built on curiosity, pleasure, and the

exploration of differences, ceases to

exist because there is nothing unique

left to taste. The idea of travelling to

Japan for ramen, to Mexico for mole,

or to Italy for regional pasta becomes

something of the past. Real food

becomes a luxury object, symbolising

status and wealth. Celebrating a

birthday with an actual cake is now

reserved for the top 1% who can

afford it. Without the foods that

shaped us, marked our histories, and

connected us to a place or a memory,

people lose a defining layer of their

identities.

THE ETHICS

In this speculative world, the choices

made regarding food consumption

won’t come from those who consume

it, but instead from an AI machine.

This machine will be responsible

for calculating each person’s exact

individual needs, whether it is

vitamin deficiencies or required

medication. The ethical implications

of having an AI system control such

an intimate and individual aspect

of human life are profound. The

AI may be able to optimise health,

but it cannot understand culture,

emotions, or personal preference. Its

decisions are based solely on data,

not on identity. This introduces the

danger that the machine’s definition

of ‘optimal’ becomes the standard.

Moreover, as AI systems are already

part of our lives, we know that they

inherit biases and inequalities from

the data they are trained on. This

means that their calculations may

privilege certain people, lifestyles,

or socioeconomic groups over

others. Such systems may produce

unintended harm to people who

have biased and uncorrected data

being applied to them. Having this

system in place also questions the

bodily rights of individuals. When

a government or an algorithm

determines what people consume,

people lose control over their most

human experience, raising concerns

about whether efficiency can ever

justify such a loss of autonomy. This

leads to a deeper ethical dilemma of

who has the authority to decide what

is considered optimal for the human

body - an AI system optimised for

productivity, or the individuals living

in those bodies? At the same time,

food has always been a source of

comfort, identity, and connection for

many people. Without this, people

risk becoming physically healthy but

mentally starved.

DEPENDENCE ON MACHINES

One of the key aspects of this

speculative future is the high

dependence on technology, where

the survival of the human race is

sustained by an AI system. Reliance

on technology is nothing new in our

current world; however, allowing

machines to control something as

significant as food consumption

shifts from convenience to

subservience. When humans rely on

AI to physically sustain their bodies,

they lose the ability to survive

without these systems. This blurs the

line between support and control;

what begins as a tool for efficiency

becomes a dominance over health,

nourishment, and autonomy.

People will no longer have the

skills, knowledge, and freedom to

care for themselves independently.

If something were to occur to the

electricity and technology of the

world, perhaps a natural disaster,

it could leave thousands of people

starving and unable to take care of

themselves.

THE SOCIAL RITUALS

OF THE FUTURE

In this new world, there are

many new social standards and

rituals. As eating will now take

place solely at the public feeding

stations, kitchens will no longer be

integrated into people’s homes and

will be repurposed accordingly in

old buildings. Following the same

principle, restaurants and other foodrelated

businesses, like stores and

markets, will cease to exist. Some of

them will be converted into smaller,

more local feeding stations to deal

with availability and proximity

issues, while others will simply

be transformed into other spaces

relevant to society at that time, such

as housing. What were once small

markets in rural cities and villages

will now be feeding stations, so

people do not have to commute to big

cities every day just to get fed. School

and office canteens will follow the

same idea.

Since real food and meals are no

longer available and are reserved

only for the elite, illegal markets will

thrive on offering them in exchange

for large sums or other essential

information, such as personal data.

Just as we see today with illegal

weapons and substance distribution,

police will be continuously

investigating to find the source of

those supply chains. There will be

harsh punishment for possessing

forbidden products not approved by

the government, even in cases where

one would have inherited land and

decided to use it for personal food

supplies.

Beauty standards would also change,

and we would circle back to how

we used to see people who weighed

more in the past - as a symbol of their

wealth. Such people will be envied

for being able to eat more than one’s

rations would ever allow. It will

symbolise status and indicate that the

elite have access to ‘food of the past’,

while regular people keep forgetting

what that used to feel like.

Despite not eating for years and

having forgotten what it felt like to

do so, people would still yearn for the

sensory and emotional experience of

doing so. To suppress those feelings,

flavour pills will be available for

purchase.

Manufactured by former food

corporations that can no longer

produce real ingredients, these

pills could be taken while getting

nourished through the feeding tubes

or throughout the day to suppress

cravings. Each pill will have a

specific taste, such as ‘McDonald’s

Burger’ or ‘Domino’s Pepperoni

Pizza,’ transforming taste into a

purchasable commodity.

Another form of therapy would be

aroma centres, where people will

be able to smell artificially created

scents of food. Inside these centres,

there will be diffusers that will emit

different scents like cooked garlic,

freshly baked bread, cinnamon buns,

and others. This will allow visitors

to temporarily relive memories they

associate with those smells despite

not being able to recreate them on

their own. For maximum effect and

pleasure, such therapy could be

combined with flavour pills.

Just as we have today, to

commemorate our past and history,

there will be food museums. Visitors

will be able to see preserved and

unopened food, hyperrealistic

replicas of iconic meals, kitchens,

restaurants, school canteens,

supermarkets, and even watch

special videos of how food was

grown, cooked, and plated in

the past. There will be sections

dedicated to what once used to be

cultural cuisines from different

parts of the world and their history.

Kitchen utensils, plates, cutlery,

and old restaurant menus will be

showcased as artefacts, alongside

audiovisual materials showing how

we used to celebrate important

events through food - birthday and

wedding cakes, Christmas cookies,

and Thanksgiving turkey.

CONCLUSION

This project is not a dystopian

message but a speculative exploration

of how our world might evolve under

the environmental and technological

pressures shaping it today. By

creating a future where food becomes

tasteless, a survival need, and purely

utilitarian, we reflect on the damage

already present in our current

systems. Removing food from the

center of society reveals how deeply

it shapes us.

Speculative thinking is not about

predicting what will happen, but

about critically analysing our existing

systems, values, and behaviours

surrounding food. This future

shows that humanity is resilient and

relentless; it has always adapted and

evolved through innovation. So what

this speculative world urges us to

understand is how our current food

systems are damaging the planet, and

what must happen to change the path

we are currently on.

AI STATEMENT

Throughout this article, generative AI

was used in the AI prototyping phase.

The tools used were Runway ML,

ChatGPT, and Midjourney to create

all the images of the speculative

future - the feeding station, food

museums, nutrient liquid, and flavour

pills. In addition, AI was used to

review grammar and spelling to

ensure the written content remained

coherent and academic.

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Biophilia

Environment, society and technology

Alegra Antelo, Josefina Barbagallo, Mariana Londoño, Valentina

Gonzalez, Gabriel Thomas Carreño, Lorena Rebollo

Diagnosis sentence

Madrid’s green spaces follow old planning

and socioeconomic patterns, not

actual community needs. So access

to comfort and social connection depends

on where you live instead of

what residents require.

Diagnosis sentence

Madrid’s green spaces follow old planning

and socioeconomic patterns, not

actual community needs. So access

to comfort and social connection depends

on where you live instead of

what residents require community

needs. So access to comfort and social

connection depends on where you

live instead of what residents require.

Reason why we focused on green

public space

We strongly believe that public spaces

are not background scenery, but needed

spaces where communities grow.

When beginning our research on Madrid,

we wanted to understand not only

where green areas were located, but

how they were shaping people’s daily

lives. Through exploring datasets and

maps ranging from tree distribution to

community garden counts, accessibility

features, and resident satisfaction

indicators, we began to see a clearer

picture of the city’s public space

landscape. These indicators showed

us where nature flourishes, where it’s

missing, and how these differences

affect comfort, social interaction, and

overall well-being.

Diagram mapping trees, benches, fountains and gardens amenities found by district

As we compared districts, the patterns

became more visible: some areas offer

rich, welcoming environments full

of shade, seating, and opportunities to

gather, while others lack even the most

basic green amenities. This contrast is

what pushed us to focus on green public

spaces specifically. They are essential

for mental and physical health, they

strengthen social ties, and they shape

how connected people feel to their

neighborhood. By examining where

these spaces thrive and wherethey fall

short, we can better understand the

needs of Madrid’s communities and

identify where change is most urgently

required.

Explanation of chosen location

When envisioning the model, our team

had a shared vision. The next question

was where it should take place.

We quickly concluded that our project

needed to be in Madrid center, not only

for symbolic reasons, but because

the city center functions as the origin

point of Madrid’s growth. It’s where

movement, culture and social life concentrate

before expanding outwards.

For us, Madrid operates much like a

heart: everything circulates around it,

receives life from it and depends on

its rhythm. A station located at the

centre is thus not just a transit spot:

it becomes the core from which activity,

connection, and urban life radiate.

Positioning our project here turns the

station into the city’s pulse, keeping

Madrid alive and connected. Our decision

to redesign a train station, rather

than another public building, emerged

from its natural function. Train stations

are dynamic, points of reunion

and separation for strangers and loved

ones. They’re also the first impression

for newcomers and the last memory

for those departing. A transformed

Chamartin, therefore, is more than architectural

change, it transforms how

people experience Madrid itself.

Finally, Chamartin stood out as the

chosen train station for a reason. Apart

from its centrality, we discovered it’s

the only cardinal point of Madrid without

a large green area nearby. While

the east, west and south have Casa de

Campo, Retiro and Parque Juan Carlos

I, the north remains grey.

Bar chart showing the average social cohesion score by district

This absence is reflected in its social indicators: Chamartín ranks below the city

average in social cohesion. This means that by making our model in this district,

people will gather more in its green areas, thus promoting social interaction.

Benefits of Green Areas

The “greenification” of the station

brings diverse benefits beyond visual

appeal. The glass structure will allow

the building to adapt to future climate

challenges while keeping comfort

functional for users. For instance, there

will be improvements in the air quality

through ventilation systems and vegetation.

These plant-covered structures

will reduce the urban heat-island effect,

while natural elements such as

a waterfall will enhance psychological

well-being by creating a calmer,

healthier environment for passengers.

In addition, the redesigned station will

promote trains as a sustainable means

of transport, positioning them as alternatives

with greener urban spaces.

The bubble chart, which illustrated the

relationship between nature and social

satisfaction, made this impact clear.

Districts with more trees, benches,

and fountains showed higher levels of

comfort and community connection.

In contrast, areas with fewer amenities

sat at the bottom of the satisfaction

scale, revealing an emotional cost

Bubble Chart showing the Relationship Between Trees and Social Satisfaction

from the lack of green space.

The correlation heatmap strengthened

this insight even further. It showed

that green amenities move together:

districts with more trees also tend to

have more benches, fountains, and opportunities

for community interaction.

And when they’re missing, social satisfaction

drops with them. Together,

these findings show that green spaces

shape not just the environment

but also how people feel and interact

within their neighbourhoods. The visual

data helped us move from assumptions

to data-driven conclusions,

confirming our initial hypothesis: public

green spaces are not decorative

Correlation heatmap showing how features

like trees, benches, fountains, and community

gardens relate to social satisfaction.

extras but essential infrastructure for

community well-being. These insights

clarified our design direction and guided

us to imagine a future scenario that

responds to the gaps identified today.

The decline of urban green space

One of the most worrying issues

caused by the rapid growth of cities

such as Madrid is the erosion of urban

green spaces. Despite being more

aware of sustainability and how green

spaces are needed, construction and

infrastructure projects often leave little

room for parks, trees, and green corridors.

According to the Urban Green

Space report from Husqvarna Group,

75% of the 344 cities studied across

62 countries saw green spaces declining,

losing 158 million m² of green areas

while only 95 million m² of green

space was newly added or improved

(Husqvarna Group, 2024). Madrid is

no different from these global insights,

as García-García et al. research confirms.

In it, they analyze three different

zones of Madrid and find hazards in its

urban green spaces (UGS) to current

construction and planning decisions (

Vertical bar chart representing the magnitude of green-space loss in different world regions

García-García et al., 2020). Their work

reveals not only that green spaces

are disappearing, but also that some

neighborhoods are more green than

others, raising equity and accessibility

concerns.

Building Our Conceptual Foundations

Our creative approach began with an

exploration phase of research, article

analysis, and visual experimentation.

We first created a mind map of emerging

ideas, which helped us reveal new

themes centred on green urbanism.

Mapping these ideas visually pushed

us to think systematically. Green spaces

are not just aesthetic choices but

components that shape daily life and

even the emotions of the city.

We then relied on articles about green

cities, eco-futurism, and environmental

technologies. These readings made us

understand how urban environments

are adapting to climate challenges and

how green infrastructures are becoming

essential in future cities. The articles

revealed to us concepts beyond

sustainability, such as inclusive design,

regenerative systems, or even biophilia,

which we thought fitted us so much

to the point of establishing it as the title

of our project. This phase helped shape

our main idea: reimagining Chamartin

station not only as a transport hub but

as a living ecosystem that supports environmental,

social, and technological

well-being.

To make our idea visual, we created

a moodboard that set both the aesthetic

and emotional tone we wanted

to achieve. It included references to

green architecture, biophilic design,

and eco-technology, as well as images

of glass biodomes, floating walkways,

layered gardens, and plant-covered

buildings. The mood board clarified

the qualities we wanted: light, openness

and fluidity, and strengthened our

ambition to design a station that feels

alive, restorative and interconnected.

The Art of Physical Prototyping

After establishing our conceptual direction,

we moved to tangible experimentation.

Using recycled materials

and model-making supplies, we created

rapid prototypes in pairs, each one

exploring possible interiors for the redesigned

station. This step was crucial

because it forced us to transform abstract

visions into physical forms while

considering scale, structure and flow.

Nonetheless, these early prototypes

had limitations. For example, our initial

concept lacked vertical circulation,

which led us to put platforms, bridges,

and multi-level walkways to connect

levels physically. Also, using a torch as

the sun, we noticed that natural light

behaved differently than we expected,

which led to the decision of creating a

full glass dome.

These design discoveries were made

possible by practical experience, so

making prototypes let us test different

materials to find a flow while also identifying

where our assumptions were

wrong.

Digital Refinement of the Final Design

The final phase was translating the

physical prototype into digital form. We

consolidated our strongest design decisions

and used AI-generated images

to interpret our new Chamartin station.

These digital visualisations helped us

refine the precision of the lighting, materials,

and spatial organisation. After

various tries, we reached a set of visuals

that aligned with our speculative

building: a greenhouse-like station with

multi-level suspended platforms, hanging

gardens, elevated walkways, a waterfall,

and adaptive glass structures.

By blending physical crafts with digital

experimentation, we created a vision

that balances imagination with realistic

architecture.

The process of filtering materials,

light and space organisation made

us confront the contrast between our

imagined station and the realities of

Chamartin today. As our experiments

sharpened the architecture of the future

station, they also made us look

beyond the building itself and examine

the district it belongs to. This realisation

made us shift our project from

designing a structure to understanding

why it is essential for the district.

Why Chamartin must evolve

Chamartín today is Madrid’s second

major transport hub and one of its

strongest business districts. Many

commuters pass through it daily, but

the station just moves people from one

train to another. There are few places

to sit, little space to rest, and almost no

nature in it. As a result, users repeat the

same loop: they walk fast, wait passively

and leave. The train station works,

but it doesn’t hold any meaningful in-

EVOLVE

teraction or sense of belonging. The

expected expansion from 21 to 25 rails

will increase its traffic even further. But

we see this increase as an opportunity

to rethink how people experience time

when transiting. If the building offers

places to breathe, meet and relax, the

experience changes completely.

The expected expansion from 21 to 25

rails will increase its traffic even further.

But we see this increase as an opportunity

to rethink how people experience

time when transiting. If the building offers

places to breathe, meet and relax,

the experience changes completely.

Our research shows that when public

spaces include vegetation, water and

areas to sit, people interact more calmly

and naturally. They slow down, talk,

read and wait differently. Chamartin’s

lack of these amenities contributes to

its low social cohesion. And these effects

are not only physical or aesthetic,

but also behavioural. In Chamartin’s

case, where movement is constant,

making a ‘greenisation’ is about reshaping

the psychology of travel and

creating moments for human connec-

tion without the overwhelming digital

screens and noise that we face in daily

life.

Guidelines for a sustainable, green

future

Our guidelines for a sustainable future

begin with a main priority: cities must

prioritize nature as a key component

of infrastructure. And it must be reachable,

so placed in zones where people

circulate. To ensure fairness across

districts, those below the average

green index should receive support.

Urban design must also offer health

benefits, such as lowering stress, encouraging

physical activity, improving

air quality, and providing emotional relief

through biophilic designs. In order

to make movement feel fluid, multi-level

pathways will replace crowded corridors,

for instance.

Technology should play a crucial role in

improving nature, but without replacing

it. AI systems can regulate indoor temperature,

manage watering and monitor

air quality. But they operate in the

background, since screens are minimal

to avoid overwhelming travellers.Rest-

ing areas must have different designs.

Instead of a single bench zone, resting

happens at different scales: hanging

nets for large pauses, and wooden platforms

for seats.

These guidelines help transform the

station into a space where people wait

comfortably, where travellers arriving

from a long trip can recharge themselves

before entering the city. The

building becomes an environment that

adapts the rhythm of travel.

Chamartin as a breathing ecosystem

In the future scenario we propose, the

station functions as a greenhouse,

with a glass dome, layered gardens,

a waterfall,and filtered air. This is not

meant to imitate nature, but to bring its

effects in a context where people can

feel rushed, disoriented or isolated.

Someone might hop off a train and

spend five minutes next to the relaxing

sound of a waterfall before continuing

their day. A commuter may meet a coworker

on a wooden deck instead of

rushing straight to the office.

What truly defines Chamartín as a

‘breathing ecosystem’ is not only its architectural

design, but also the human

experiences it makes possible.

Green public spaces create a long-term

social value, since they strengthen

community ties and a sense of belonging.

As cities keep growing, integrating

nature into everyday environments is

essential to foster healthier, happier

and more connected communities.

Chamartín’s transformation demonstrates

how a station can evolve from

an infrastructural building into a living,

adaptive environment that breathes,

grows, and helps the city flourish.

Love Letter

The most powerful pauses happen

in the places where time feels shortest.

In Chamartín, a station usually

defined by schedules and rushing, the

presence of greenery offers a different

rhythm. A bench under a tree becomes

a shelter for a traveler who only has a

few extra minutes. In that short pause,

people do more than rest. They don’t

know each other, but the space allows

them to notice each other, share a seat,

have a short conversation or simply

stand together without urgency. These

moments are small, but they are real.

When corridors feel like rooms instead

of tunnels, the station stops being a place you only pass through and becomes

one you inhabit, even if just for a moment.

Bibliography:

Adif. (2023). Transformación de Chamartín – Madrid-Chamartín Clara Campoamor.

Adif. Retrieved from: https://www.adif.es/viajeros/grandes-proyectos/

transformacion-chamartin

Ayuntamiento de Madrid. (n.d.). Datos abiertos de Madrid. Retrieved from:

https://datos.madrid.es/portal/site/egob/menuitem.9e1e2f6404558187cf-

35cf3584f1a5a0/?vgnextoid=374512b9ace9f310VgnVCM100000171f5a

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CRD&vgnextfmt=default

García-García, M. J., et al. (2020). Sensitivity of green spaces to the process of

urban master plan implementation: A case study from Madrid. Landscape and

Urban Planning, Volume 100, Article 102655. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275118316597

Husqvarna Group. (2024). New satellite data showing – Urban green spaces continue

to decline across the world [Press release]. Retrieved from: https://www.

husqvarnagroup.com/en/press/new-satellite-data-showing-urban-green-spaces-continue-decline-across-world-2279198

Vitruvi Software. (n.d.). Green building trends: The future of sustainable construction.

Vitruvi Software. Retrieved from: https://vitruvisoftware.com/blog/greenbuilding-trends

Derdouri A. et al. (2025). Urban green space in transition: A cross-continental perspective

from eight Global North and South cities. Landscape and Urban Planning,

Volume 253, Article 105220. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.

com/science/article/pii/S0169204624002196

ABOUT THE

FUTURE OF

FASHION

Speculations by Lola Clarke, Cameron Smet,Tallis Mongomerie, Carlos

Santos Groizard, Elena Inclan Crespo and Lara Fortmann.

FAST

FASHION

Overproduction is at the core

of the fashion industry, in a

fast fashion era, with over 100

billion garments produced

annually, without intervention

the environmental impacts are

imminent. Overproduction has

accelerated through the 'takemake-dispose'

model. Essentially,

cheap production of articles

are sold to the consumer, the

consumer infrequently wears the

garment and disregards it quickly.

Subsequently, the environment

suffers. This model has resulted in

92 tonnes of water waste annually,

textile dyeing constitutes

for 20% of this water waste.

Water waste is merely touching

the surface of the fashion

industry’s environmental impact.

Garment production alone

is responsible for 70% of the

industries emissions released

from processes including

fibre production, dyeing

and processing. Further, the

geographical concentration of

production due to cheap and

under-regulated labor, is not only

unethical exploitation of workers,

pollution levels are consolidated,

creating harmful living conditions.

The “take-make-dispose” model

is rooted in fossil fuel derived

materials to keep production

costs at a minimum, reinforcing

the industry’s dependency on

non-renewable resources and

affiliation with other dominant

polluting sectors: gas and oil.

FUELS

WASTE

Without intervention and

systemic change, carbon

emissions are forecasted to rise

from 2.1 to 2.7 billion tonnes by

2030. While the facts are explicit,

sustainability initiatives are

insufficient. Proposed “solutions”

fail to combat overproduction,

instead they disregard production

stage issues and solely address

post consumption stages. Even

so, in this stage, less than 1% of

textiles are recycled into new

textiles, these circular systems

currently implemented are micro.

Underpinning these issues

is consumer behaviour and

fast fashion business models.

Capitalism places priority on

revenue, pushing the cheapest

and fastest models to align with

the rapid trend turnover. Now

more than ever, climate change

action must be holistically

implemented. Systematic

and governmental change is

imperative, regulatory pressure

is rising and climate initiatives

are no longer voluntary, but

obligatory.

2.1 to 2.7

billion

tonnes of

carbon

emissions

by 2030.

In this hedonistic society,

consumerism is rooted in

structurally

engineered

behaviour. Fast fashion relies on

shortened trend cycles, low-cost

production, and high volume

purchasing patterns to sustain

growth. Marketing and retail have

been integrated to construct

an addictive design enabling

overconsumption. Consumers

seek instant gratification and

perceived sense of social

belonging through dress, a notion

accelerated through marketing,

and more poignantly algorithms.

The dissemination of trends is

primarily driven by algorithmic

platforms. These platforms

predict and shape consumer

demand and then standardise

trends accordingly, resulting

in the consumerist pressure to

assimilate with societal standards.

The factors of overconsumption

are consolidated in the media. It

operates as the principal driver

of sustaining overconsumption

trends, accentuated through

influencer trends, trend driven

content and prioritising brand

relationships.

Pinpointing influencers, haul

culture amplifies consumption

excessiveness, making it

more than just normalised, it’s

aspirational. Due to industry and

consumer incentives, the fast and

cheap production of garments is

facilitated. Businesses continue

to mass produce at low costs,

in turn, consumers continue to

quantity purchase, and disregard

quickly. The vicious cycle is

supported by both the industry

and consumers validating one

another’s behaviour.

However, consumers are

increasingly placing pressure

on governments and large

corporations to implement

systematic change. Consumer

awareness is expanding

regarding the extent of the

damage the fashion industry

places on the environment.

Yet, there is a consumer

behaviour contradiction. While

consumers are expressing

their environmental concerns,

they continue to feed into

the fast fashion model. The

industry's architecture supports

this contradiction, making it

challenging for consumers to

confront the system.

ALGORITHMIC

CONSUMERISM

“i love my life

(my outfit ate)”

Fashion has always been a primary medium of selfexpression,

but individuality is fleeting as the industry

is increasingly influenced by algorithms, rampant

overconsumption, micro trends and economic inequality.

Algorithms behave as the catalyst to a homogenised

visual culture, where true individuality is overshadowed

by mass assimilation. Algorithms transcend predicting

consumer tastes and trends, they standardise them. The

cycle dictated by market leaders is in turn reinforced,

producing a feedback loop where fashion is dependent

on mass conformity instead of individuality and creativity.

Clothing has lost its role as a form of personal expression;

it no longer serves as a creative outlet. Instead, it

now reinforces algorithmically driven or consumerist

identities that are projected onto the wearer. This has

led to uniformity vs rebellion cycles, where even acts of

rebellion have become mainstream and commodified

to support the fast fashion business model.

IDENTITY

Mass market brands are cosplaying luxury brands in terms of products,

by adopting luxury aesthetics, known as “luxuryization”. Building

tensions between rising prices vs declining value. The traditional

markers of taste are being devalued, simultaneously, luxuryization is

driving price inflation. This is strengthening the economic divide in

fashion. Consumers are split by accessibility. High quality or sustainable

fashion is an expensive luxury, while fast fashion remains an affordable

and accessible option. The disparity of access to fashion emphasises

the discrepancy of self-expression defined by economic status.

CIRCULAR

FASHION

Resale is emerging as one of

the strongest structural shifts

in the fashion industry. It is

driven by economic pressures,

sustainability awareness, and

a cultural shift from traditional

ownership. Resale poses a

challenge to fast fashion’s sector

dominance through extending

product lifecycles in the

secondary marketplace. In turn,

resale accounts for nearly 10%

of global fashion sales. Luxury

resale is at the forefront of the

resale market, as consumers

look out for high-quality, durable

items. Vinted leads the way in this

respect, it stands as the leading

resale platform, which has

gained flooding popularity due to

economic instability and inflation

further pushing consumers

towards the secondary

marketplace.

In the absence of government

intervention, circular fashion

will continue to have limited

potential. It needs governments

to implement systemic change

through investment and new

policies that reshape business

incentives and hold companies

accountable. Circularity requires

updated business models and

a different way of designing

garments,

emphasising

durability, recyclability, and

lengthier use. However, there is

minimal progress taking place,

mainly due to profit-driven

models that prioritise low-cost

and disposability.

While resale is gaining

momentum, for a fully circular

fashion system, a much broader

industry-wide transformation is

needed. Circularity cannot be

achieved with single solution

approaches; rather, it requires

rounded and regulatory-driven

strategies that ensure a longterm

impact.

We sought inspiration from

mood boarding and other

speculative projects to combat

this challenge. We found patterns

in our inspiration. Visually we

individually were attracted to

eccentric, vibrant, avant-garde

fashion design, contrasted with

monochromatic homogeneity

which also frequently appeared.

This sparked the idea of a future

with a segregated society

enforced through fashion,

integrating notions of identity

and power. The speculative

project also provided inspiration:

“United Micro Kingdoms” by

Dunne and Raby, a speculation

of extreme polarisation, further

solidified this element of our

project. Our prior research

supported this. The growing

environmental and consumerist

challenges in the fashion industry,

our speculation is more than just

a projection of self-expression,

but a social commentary on the

society we currently exist in.

EARLY

STAGES

moodboard

We began with individual abstract

ideas as a group. We needed to

construct a hybrid of ideas which

could transform into a feasible

fashion focused speculation. This

process proposed challenges.

The solidification of our

speculation took time, as we were

lacking coherency and feasibility,

with multiple flowing ideas, we

“Planet City” by Liam Young,

specifically the fashion

speculations in keeping with

the avant-garde style, a route to

express culture, stimulated our

idea to present self expression in

a suppressed society. In Planet

City fashion is employed as a

medium to express culture as

culture in a traditional sense has

been removed. This inspired the

idea of our project focusing on

people reclaiming their identity.

LOCATION

CHOSEN

In terms of the architectural

design inspiration for our

speculation, we discovered

patterns of maximalist spaces,

even images of landfill, the

bursting of colour and variety of

patterns was something we were

all visually attracted to as a group.

Harmonizing these ideas

and combining both fashion

and architecture to create

one coherent speculation

proposed both challenges

and opportunities in terms of

individual creative growth we

each experienced from having

creative discussions as a group.

Ultimately, we needed to ensure

our ideas could be put into life

in Plaza Dos de Mayo, hence

we conducted a site analysis to

further solidify our speculation.

plaza dos de mayo.

Our speculative project began

with observations from Plaza Dos

de Mayo, a place that balances

atmosphere, community, and

self-expression. Terraces, street

life, and constant movement

allowed us to see how people use

colour and clothing as a mode

of self-expression. The plaza

holds historical significance

with a monument to two

military officers who became

symbols of the “rebellion” in

We chose this site because it

reflects freedom and small acts

of rebellion from its past. It is

also the heart of Malasaña, full of

second-hand and vintage stores

that connect our speculation

to sustainable clothing. These

behaviors guided our prototypes

and concept development,

revealing the tension between

rebellion through personal style

and uniformity, and helping

us speculate how the plaza

might function in a future

with new rules or restrictions.

From our early observations and

site analysis, physical prototype

development behaved as an

initial experiment transforming

our abstract ideas into tangible

concepts. We each collected

objects which could become

manifestations of our idea.During

this stage our first challenge

was attaching a meaning and

purpose to our prototypes:

How could certain physical

elements be a commentary

on a society urging for selfexpression,

while also being a

functional structure? To tackle

this, we made prototypes in pairs

at first and then blended them

while adding new elements.

We gave an explanation for

physical structures we had

created and how it could

coincide with our speculation.

In this stage we were able

to visualise the area of self

expression. We constructed

a tower made out of multiple

objects, which created a

colourful and abstract building.

It was somewhat reminiscent

of our early mood board

explorations and stood as a

solid central point of the plaza.

We also experimented with

blue spray paint and we made

the areas around the central

tower monochromatic. The

monochrome space in stark

contrast to the central “selfexpression

zone” helped

us physically represent

an economically divided

society accelerated through

fashion in our speculation.

We sought feedback from others

to provide an objective view

on our physical prototype. We

received a general consensus

of the speculation not being

very explicit, we took this

feedback in and decided to

consolidate our speculation to

be clearer to the external viewer.

Finally, we tested how people

might use the space. Using

figures and scaled models, we

looked at circulation, interactions,

and engagement. This showed

how the plaza could feel and

function in our speculative

scenario, linking research,

observation, and design.

PROTOTYPES

Prior to experimenting with

digital tools to further visualise

scenarios, we focused on

prompting. We wrote individual

prompts and then extracted

elements which we felt would

optimise results using different

digital tools. To further refine

prompts we employed Chat

GPT as a digital tool to improve

our prompt and phrase our

desires better for an AI platform.

In terms of generating AI images

of our speculation we tested

multiple tools to arrive at the

tool which fit our needs the best.

Initially we used Chat GPT and

found the images generated to

be unrealistic and unspecific in

terms of its depiction of Plaza

Dos de Mayo. While, Gemini

was an improvement from Chat

GPT for image generation,

it was still lacking a high

quality and realistic element.

PROTOTYPE

DEVELOPMENT

After experimentation,

Midjourney became our primary

digital tool, creating detailed

and feasible images of the

future plaza, the colours and the

interactions. Using MidJourney,

we could test different layouts,

explore the self-expression

zone, and see how people might

inhabit a controlled-but-colourful

future environment.

We also spent time refining

results of artificial intelligence

interpreting our physical

prototypes. By adjusting prompts

and comparing the results. We

tested different angles, lighting

and colours. This step helped us

explore scale, perspective and the

social aspect making sure that the

photo it generated was aligned

with our research from the plaza..

This stage strengthened the

connection between research,

prototyping and speculative

design, making sure that our final

scenario is coherent and a good

balance between observation,

experimentation, and critical

thinking.

2

0

5

5

In 2025 the global synthetic-dye

market was already worth over US

$7.2 billion, and synthetic dyes now

account for more than 90% of all

colourants used in

textile manufacturing.

Because the most affordable dyes

are often those that create flat blues

and dull greys, these colours slowly

became the default shades of low

cost clothing.

BLUE AND

GREY: the

new norm.

In our imagined future this economic

reality grows into a form of social

control, where people who cannot

afford expensive garments receive

government issued clothing, created

from the same cheap colours, creating

a heavy uniformity that makes

economic divides visible simply

by looking at someone. Clothes

stop functioning as expression

and serve for identification.

As global crises escalate

and activism intensifies,

we believe that fashion

will inevitably come under

regulation and control, just

like other strained systems.

In 2055, society is increasingly

divided by wealth, even selfexpression

becomes a privilege.

The wealthy can curate their

wardrobes and communicate

their identities freely, while

those with fewer resources are

restricted to whatever clothing is

assigned and distributed to them

by the government. Elements

such as colour have become a

controlled commodity, rationed

by the state and linked to social

and economic status. Yet, in

the centre of Madrid a pocket

of controlled rebellion can be

found. Plaza de Dos de Mayo,

an area historically linked to

Malasaña’s thrift stores, indie

fashion, and subcultural identity,

the plaza becomes an officially

tolerated “Free Zone”, where

state fashion regulations loosen.

As self-expression has become

increasingly suppressed

through fashion regulation,

underground rebellion began to

occur.

Identity is governed

by external factors,

individuality is less of a

choice but an act of rebellion

against structural pressures,

pushing conformity. How

people dress shows not just

style but their economic

status, social positioning,

and their values. Initially,

trends on social media

pushed everyone towards

uniformity, while in 2055,

uniformity was enforced by

the government. In the ‘Free

Zone’, people constantly

mix, reuse, and personalize

their clothing to regain

control over their identity.

Clothes become a rebellious

act of self-expression, a

way to show individuality,

creativity, and personal

beliefs even within a system

that restricts fashion to

Ultimately, this future shows

that the gap between ‘rich’ and

‘poor’ shapes fashion and selfexpression.

The high society

can freely choose what to

wear, while those with fewer

resources have limited options,

captivated in uniformity. This

division highlights how control,

resources, and access shape

not just clothing, but culture,

community, and personal identity

in the future.

A large structure stands in

the centre of the plaza as the

pinnacle of self-expression.

It is a vehicle for fashion

demonstration, suppressed

citizens can trade, adapt and

customize clothing to create a

medium of identity expression

which has been stripped from

them. This act of rebellion is

somewhat a celebration of

regaining identities, as people are

encouraged to sit and watch the

fashion experiments in the central

structure. Malasaña’s resale

culture is reignited as people not

only employ fashion as symbolic

rebellion, but to challenge the

boundaries of their assigned

social position. In this speculative

future, clothing evolves beyond

FINAL

PROTOTYPES

The Spanish government wanted

to attain centralized control,

hence, creating a supervised

space enabling self-expression.

Here, people trade colourful

garments, remix second-hand

pieces, customise state uniforms,

and express suppressed

identities. Malasaña’s old resale

culture evolves into a symbolic

act of rebellion - people use

clothes not just to dress but to

challenge the boundaries of their

assigned social position.

today

The crises are emerging left

and right: economic instability,

climate pressures, and social

inequalities are intensified.

2030

2035

The economic divide

expands significantly as lower

socioeconomic classes are forced

to purchase plain and uniformed

clothing items.

The Spanish government

introduces strict fashion

regulations, forcing fast-fashion

corporations to limit both their

production volumes and their

colour ranges. As a result,

the industry begins to lose its

diversity, and a growing sense of

uniformity emerges as consumers

are left with fewer options than

before.

2040

Government fashion regulations

prove insufficient, leading to a

system where clothing becomes

increasingly centralised under

state control. Those without

access to vibrant or varied

garments are eventually assigned

standardised uniforms, widening

the divide between regulated

fashion and personal expression.

2045

2055

As class divisions widen and

people feel their sense of identity

slipping away, the urge to rebel

against government control

intensifies. Small pockets of

resistance begin to surface

throughout Madrid, giving rise to

an underground trading network

where second-hand clothing

becomes a symbol of defiance

and reclaimed individuality.

Plaza de Dos de Mayo becomes

the main “Free Zone,” where

people can trade secondhand

clothing and express

themselves freely. It stands as

the government-tolerated haven

for those seeking fashion-driven

identity in an otherwise restricted

society.

2050

The Spanish government

ultimately decides to legalise

rebellion in a controlled manner,

creating designated “Free

Zones” where self-expression is

permitted without threatening

the wider system. These areas

become contained spaces for

individuality, offering citizens a

sanctioned escape from the rigid

norms imposed elsewhere.

Despite the constant tension between tradition and modernity, voices

insisting hope always remain, even in times of bleakness. These voices

of hope trigger a zeitgeist of positivity and perseverance. This is an ode

to human nature in turbulent times. With internal and external factors

throwing curveballs to societal order, humanity always persists. We

learn and adapt to keep imagining, even when society grows narrow.

a love letter to:

The unknown of the future and how humans will respond to algorithmic

domination is what provides us with both threat and opportunity.

Humans have the ability to adapt, subvert, transform and dream, our

speculative future encapsulates this. It is not a story of mere restriction,

but a story of what ignites when people carve out spaces of resistance.

It is a human instinct which has always been innate. No matter what

factor proposes a societal change, humans have always responded

with innovation and creativity.

tomorrow’s silhouette

In every age of constraint, humanity has found ways to imagine beyond

what confines it. When exploring matters in such depth to speculate

about future scenarios, ending up in a spiral of existential thoughts is

almost unavoidable. The stubborn human instinct to evolve is what

emerges from a restricted society. As we were able to explore the

fashion realm, algorithms are at the heart of changing society today. In

this project, we got to explore how algorithms have made an indent on

our individuality and have projected an assimilation with one another.


2025/2026


Future: Madrid

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