Development of the National Urban Renewal Programme, with the involvement of the COAC
This kicks off the process of developing the PNRU, which aspires to provide a frame of reference for agreements on urban renewal policies over the coming years, including aspects such as sustainability, energy efficiency, mobility associated with new technologies, and new governance instruments.
The document is intended to address the needs of the ageing Catalan residential stock, 70% of which is now more than 40 years old, and the urban areas that, despite being magnets for innovation and opportunities, are also beleaguered with social and economic inequalities and environmental imbalances. Added to this are the changes stemming from new economic models and climate change.
The answer to these new changes must therefore entail the rehabilitation, renewal and improvement of the existing fabric in line with sustainability criteria while putting a premium on people's quality of life, something that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus.
A multi-sector approach
In order to stimulate the renewal of this urban fabric, in 2019 the Catalan public administration earmarked a total of 50.6 million euros in the form of grants and investments to facilitate the renovation of 29,016 homes, as well as opening a line of credit with the Catalan Institute of Finance to the tune of 100 million euros for renovation costs.
However, according to data from the COAC, building renovation in Catalonia is still very incidental in overall terms. The building renovation projects approved in Catalonia account for just 26% of the total approved building area, and most of them are non-residential projects.
In view of this situation, and as stated by the Dean of the COAC at the meeting of the Strategic Council of the PNRU, "there is a need to address this situation more strategically, allowing the sector to play a greater role in the country's economic recovery and to respond to the challenges and commitments with the Urban Agenda, especially our response to climate change, prioritizing urban renewal projects with policies and instruments that make this possible".
Thus the PNRU, which is expected to see the light of day in the spring of 2021, aims to address the renovation of buildings from different angles, ranging from the connectivity of communities to new types of housing, accessibility, energy improvement and the incorporation of new building materials. The integration of all these perspectives would not only improve residents' quality of life but also help to redirect the construction sector, which has traditionally focused more on new build projects.
Strategic Council of the PNRU
The Strategic Council of the PNRU comprises: Govern de la Generalitat (Departaments de Territori i Sostenibilitat, Cultura, Salut i Vicepresidència i Economia i Hisenda), Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Associació de Promotors de Catalunya, Associació Catalana de Municipis (ACM), Associació de Micropobles de Catalunya, Col·legi d'Enginyers Industrials de Catalunya, Col·legi d'Administradors de Finques, Consell de Col·legis d’Enginyers Graduats i Enginyers Tècnics Industrials, Col·legi d'Aparelladors, Arquitectes Tècnics i Enginyers d'Edificació de Barcelona, Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya, Col·legi de Camins, Canals i Ports de Catalunya, Federació de Municipis de Catalunya, Gremi de Constructors d'Obres, Institut Català de l'Energia and Institut de Tecnologia de la Construcció de Catalunya.
Seven local and international cooperation projects receive COAC grants
It was decided that grants, totalling 47,000 euros, would be awarded to the following entities:
LOCAL:
Conviure net
Condicionament del local "Conviure Net: rentem la roba a qui més ho necessita".
Architect: Cristina Monjas Rincón
Grant awarded: 4.250€ euros
Fundació Contorno urbano
Construcció col·lectiva d'un equipament sociocultural i comunitari de les Planes i la Florida.
Architect: Ninoska Juan Álvarez
Grant awarded: 4.250€ euros
Oasiurbà
Punt Raval (fase VI). Transformació social des de l'habitatge.
Architect: Antonio M. Solanas Cànovas
Grant awarded: 4.250 euros
La Titaranya
Adequació de locals socials al Centre Històric de Valls.
Architect: Eixam arquitectures, SCCL
Grant awarded: 4.250 euros
INTERNATIONAL:
Terrachidia
Rehabilitació de la porta d'accés al ksar d'Ouled Driss.
Architect: Oriol Domínguez Martínez
Grant awarded: 10.000 euros
Associació de cooperació del desenvolupament de Baniandicori
Equipament per a la comunitat educativa de Diatock.
Architect: Sònia Rodríguez Pérez
Grant awarded: 10.000 euros
Emsimision
Construint vida a Burkina Faso.
Architect: Albert Faus Madrid
Grant awarded: 10.000 euros
Cooperation grants
For the last eight years, the Architects' Association of Catalonia has been organising cooperation grants in order to continue showcasing the social role of architects. The awarding of these grants is in keeping with the Association's commitment to allocating part of its budget to social pursuits.
New issue of 'Quaderns' explores the cosmetic management of architectural language
A new issue of the COAC's magazine Quaderns d'Arquitectura i Urbanisme has been published and is now available to members at the various Association offices. Issue number 272 is entitled Cosmetic Techniques. Edited by architects Nuria Casais and Ferran Grau, the new issue of Quaderns explores the cosmetic management of architectural language in a European context, comparing the concepts of order and ornament.
Issue 272 of Quaderns sets out to analyse different cosmetic techniques (Kipnis) through a critical cross-examination on three levels, corresponding to the three stages of a project. Firstly, it addresses the current state of "the face of the European city" – built, rebuilt and transformed. This chapter features ten urban chronicles based on an interpretation of five European cities: London (Guillermo López), Paris (Enric Llorach), Milan (Matilde Cassani), Copenhagen (Nuria Casais and Ferran Grau), and Zurich (André Bideau). In this section, three projects in London (Group Work + Amin Taha), Paris (Eric Lapierre Experience) and Milan (OMA) illustrate urban faces of the contemporary European context.
Secondly, "Surface and Depth" discusses the definition of architectural objects by analysing the concept of artifice, both from an external viewpoint of architecture (Pep Avilés) and the perspective of public interior architecture (Mark Pimlott). The pairing of the MCBA (Barozzi Veiga) and the FRAME (Bruther + Baukunst) showcases the surface and depth of two apparently opposing projects.
In digital zoom format, "The Fragment and the Whole" studies architectural fragments while simultaneously considering the identity of the whole. "Expanded Materiality" by Javier García-Germán and Miquel Rodríguez studies the act of construction as the foundation of architectural identity, while "Three-Dimensional Poems" by David Bestué considers the fact that "matter is the boundary between the mental and the physical". The transformation and expansion of two houses exemplifies a present-day material debate: Villa Hammer (by Herzog de Meuron and Sauter von Moos), and Mas JEC (by Aixopluc).
Finally, in the form of an epilogue there is an interview with three architectural practices who share the common denominator of operating abroad from their offices in Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona: Estar, Barozzi Veiga and Addenda.
Quaderns at home
You can pick up this issue of Quaderns from our various Association branches, or ask us to send you a copy along with your next order to La Cooperativa Jordi Capell.
Next issue
The next issue of the magazine will be produced by the winning teams of the competition run last year by the Association: Josep Ferrando and Marta Poch.
Un conveni amb EAE Business School facilitarà l’accés dels arquitectes a formació en gestió empresarial
L’Escola Sert del COAC ha signat un conveni amb l’Escola d’Administració d’Empreses (EAE Business School) que afavoreix l’accés dels col·legiats a formació superior de l’àmbit de la gestió empresarial.
Gràcies a l’acord, els col·legiats podran gaudir de descomptes especials en la matrícula de màsters i programes superiors en la modalitat online o ‘blended’ que ofereix EAE Business School. A més a més, també gaudiran de condicions de finançament avantatjoses.
L’objectiu del conveni és millorar la formació dels arquitectes en el camp de la gestió empresarial. Per això, el descompte s’aplicarà en un ampli llistat de programes formatius entre els quals els col·legiats, amb el suport dels professionals d’EAE Business School, podran escollir:
Màsters
· Executive MBA
· MBA
· Màrqueting digital i comerç electrònic
· Direcció de màrqueting i vendes
· Direcció financera i control de gestió
· Direcció de Recursos Humans
· Direcció comercial
Programes superiors
· Direcció i administració d’empreses
· Màrqueting digital i comerç electrònic
· Direcció de màrqueting i vendes
· Direcció financera i control de gestió
· Direcció de Recursos Humans
· Direcció Comercial
Els interessats poden posar-se en contacte amb EAE Business School mitjançant el telèfon 687 919 080 o el correu electrònic inadal@eaeformacion.com. Per poder optar a la bonificació, caldrà presentar el número de col·legiat i acreditar que estan en actiu i al corrent dels pagaments de les quotes col·legials.
Més informació al web.