The School of Architecture at UIC Barcelona teaches a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture as well as four master's and three postgraduate programmes: Master's Degree in International Cooperation: Sustainable Emergency Architecture, International Master's Degree in BIM Processes, University Master's Degree in Biodigital Architecture, University Master's Degree in Regenerating Intermediate Landscapes, Postgraduate Degree in Concepts and Methods for Regenerating Intermediate Landscapes, Postgraduate Degree in Accessibility and Design for All, Postgraduate Degree in BIM Management and Postgraduate Degree in BIM Operations. We also offer five continuing education courses, a doctoral programme and four university-business chairs.
Objectives
Josep Lluís i Ginovart raises a series of challenges, bearing in mind that the School of Architecture is due to celebrate its 20th anniversary this academic year, and, with this vast experience, aims to "structure it around internationalisation, as at present we have students from 27 different nationalities". Lluís i Ginovart also points out that, "though Barcelona is an architectural reference point in and of itself, we can turn it into a platform that attracts new students to a nearby territory that spans both the greater Barcelona area and, in a broader sense, Catalonia, Spain and the geographic proximity to Southeast Europe and Northeast Africa. This is where much of civilisation has been developed, and for that reason international students must be aware of the existing workload. The humanistic approach to teaching architecture must transgress the classroom and expound upon the architecture of this privileged region".
The challenges of architecture
The new director of the School of Architecture believes that, "Though architecture today is a hotly debated subject, I feel the most important thing is for architects to rediscover who they are. The problem lies in how to restore common sense to a discipline that has always had it but in many cases failed to use it. Perhaps the only way to rediscover who we are is by exploring our deepest roots, in a fully informed manner. The partial vision and approach to teaching architecture propagated over the past century has led to, in my opinion, a certain fragmentation in architecture, which represents but a fraction of its essence. Debate, in this sense, must become more philosophical and strive to find the real meaning of architecture".
About Josep Lluís i Ginovart
Josep Lluís i Ginovart earned a degree in Architecture from the ETSAB at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in 1982 and a doctorate in Architecture from ESARQ at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya in 2002. He currently directs the School of Architecture at UIC Barcelona, conducts research and directs the Architectural Heritage Research Group (PATRIARQ). Prior to his role at UIC Barcelona, Josep Lluís i Ginovart was director of the Architecture Department at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
His career as a scientist revolves around transferring his professional experience (1982-2016) in architecture studios in Barcelona and Tortosa, in the field of architectural heritage restoration and projects, to the university world. He began teaching at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (2001-2005) and went on to teach at the Higher Technical School of Architecture at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
He has also published indexed articles in a number of magazines, is part of the editorial board at the International Journal of Heritage Architecture and is a reviewer for Hispania Sacra, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Construction History and Informes de la Construcción. Lluís i Ginovart is a member of several international scientific committees, has carried out thirteen technology transfer projects with the Universitat Rovira i Virgili Foundation, has taken part in over fifty research projects and has worked with the country's leading institutions. Thanks to his work with religious architectural heritage, he was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
