Directors: RCR arquitectes – Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta
Tutors: 1 RCR tutor, 1 collaborating university tutor
Duration: 7 days
Places: Minimum 9 and maximum 12 participants. 1 tutor from the collaborating institution.
Level: Level adapted to the group from beginner to advanced
Languages: Catalan / Spanish / English

From an attitude of constant research, the goal is to learn to feel the place from a key underlying focus in RCR Arquitectes’ way of projecting.

The workshop is designed to encourage creativity and perception from the unique experience born of a specific place. Attentive listening arises from within us in a sense indicated by Luis Barragán when he says “Don’t do what I did: see what I saw.”

The workshop is based on four central concepts:
Creativity. Shared creativity as a resource to give answers with meaningful content.
Experience. Live, be and understand a place derived from observation and experience;
Specific Time. Ability to reflect and give answers in a given period.
Broad Context. Transversal and integrative research instead of definitive and closed answers.

Introduction and closing session with RCR. The initial presentation of the course and closing session will be with Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, or Ramon Vilalta. Exploration of the “Geography of dreams”, the territory of the Villa, a territory of dreams inspired by nature, with existing spaces to live in and others to explore and investigate.

The workshop is based on four central concepts:
Creativity. Shared creativity as a resource to give answers with meaningful content.
Experience. Live, be and understand a place derived from observation and experience;
Specific Time. Ability to reflect and give answers in a given period.
Broad Context. Transversal and integrative research instead of definitive and closed answers.

Introduction and closing session with RCR. The initial presentation of the course and closing session will be with Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, or Ramon Vilalta. Exploration of the “Geography of dreams”, the territory of the Villa, a territory of dreams inspired by nature, with existing spaces to live in and others to explore and investigate.

To feel, perceive, and understand the place, we will investigate it with all the senses and the body with the dancer Sílvia Brossa.

To explore the act of observing, we examine the concept of genius loci with the assistance of photographer Eugeni Pons, utilizing various approaches such as the vanishing point, texture, abstraction, and volume.

With the help of philosopher Jordi Pigem, we will discuss the sense of place in relation to our experience of space and the world.

You can listen to Jordi Pigem’s talk at the Open Program 2021 about examining the concept of place.
Watch lecture The Sense of Place

Visits to works by RCR Arquitectes. Guided tours of RCR’s essential works: Barberí Space, the Athletics Stadium, the Bathing Pavilion, the Pedra Tosca Park, the Les Cols Restaurant and Marquee complex, the Bell-lloc winery or the new Perelada winery.

7-Day Workshop

The program includes the opening presentation and closing session with Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, or Ramon Vilalta of RCR Arquitectes; the exploration of the idea of feeling the place guided by an RCR tutor; 3 ateliers (in dance, photography, and philosophy); as well as guided visits to RCR Arquitectes’ work in Olot and to the Perelada Winery. Accommodation and transport are also included.

Price per person: €1,820

• Course fee: €950
• Accommodation & transport: €870

Total for 12 participants: €21,840

Inclusions
Transport. Round trip from Barcelona airport or Figueres Vilafant train station.
Accommodation. At Can Capsec in RCR La Vila. The house includes a kitchen, oven and washing machine.
Maintenance. Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, including the day of visits.
Infrastructure. Surroundings of the Villa and workspace in the manor house of RCR La Vila.
RCR Tutor. Accompaniment of a member of the RCR team.
Materials. RCR notebook.
Certificate of participation. Certificate issued by RCR Lab·A.

Exclusions
Laptop, drawing, measuring and photography materials

Recommendations
Comfortable clothes for excursions, coat and raincoat.
Clothes for the presentation and closing dinner.

Xevi Bayona
Taller d’arquitectura · Tutor RCR

Xevi Bayona (Olot, Spain, 1982) is an architect trained at ETSAB-UPC, with a postgraduate degree in Landscape Architecture and a Master’s in Theory and Practice of Architectural Design. Since 2008, he has been a professor at the Polytechnic University of Girona and, since 2018, at Elisava’s international Master’s in Ephemeral Architecture. Bayona Studio is a practice focused on experimentation, integrating architecture, urbanism, art, landscape, and light. Notable projects include the Firal of Olot, the rehabilitation of the Pont de l’Estat in Tortosa, and the sports complex of Sant Jaume de Llierca. Since 2017, he has collaborated with Àlex Posada (MID Studio) and is the artistic director of the Lluèrnia Festival in Olot. He has received several awards, including three FAD Awards, and has delivered lectures and workshops across Europe.

BAYONA STUDIO Xevi Bayona · Instagram

Alberto Collet
Taller d’arquitectura · Tutor RCR

Alberto Collet (Conegliano, Italy, 1981) is an architect trained at IUAV University of Venice and ETSAB-UPC, where he also completed a Master’s degree in Theory and Practice of Architectural Design. He has pursued postgraduate studies at Domus Academy in Milan and at the Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal), and is currently a PhD candidate at FAUP (Porto). He is a design studio professor at Politecnico di Milano and LCI Barcelona, and coordinator of AAP (Alternative Academic Project), an applied research and design laboratory. Co-founder of Bauart studio, he has also been a tutor at the RCR Summer Workshop (2018–2019).

Bauart

Maria Amat
Taller d’arquitectura · Tutora RCR

Maria Amat (Barcelona, Spain, 1989) is an architect trained at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB-UPC) and the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB). She holds a postgraduate degree in Business Management from Pompeu Fabra University (BSM-UPF). She is co-founder of Metrònom Arquitectura (2020), a studio that develops private commissions and public projects awarded through competitions, all characterized by careful attention to detail and pre-existing contexts. She is a professor of architectural drawing at ETSAB-UPC and has been a tutor at the RCR Summer Workshop since 2023.

Metrònom Arquitectura · Instagram

Sílvia Brossa Marí
Taller de dansa

Sílvia Brossa Mari (Olot, Spain, 1965) holds a Performing Arts and Education postgraduate from the Vic Institut del Teatre. In addition, she has a degree in Choreography and Performing Arts from the Barcelona Institut del Teatre. Furthermore, she has a postgraduate in Expression and Communication from the Barcelona Municipal School of Expression. She has worked for ten years as a performer with the Magnet and Burch Company, two seasons on a project for the Teatre Romea, and three years for the Els Joglars Company. In addition, she has created several short plays for different festivals and has extensive experience as a teacher, both with children and adults. She has been collaborating with RCR Lab·A since 2018.

Eugeni Pons
Taller de fotografia

Eugeni Pons (Barcelona, Spain, 1964) holds a degree in Philosophy from the UAB and trained in photography at IEFC. He began his career in 1992 in advertising photography and, since 1995, has focused on architectural photography. A recipient of five LUX Awards, he has collaborated with national and international publications such as Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and El País Semanal. He has exhibited in Barcelona and taken part in various group exhibitions. He was also shortlisted by MoMA in New York for the photographic archive of the exhibition On Site: New Architecture in Spain.

Eugeni Pons Architectural Photography

Jordi Pigem
Philosophy Atelier

Jordi Pigem (Barcelona, Spain, 1964) holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona. He was a professor in the Master’s in Holistic Science at Schumacher College (UK) from 1998 to 2003. He is the author of several books, including Good Crisis: Towards a Post-Materialist World (2009), A Matter of Values (2010), Understanding Nature (2011), The New Reality (2013), and Vital Intelligence (2016). He is also the editor of Ivan Illich: Essential Texts (2009) and co-editor of The Divine Smile (2008), and coordinated the first three volumes of the Catalan edition of Raimon Panikkar’s Opera Omnia. He has received the Philosophy Award of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (1999), the Resurgence and Scientific and Medical Network Essay Award (2006), and the Joan Maragall Award (2016).

Helena Aguilar Mayans
Guided Visits

Helena Aguilar Mayans (Olot, Spain, 1989) is a fine art photographer with a degree in Fine Arts and a master’s in art education from the University of Barcelona. Her work explores the concept of beauty in decay, women’s spaces, and the relationship between ruins, nature, and humanity. Her photographic work has been published and exhibited in various countries and media. She is an official guide for RCR Arquitectes, specializing in their architectural vision. With years of experience in cultural and educational fields, she possesses the necessary skills to effectively guide and communicate with visitors. Since 2016, she has collaborated with RCR Bunka.

Laura Llimona Cortés
Guided Visits

Laura Llimona Cortés (Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 1983) is trained in performing arts at the Institut del Teatre and in the Meisner technique, with experience in theatre, audiovisual projects, and advertising. She also holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Management (UIC), where she specialized in production and public relations. She graduated in Spatial Design from Elisava and has been working as a designer at Torndelacreu studio since 2021. She has participated in audiovisual projects and collaborated in cultural production. Since 2024, she has been collaborating with RCR Bunka in organizing guided tours and as assistant coordinator of the RCR Summer Workshop, also contributing her experience as a guide for international groups.