What happens when around 200 students set out to imagine architecture made of air? That is the question posed by Hubble Bubble, the latest edition of the Vertical Workshop at the UIC School of Architecture, running from 2 to 8 September.

Inspired by interstellar nebulae and the expansive nature of bubbles, this year's challenge invites second- to fifth-year architecture students to experiment with inflatable architecture: lightweight, ephemeral and capable of creating large spaces using very little material. Organised into four teams of between 45 and 50 students, they will design and build full-scale prototypes that, when connected, will form a single collective installation conceived as a space open to exploration, creativity and experimentation.

During an intensive week, the students will develop both the physical structures and the graphic and audiovisual material documenting the creative process. The Vertical Workshop will conclude on Tuesday 8 September, with the public presentation of the projects and the jury’s deliberations at an iconic venue in Barcelona, whose location will be announced shortly.

Once again, the Vertical Workshop offers an immersive experience ahead of the start of the academic year at UIC. Through a methodology based on hands-on learning, full-scale construction and collaborative work, students tackle an architectural challenge that encourages them to research, experiment and take an idea from concept to construction.