Barcelona Traditional Architecture Summer School 2023

Summer School on Traditional Architecture in Can Catá, Barcelona

This program took place from 10 to 23 July in Can Catá, Cerdanyola del Vallès, nearby Barcelona.

Local traditional urbanism, architecture and building details of the region of Barcelona were studied in order to create a traditional building patterns catalog which could serve as a basis for both new traditional designs and the preservation of the built heritage of the region. Drawing and measuring by hand buildings, streets, gardens and construction details in Can Catá and in all the places visited was the main activity during the first week of the program.

Drawing on this initial work, and responding to the needs presented by the inhabitants, a development proposal was collaboratively designed, including the improvement of the farmhouse, its gardens and the planing of a small town next to the Church of Sant Iscle i Santa Victòria, where a village existed in medieval times.

Presentation

The program was organized by the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation with the collaboration of INTBAU Spain, INTBAU Portugal, Kalam, Fundação Serra Henriques, Alireza & Mina Sagharchi, Fundación Arquia, Prince’s Trust Australia, Ajuntament de Cerdanyola del Vallès, University of Notre Dame, University of Miami, UIC Barcelona, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Centro de Investigación de Arquitectura Tradicional, Parc de Collserola, Lloret de Mar City Hall, Jardins de Santa Clotilde, Carl Faust Foundation, GRETA and Poble Espanyol.

The faculty and organizing team was made up of Ana Álvarez (Martinez Alvarez Architects), Aritz Díez Oronoz (University of the Basque Country), Douglas Duany (Notre Dame University), Alejandro García Hermida (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | Traditional Building Cultures Foundation | INTBAU Spain ), Leopoldo Gil Cornet (Traditional Building Cultures Foundation | INTBAU Spain), Guillermo Gil Fernández (Traditional Building Cultures Foundation | INTBAU Spain), Rebeca Gómez-Gordo Villa (Traditional Building Cultures Foundation | INTBAU Spain), Imanol Iparraguirre Barbero (University of the Basque Country) and Frank Martínez (University of Miami | Martinez Alvarez Architects).

The guest speakers were Mónica Alcindor (Universidade Portucalense), José Baganha (Traditional Building Cultures Foundation | INTBAU Portugal), Victoria Bassa Garrido (MONUMENTA Association), Seán Cahill (Consorci del Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola), Víctor Carnero (Kalam) , Anna Castilla Vila (Master stuccoist), Jordi Domènech (Master mason), Patrizia Falcone (Architect), Ricardo Gómez Val (UIC School of Architecture), Rafael Manzano (INTBAU Spain), Feliu Martín (Master stonemason), Olga Muñoz i Frigola (GRETA Association), Enric Pla Montferrer (Master blacksmith), Ramón Ripoll (Universitat of Girona), Oriol Roselló Viñas (Architect), Anna Teixidor Ribas (GRETA Association).

And the participants were Henrique Araújo Ribeiro (Portugal), Seza Armin Khorozian (Armenia), Ema Benčíková (Slovakia), Juan Castro Gil (Spain), Ingrid Gomez Cruz (Spain), Winston Bartholomew Grant-Preece (Australia), Huiling He ( China), Nicole Knopfholz Daitschman (Brazil/Poland), Andrea Lira (United States), Erlina Long (United Kingdom), Marta Millanes Sánchez (Spain), Eunice Mwaka (Kenya), Clare Newbolds (United States), Gertrud Oberg (Estonia ), Bianca Paola Pagliara Vasquez (Guatemala/Italy), Herman Przemyslaw Stinia (Germany/Poland), Milena Rakocevic (Serbia), Sigurd Randby (Norway), Megha Sahu (India), Sayeda Shahpara Shah (Pakistan), Francisco Fabián Torres ( Colombia), Alexandra Twardowski (United States) and João Gonçalo Vilela Batista (Portugal).

Both the initial documentation work and the final design proposal were publicly exhibited at the end of the summer school in Can Catá. The presentation of diplomas was followed by the exhibition – attended by some representatives of the Cerdanyola del Vallès town council and other guests – and a concert of traditional Catalan music.