Projects by students from the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture Ceramics Chair, led by senior lecturer Vicenç Sarrablo along with senior lecturer Jordi Roviras and junior lecturer Cristina García, received recognition from the jury at the Cevisama Lab awards, for the 15th consecutive year. Graduate Joan Marc Garcés and students Esther Basterra and Guillermo Marfá,  obtained first prize, second prize and a secondary award respectively under category B of the competition. This category covers “Ceramic products formed using other methods”.  

The awarded projects were exhibited in pavilions 2 and 4 of the Feria Valenciana during the Cevisma event, and the prize-giving took place on Friday 1 February in the central area of the complex.  

Our student Esther Basterra received second prize for her work entitled “Cool Jar”, a ceramic piece which aims to reduce heat through the retention of rain water.  The jury underlined “the originality of her technical drainable pavement solution as well as her research into a line of sustainable products for public spaces”.  

Another of our students, Guillermo Marfá, received second prize for his project entitled “Solar CEM”, due to “the incorporation of renewable energy and vegetation into a ceramic element to be used for large facades”.  Last year Marfá also won in this category after taking first prize for his project entitled “Ceramic Squama”. 

This year our graduate Joan Marc Garcés Sabaté won first prize in the same category for his project entitled “Komorebi”. The jury highlighted “the simplicity of the system and the good way he has used light by creating permeable and versatile spaces” in his work. Garcés is a veteran of these awards since it is the third time he has received an award there. 

“After 15 consecutive years collecting awards at this competition we should check and see if there is a Guinness World Records category which covers this unheard of feat” joked Vicenç Sarrablo, director of the  Ceramics Chair.  “We are filled with pride to discover that our students come back to the competition without our help and that even so, they manage to receive awards. What more can we ask for?” he added.