Aitor, Fuentes, Jonathan Arnabat and Jordi Ayala, lecturers in the Technical Area of the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture and partners and founding members along with Igor Urdampilleta of the architecture studio Arquitectura-G, won the 2013 Tile of Spain Award in the Interiors category for the design of “Casa Luz”, a single-family home. When the four studio partners were students the Ceramics Chair at the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, they won the Cevisama Award, which is also sponsored by the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association (ASCER). Both of these prizes are highly coveted on the national and international architecture scene.
The panel of judges was presided over by renowned architect Manuel Gallego, who said, “The jury praised the architectural solution of inserting a new interior inside an existing building to create a simple, elegant living space. The quality of this space is achieved through very precise and consistent use of ceramics to bring warmth to the design. Harmony is achieved through textures and construction systems that create continuity with the pre-existing architecture”.
Aitor Fuentes said he appreciated the award in the context of his studio’s current situation. He said, “The project that won the prize is the first family home we’ve built. This award is a strong boost to keep working, because we have similar projects in the pipeline”. The four alumni also praised their time in the Ceramics Chair as UIC Barcelona School of Architecture students. Fuentes said, “It helped us understand the manufacturing processes for the different ceramic pieces, which allows us to design with these industrial processes in mind. It was our first contact with industrial design and the studio now has “Indoors”, a small furniture and publishing company that keeps us in constant contact with this world. The Ceramics Chair also gave us a better understanding and appreciation of the material, which we were delighted to use in “Light House”.
The Ceramics Prize is sponsored by ASCER. The previous twelve editions have highlighted Spanish projects that made good use of ceramic paving and cladding pieces manufactured in Spain by recognizing projects such as the Spanish Pavilion at Expo Zaragoza 2008 by Patxi Mangado, the Paseo de Poniente in Benidorm by Carlos Ferrater and Xavier Martí, and Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona by Enric Miralles.
