José Luis Cisneros and Joan Casals, UIC Barcelona School of Architecture alumni, came first in the ‘Opinion’ category of the 22nd edition of the Girona Regions Architecture Award 2019. The award ceremony was held on 7 June at the Girona headquarters of the Official College of Architects of Catalonia.

Cisneros and Casals, who lead the Ágora Arquitectura studio, came out ahead of 64 other entries in the category with their work titled ‘Refugio de fin de semana’. The award was chosen by the public, who voted electronically for their favourite work of architecture out of all the competition entries.  “This award sparks an open debate among the general public, inspiring opinions on the architecture projects in the Girona Regions”, said a spokesperson from the College of Architects.

They also received a special mention from the jury in the ‘Architecture’ category, again for ‘Refugio de fin de semana’. The jury highlighted the work for its “ability to present itself as an alternative to traditional camping, combining the characteristics of industrial standardisation and reusing of materials from the local area”.

The Girona Regions Architecture Award has been held every year since 1997, and has become a leading event for architecture and construction professionals in the region. The main objective of the awards is to highlight works by architects in the region and to spread awareness of these works among the general public.