Focolare Movement

Spain: Architecture – pushing the boundaries

Jun 23, 2014

Rebuilding in urban and global peripheries: a workshop in Barcelona.

20140623Barcelona2Barcelona, ​​the capital of Catalonia, pulsating with experimentation and innovation, was the ideal venue for exploring new fields and new frontiers in Architecture at the international workshop ArquitecturaLimite, which was held June 15 to 18. It was attended by 30 people including young architects, teachers and students of architecture coming from Spain, Italy and Colombia, and with contributions from lecturers of the Polytechnic of Barcelona (EPSEB – UPC), of the ‘University Without Borders’, of the University ‘La Salle’ in Barcelona, ​​of professional studios and technical schools of bio-architecture (for example constructing brick buildings using only ecological materials). 20140623Architettura1The programme allowed participants to analyze issues and low cost technologies to deal with design solutions in extreme environments. The concept of limit, low-tech technologies and the management of participatory processes and cooperation were all looked at. There was a great response at all levels, from both teachers and students, who expressed the desire to keep in touch, and re-opened the discussion, in these times of major changes in society, about what the essential elements of this discipline really are. What do you take away in your backpack, and where do we go from here? These were the two questions that participants responded to in group work: “Architecture must be built for the people and together with the people in a shared way: it is a cultural change.” “I take away a deep ethical sense: I’m not building schools, but education; not a health centre, but health. ” And again: “Replace the words ‘working for countries in the developing world’, with ‘let’s go to share’.” Everyone left re-charged with experiences, values ​​and dreams. Some scenarios of participating in upcoming projects of International Cooperation in 2015 were identified and planned, in collaboration with the NGO Action for a United World (AMU). Haiti, Madagascar and the Philippines being possibilities. The next round of Dialogues in Architecture, the organiser of the Spanish event, is the national interdisciplinary workshop “Openings” (“I Varchi”), a week for musicians, architects, filmmakers and writers, in Italy, in Montefalcone Appennino, from July 27 to August 2.

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