Last week, four STACK researchers traveled to Granada, Spain, to take part in the International Conference & Doctorate Summer School on Geometric Aspects of Architecture & Structural Mechanics (GASM 2025). From May 20–23, the event convened experts from mathematics, architecture, engineering and design to explore recent advances in the mathematics of shape generation in the framework of architecture and structural design.

The meeting highlighted the importance of interdisciplinarity—bringing together geometry, optimization, engineering, design and fabrication—and provided an excellent introduction to the field for our participating students. Its core themes align perfectly with STACK's mission: to enable efficient freeform design expression supported by deep geometric insight and computation.

Granada’s own legacy of geometry—in the Alhambra’s tilework, the intricate plaster reliefs of its historic palaces, and the city’s broader Moorish art—served as a striking backdrop for discussions on the future of architectural geometry.

Highlights of our presentations

• Prof. David Brander (DTU) presented recent work on Smooth Tileable Surfaces.
• PhD student Ander Chocarro Salaberria (DTU) presented his PhD topic on Surface Stackability.
• PhD student Marc Isern Hacker (DTU) presented his PhD topic on Approximation with 3D Elastic Curves.