Architecture and Landscape 2026
XIX International Architecture and Landscape Workshop
June, 26, to July, 11, 2026
Directors: RCR arquitectes – Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta
Teaching team: José de Villar, Carlos Chacón, Alberto Collet, Mauro Turín and Guillem Oró
Duration: 15 days
Teaching load Workshop: 115 hours
Open Program load: 8 hours
Level: Advanced
Language: Spanish / English
Place: Barberí Space, Olot (Girona), Spain
REGISTRATION CLOSED
Conditions
Places available: 60 presential places
Profile: Architects and Architecture students in the final year of their degree.
Registration: It is necessary to fill out the form at Registration.
Registration fee: 50 euros (non-refundable).
Admission process: All those registered will take part.
Admission criteria: Assessment of CV portfolio.
Tuition fee: 850 euros.
Inclusions: The tuition fee includes the costs of the workshop program. The participant assumes the expenses related to travel, maintenance and accommodation.
Method of payment: Through the Stripe platform.
Certificates of participation: RCR and the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB-UPC) issued certificates.
Terms
Admission process by open call
First Call
Friday, December 19, 2025. Registrations open.
Thursday, February 5, 2026. Registration deadline.
Friday, February 6, 2026. Communication of admissions, waiting list and denials.
Friday, February 13, 2026. Tuition payment deadline.
Second Call
Friday, February 6, 2026. Registrations open.
Thursday, March 5, 2026. Registration deadline.
Friday, March 6, 2026. Communication of admissions, waiting list and denials.
Friday, March 13, 2026. Tuition payment deadline.
Third Call
Friday, March 6, 2026. Registrations open.
Thursday, April 9, 2026. Registration deadline.
Friday, April 10, 2026. Communication of admissions, waiting list and denials.
Friday, April 17, 2026. Tuition payment deadline.
Attention: Last call for participants who require a visa, as applications submitted less than one month before the trip will not be accepted.
Final Call – CANCELLED
Friday, April 11, 2026. Registrations open.
Thursday, May 7, 2026. Registration deadline.
Friday, May 8, 2026. Communication of admissions and denials.
Friday, May 15, 2026. Tuition payment deadline.
Friday, May 29, 2026. Cancellation Deadline.
XIX International Architecture and Landscape Workshop
Friday, June 26 , 2026: Start of the workshop.
Sunday, June 28, 2026: RCR Open Programa.
Saturday, July 11, 2026: End of the workshop.
Aim
The aim is to understand, by trying it out, the inseparable link between architecture and place, landscape and culture, sharing and creating, putting into practice the working methods of RCR Arquitectes in the same territory and space of their work.
In this edition, we will delve into interdisciplinarity, integrating participants in the Photography workshop into groups that will contribute to the projects through their ability to communicate suggestive images that transmit atmospheres and intentions.
Program
Creative Workshop. Teamwork on an exercise to assess the ability to respond intellectually, engagingly, and relevant to the place, with communicative effectiveness, as would be expected in an architectural competition.
Reviews. In addition to the internal corrections with the teaching team, there will be a weekly review with RCR Arquitectes.
Internal Program. Lectures on RCR arquitectes’ methodology and specific issues in the exercises that must be developed.
Gaudí Year. Lecture by Juan Trias de Bes, Jordi Faulí, Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta and Kazuyo Sejima at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Excursion to RCR’s work. Guided visit to RCR arquitectes’ public work in Olot, to analyse the project’s critical aspects.
Open Program. Thematic lecture series on sound and architecture, with music, exhibitions and an immersive experience.
Excursion to RCR's public work in Olot · Saturday, June 27, 2026 in the morning
As part of the Summer Workshop program, we will visit the RCR public works tat Tossols Basil area that include the Tossols Basil Bath Pavilion, the Tossols Basil Athletics Stadium and the Pedra Tosca Park, where the keys to the project will be analyzed. This visit is included in the RCR Summer Workshop 2026 Program.
Gaudí Year · Lecture · Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona · Saturday, June 27, 2026 in the afternoon
On the occasion of Barcelona’s designation as World Capital of Architecture 2026 and as part of the commemoration of the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death, the Basilica of the Sagrada Família hosted a conference bringing together four internationally renowned architects, all recipients of the Pritzker Architecture Prize: Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta, founders of RCR arquitectes (2017 Pritzker Prize), and Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima (2010 Pritzker Prize).
The event opened with introductory remarks by Juan Trias de Bes, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sagrada Família Construction Board, and Dr Jordi Faulí, Chief Architect of the Basilica. The gathering provided an opportunity to reflect on the dialogue between architectural heritage and contemporary architecture, in a setting as emblematic as the Sagrada Família, highlighting architecture as a form of cultural expression and a tool for social transformation.
- Date: Saturday, 27 June 2026, at 7:00 pm
- Venue: Central nave of the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona
- Organised by: Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família
The conference formed part of the programme of events organised by the Foundation to commemorate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and pay tribute to his architectural legacy.
RCR Open Program 2026 · Pati de l'Hospici / RCR La Vila · Sunday, June 28, 2026
The Experience of Space
The program proposes a multidisciplinary immersion focused on perceiving and experiencing space through lectures, music, audiovisual works, and immersive experiences.
The series of three lectures will feature Enric Palau, a musician closely linked to technology and experimental music; the Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, renowned for a delicate and radical architecture that explores the boundaries between space, nature, and human experience; and a Pecha Kucha session in which former members of the studio will share projects, processes, and ideas developed during their time at RCR arquitectes.
The audiovisual series Forest Matter VIII opens the Open Program and celebrates the poetic power of trees.
In the musical sphere, Thoughts Out Loud in Nature, with Victòria Vilalta, inaugurates the RCR La Vila “Clariana” space with a primal proposal in dialogue with the natural environment.
Excursion to the work of RCR (optional) · Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and 5, 2026
Visit to the Les Cols Complex
For the optional visit to the Les Cols Complex, pre-booking will be available on Sunday 5 July, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Itinerari al conjunt de Les Cols i a la Casa Horitzó
Alternatively, you can book an itinerary organised by our EuroLAB collaborators on Saturday 4 July in the morning, which includes visits to the Les Cols Complex and Casa Horitzó. We will inform you about this package soon so you can review the conditions and make the reservation.
Skills and Materials
Software
- AutoCAD for 2D drawing
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe InDesign
- Preferred program for 3D modeling
Technical Requirements
- Computer with recommended minimum screen resolution of 1440px.
- Updated browser to access Google Drive for storage and synchronisation services of the workshop contents, collaborative work, and exercise archiving.
- Install WhatsApp instant messaging on the mobile phone for information and organisation through RCR chat groups.
Artistic material
- We provide basic material
- We advise you to bring your preferred material to work on the conceptual and artistic expression of the project (copic, markers, watercolors, cakes, collage materials, etc.)
Exercise: Santa Pau Castle
Santa Pau Castle, a key landmark of La Garrotxa’s architectural and cultural heritage, stands in an exceptional setting between the volcanic landscape and the village’s medieval centre. The aim of the exercise is to study, reinterpret and reimagine the castle as a living space, capable of accommodating new uses and connecting heritage, architecture, territory and collective memory. The proposal explores contemporary restoration and rehabilitation strategies that preserve its essence while strengthening its role as a cultural space and a unifying element of Santa Pau’s historic ensemble. This exercise marks the beginning of a multi-year research initiative that will be further developed and explored in future editions of the Workshop.
G1 | José de Villar: Alba Guerrero Tébar, Spain · Alonso Varela Greenawalt, Mexico · Anabel Chávez, Mexico · Catalina López, Chile · Cesar González Maldonado, Mexico · Daniel Felipe García Medina, Colombia · Laura Sofía González Furber, Spain · Lucía Domingo Barrera, Spain · María Vigueras García, Spain · Regina Lozano Garza, Mexico · Ricardo Gusmao, Brazil · Sergio Luís Moron, Argentina.
G2 | Mauro Turín: Agustín Espí Cea, Spain · Alejandro Cabrera Avilés, Spain · Andrés Maximiliano Colorado Cervera, Mexico · Florencia Soles Montesinos, Chile · Gimena Baigorria, Argentina · Lluc Pérez Company, Spain · Pablo Francisco Álvarez Martín, Mexico · Ricardo Moreno Soto, Chile · Romina Castro Echinope, Uruguay · Santiago Izquierdo Gutierrez, Colombia · Sebastián Raya, Mexico · Sol Lauría Viera, Spain.
G3 | Guillem Oró: Adhiti S Gautama, India · Bence Huszár, Hungary · Benedetta Rizzo, Italy · Mohammed Ziyadh, India · Natasha Trumic, New Zealand · Rabi Elashi, Palestine · Samuel Mok, Australia · Satyam Tiwari, India · William Day, United States · William Kosta, Indonesia · Yuqi Cheng, China · Zoe Hysom, New Zealand.
Sketch: Santa Pau Castle, Series 1, June 2026. Ink wash and pencil on Canson Imagine paper, 200 g/m². 23 × 32.5 cm. 26-203_E02
Exercise: Culture Streets in Olot II
The Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, which encompasses the city of Olot, is the finest example of a volcanic landscape on the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of the exercise is to study, reinterpret and redesign selected streets in the city as spaces capable of transforming its urban fabric, connecting its cultural past, present and future. These streets are conceived as cultural spaces and vibrant places where architecture, workshops, shops and public facilities coexist with the everyday lives of Olot’s residents: walks, celebrations and gatherings. Streets of Culture proposes an urban model that places culture at the heart of identity and community, bringing together the city, its inhabitants and nature in a shared cycle of experiences.
G4 | Carlos Chacón: Balbina Llovera Plancarte, Mexico · Catalina Caballero, Argentina · César Ikumoto, Japan · David Leno Luceño, Spain · Italo Parietti, Argentina · Josep Campoy Valdez, Peru · Kevin Isaac Oviedo López, Mexico · María Gómez, Colombia · Mauricio Chavez, Peru · Metztli Catalina Cavazos Contreras, Mexico · Nadine García Abarca, Mexico · Sandra Beatriz Mendez Acebedo, Spain–Argentina.
G5 | Alberto Collet: Abdullah Alrumaihi, Kuwait · Aron Naray, Hungary · Dikshith Titty Biju George, India · Henri Houette, France · Kesia Jaimon Joseph, India · Kristin Washco, United States · Neeil Gugarri, India · Pengsen Zhao, China · Pradyun Raj Yendal, India · Renáta Tribel, Hungary · Valentine Raemdonck, France · Wang Chi Ming, Taiwan · Xing Lyu (Lucy), China.
Sketch: Streets of Culture, Series 1, June 2025. Ink wash and pencil on Canson Imagine paper, 200 g/m². 23 × 32.5 cm. 26-203_E01
Internal Program · Espai Barberí · Olot · RCR Lecture · Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Conference · Project communication · Rafael Aranda Quiles
How to present a project according to the RCR arquitectes methodology, based on an analysis of the site, the programme, the concept and the architectural response. Through one of the practice’s landmark projects — in this edition, the Perelada Winery — the presentation will explore the creative process that transforms a sensitive understanding of the site, dialogue with the client and the requirements of the programme into a coherent architectural proposal. A journey from a profound understanding of the landscape and its people to the realisation of space, where architecture, material, light and experience intertwine to shape an essential, shared response deeply rooted in its place.
References:
- READ Introduction to Drawings
- SEE selection of Conceptual Drawing
Internal Program · Barberí Space · Olot · Conference · Itzíar González · Monday, June 29, 2026 · 10:00 am
Exercise: Culture Streets in Olot · Conference · Social Architecture and Citizen Cooperation for the Regeneration of the Historic Centre of Olot · Itzíar González
The lecture explores the comprehensive regeneration of Olot’s historic centre through social architecture and citizen cooperation. Bringing together urban planning, heritage and public participation, it presents an approach to urban transformation based on the active involvement of residents, mediation and collaboration between citizens and public authorities. A reflection on how to revitalise the historic centre, restore the quality of public spaces and strengthen social ties and the identity of the place.
Itziar González Virós (Barcelona, Spain, 1967) is an architect and social urban planner. She works on urban degrowth, optimising public housing, rehabilitating historic urban centres, and restoring buildings in rural areas. Since 2002, she has specialised in mediation and conflict resolution processes in public spaces, as well as in participation and cooperation between citizens and the public administration. Former councillor of the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona (2007-2010). With the UTE km-ZERO, she won the international competition in 2017 for the comprehensive transformation of La Rambla in Barcelona. She is an activist and promoter of ParlaMent Ciutadà and president of the Citizens’ Observatory Against Corruption. She is currently leading the comprehensive regeneration of Olot’s historic centre (Girona).
ParlaMent Ciutadà · YouTube Observatori Ciutadà Contra la Corrupció (O3C) · Web km-ZERO · Web
Internal Program · Espai Barberí · Olot · Lecture · Francesc Baquer & Jordi Moret · Monday, 29 June 2026 · 11:00 am
Exercise: Streets of Culture in Olot · Lecture · Fluvià Street and Fluvià Ring Road, Olot. A Transformation Pending for More Than a Century · Francesc Baquer & Jordi Moret
The lecture explores the long-awaited urban transformation of Fluvià Street and Fluvià Ring Road in the historic centre of Olot. Through an analysis of the existing urban planning framework, the deterioration of the built environment and flood risks, a new urban planning proposal is presented, prioritising the continuity of the urban fabric, the quality of public space and the revitalisation of the riverfront. A reflection on how to rethink this historic area and its relationship with the river.
Francesc Baquer Font (La Bisbal d’Empordà, Spain, 1991) is an architect and co-founder of RE©ER arquitectura i urbanisme, an architectural practice established in Olot in 2020, together with Jordi Moret and Laura Plana.
Jordi Moret Vayreda graduated in Architecture from ETSALS – Universitat Ramon Llull (2009). He has collaborated with Vayreda Arquitectes and Unparelld’arquitectes. He is a co-founder of RE©ER arquitectura i urbanisme (2020) and served as the Garrotxa-Ripollès delegate of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) during the term that began in 2022.
RE©ER arquitectura i urbanisme is an architecture and urban planning practice based in Olot (Girona). Engaged in urban planning and design, the practice addresses issues related to urban transformation, planning and the quality of public space.
RE©ER arquitectura i urbanisme · Web
Internal Program · Santa Pau Castle · Lecture · Albert Planas Serra · Monday, 29 June 2026 · 2026 · 5:00 pm
Exercise: Santa Pau Castle · Guided Tour of Santa Pau Castle · From Past to Present. Historical Evolution of the Medieval Town of Santa Pau and Guided Tour of the Castle · Albert Planas Serra
The guided tour offers a journey through the history and urban evolution of the medieval town of Santa Pau, with particular attention to its castle, a key landmark of La Garrotxa’s architectural and cultural heritage. Through a historical reading of the ensemble, the tour explores the town’s transformations, the relationship between architecture and the surrounding landscape, and the role of the castle in shaping the urban fabric. An exploration of the heritage value of this site and the possibilities for preserving, reinterpreting and integrating it into contemporary life.
Albert Planas Serra (Santa Pau, Girona, Spain, 1985) is a historian, holds a PhD in Contemporary History from the University of Barcelona (2014), and is a secondary school teacher. Specialising in 20th-century history and historical memory, he is the author of several publications on Francoist repression and the local history of Santa Pau. He currently serves as First Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture, Heritage, Associations, Education, Youth and Leisure at Santa Pau Town Council.
Internal Program · Book Presentation · Tuesday, June 30, 2026 · 19h30
Book Presentation · When is there a diagram? The meaning of the architect’s “papers” · Justyna Morawska
What is a diagram? Attempts to answer this question lead to reformulating it: When is there a diagram?
The book explores the notion of the diagram through four dichotomies: appearance or function? image or diagram? identity or correlation? law or rule?
Between philosophical inquiry and architectural introspection, answers begin to emerge. Conversations with Ramon Vilalta and a close reading of the studio’s projects make it possible both to grasp the notion of the diagram and to appreciate the sensory, intellectual, and methodological scope of the work of RCR Arquitectes.
Justyna Morawska is an architect and holds a PhD in Architecture. She is currently a Maître de conférences at the Paris-Val de Seine National School of Architecture. She worked at RCR Arquitectes from 2004 to 2005 before continuing her architectural practice in studios in Rome and Paris. Her current research explores the relationship between representational practices and the process of architectural design.
Partners 2026
RCR Summer Workshop is a program of RCR LAB-A in collaboration with the RCR BUNKA Foundation and with the financial and logistical support of the following institutions and companies, without which it would not be possible to materialise it.
To all of them, our most sincere thanks.
Organised by
Main Partners
Partner Universities, Institutions and Companies
Media Partners
Teaching Team
Architects
Tutors
Exercise: Santa Pau Castle · José de Villar | Culture Streets in Olot II · Carlos Chacón Pérez
In collaboration with EuroLAB
José de Villar Martínez (Madrid, Spain, 1976) is an architect graduated from the School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM-UPM) in 2003 and holds a postgraduate diploma since 2010. He served as team leader at SELGASCANO (2003–2006) and as an advisor at Infonavit (Mexico, 2014–2016). He is the co-founder of DVCH and a tenured professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, a position he has held since 2018. He has been collaborating with the RCR Summer Workshop since 2023.
Carlos Chacón Pérez (Madrid, Spain, 1977) is an architect and PhD from the School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM-UPM), degrees obtained in 2003 and 2022, respectively. In 2010, he studied botany in the Master’s program in Gardening and Landscape Architecture at the School of Agricultural Engineering in Madrid (UPM). He has collaborated with SMAO Sancho-Madridejos Architecture Office and SELGASCANO. He is the co-founder of DVCH. He was a tenured professor at Feng Chia University from 2018 to 2022 and has been an international chair professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey since 2022, as well as an associate professor at Universidad Nebrija since 2023.
DVCH DeVillarCHacon is an architecture studio founded in Madrid in 2008, with activity in Spain, in Mexico since 2016, and in Taiwan since 2020. Their projects —awarded and internationally published— aim to balance nature, society, and urbanity through architecture at all scales. Among their most notable works are the Vegas Altas Conference Centre in Villanueva de la Serena, the Music and Dance School of Ciutadella in Menorca, Dénia Park, and the Lomas de Sotelo Linear Park in Mexico City.
Tutor
Exercise: Santa Pau Castle
Alberto Collet (Conegliano, Italy, 1981) is an architect. He studied at the IUAV University of Venice and at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB-UPC), where he also completed a Master’s degree in Theory and Practice of Architectural Design. He earned a Master’s in Urban Management and Architectural Design from Domus Academy in Milan, in collaboration with Cardiff University, Wales. He also completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture, Infrastructure, and Incremental Housing for Crisis at the University of Beira Interior in Covilhã, Portugal. He is currently a PhD candidate in Theory, Design, and History at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP). He teaches architectural design at the Politecnico di Milano and LCI Barcelona. He coordinates AAP (Alternative Academic Project), a laboratory for innovative projects for public and private institutions. He co-founded the architecture studio Bauart. He tutored at the RCR Summer Workshop in 2018 and 2019, and at the RCR Workshops in La Vila since 2025.
Tutor and Coordinator of the Teaching Team
Exercise: Santa Pau Castle
Mauro Turin (La Pampa, Argentina, 1969), an architect from the University of Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA), leads a practice that researches the structural intersection of gravity, vacuum, archaism and time in Switzerland. In 2010, he was laureate of the Europe 40under40 Awards. His projects and works have been published in European, Asia, and South American architecture magazines. The Quito Pan-American Biennial of Architecture in Ecuador, the Museum of Fine Arts of Santa Fe in Argentina, The City and The World Symposium in Spain and the Europe 40under40 Awards in Greece have exhibited his work.
Between 2005 and 2019, he has taught and criticised at Universidad de Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (FAPyD-UNR), the University of Miami School of Architecture (UM-SoA), Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM), at the School of Architecture of Geneva (HEPIA) and Faculté d’Architecture La Cambre Horta de Bruxelles (ULB). Mauro Turin has been lecturer at École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble (ENSAG), at University of Miami School of Architecture (UM-SoA), at the Jan Michalski Foundation, at Centro Colon Madrid, at the Architects Association of La Pampa, at Universidad de Mendoza (FAUD-UM) and at Universidad de Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA). Being a Visiting Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture (UM-SoA) and as part of its Advanced Architectural Project Workshop, he promoted the first RCR Workshop in La Vila in February 2018. He has collaborated with the RCR Summer Workshop since 2018.
Studio Mauro Turin · Instagram
Architect
Tutor
Exercise: Culture Streets in Olot II
In collaboration with the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB-UPC)
Lecturer in the Department of Architectural Theory and History and Communication Techniques
Guillem Oró Grau (Lleida, Spain, 1995) graduated in Architecture from the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) and also studied at Sapienza University of Rome. He subsequently obtained a Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies in Architecture (MBArch), specialising in Theory, History and Culture, also at ETSAB. His Master’s thesis explored the perceptual role of thresholds and pathways in Stockholm’s Woodland Cemetery, earning him a UPC Excellence Mention.
He is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Architectural Theory and History at ETSAB, researching the architect Jeroni Moner i Codina, supported by an FPU scholarship funded by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). He also teaches Architectural Composition in the TAP-X course, focusing on interventions in urban heritage.
Beyond academia, he has worked in several architectural practices in Barcelona and Mallorca, while also developing independent projects with Anna Bosch Calvo at PRAXIS arquitectura. In November 2025, they won the EUROPAN 18 competition for a new urban fabric in the Swiss city of St. Gallen with their proposal, Abbey in RE Major. The project was featured in the exhibition Arquitectura en Diagonal (associated with the UIA 2026 World Congress of Architects) and has also appeared in several publications.
PRAXIS arquitectura · Web · Instagram
