In order to promote, disseminate and acquaint the public with natural materials and traditional building techniques and trades, along with the architectural and planning practices that allow these to be preserved and continued, in 2021 and 2022 a series of activities - which included exhibitions, workshops, courses, congresses and publications - were organized under the title “Timeless Architecture”.
National
Spain
Madrid, Segovia, Toledo
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): INTBAU Spain Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Guillermo Last name of representative: Gil Fernández Gender: Male Nationality: Spain Function: Coordination Assistant Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Calle Olías, 5 Town: Bargas, Toledo Postal code: 45593 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+34 670 45 28 41 E-mail:intbau.es@gmail.com Website:https://intbauspain.com/en/
In order to promote, disseminate and acquaint the public with natural materials and traditional building techniques and trades, along with the architectural and planning practices that allow these to be preserved and continued, in 2021 and 2022 we mounted a series of initiatives under the title “Timeless Architecture” (Arquitectura Atemporal).
The project comprised the following activities:
- Two large exhibitions at CentroCentro in the Palace of Cibeles, headquarters of the Madrid City Council, which collaborated in these initiatives.
- A series of hands-on workshops for beginners in various building arts, delivered by some of the finest Spanish master craftspeople. The courses were held both at CentroCentro and in the workshops of the various artisans.
- Two international congresses consisting of a series of lectures and guided technical tours with master builders in various Spanish cities. The lectures were given at the Madrid Polytechnic University School of Architecture.
- Publication of a copiously illustrated general-interest catalogue presenting the contents of the exhibitions, co-published by INTBAU España, Ediciones Asimétricas and CentroCentro.
The initiatives forming the project set out from the premise that building traditions involving greater respect for the environment and its natural resources respond to some of the main challenges of our time, such as the progressive disappearance of quality job opportunities, the increasing generation of waste and toxic environments, the loss of the kind of public spaces designed to favour exchange and coexistence, the imbalances suffered by rural areas, or the persistence of planning practices resulting in an acute dependence on private transport.
Sustainability
Building cultures
Natural materials
Building trades
Timeless architecture
Scientists the world over have for decades been saying that the way in which we currently inhabit, build in and transform our environment and manage our resources is doing various forms of perhaps already irreparable harm to our ecosystems and societies – harm involving losses which may also already be irreversible for our heritage and culture. Meanwhile we go on expanding and transforming our towns in piecemeal districts consisting just of detached houses, repetitive terraces, expanses of huge apartment or office blocks, shopping centres and industrial estates, along with outsized parks and avenues. Thus we go on segmenting our everyday lives into monotonous single-function areas, causing us to depend on private transport, require costly infrastructure and consume energy with increasing extravagance.
Fortunately there are many property managers, developers, building firms, master builders, architects and urbanists around the world who show year after year that, despite the prevailing inertia, and despite additional barriers intended to consolidate or even increase that inertia, it is still possible today to design and make buildings, landscapes and urban ensembles using natural materials and adapted and updated traditional models that have the best qualities of the past, suited to the needs of the present.
The Timeless Architecture initiative, with its series of exhibitions, workshops, publications and talks, set out from the basic materials which have traditionally been obtainable within a normally small radius and, in their natural state or after slight processing, have been used to make our buildings, landscapes and urban ensembles more sustainable, productive and habitable. It also showed work by some outstanding master builders, illustrating the irreplaceable knowledge inherited from our diverse building cultures and not yet lost. It also presented work by architects and urbanists who have stood out in recent decades in the restoration of buildings.
The Timeless Architecture initiative, with its various exhibitions, workshops, publications and talks, has sought to promote the creation of places and buildings which are more humane, in harmony with local culture and its traditions and respectful of the environment, allowing for the local climate and the resources available. By highlighting traditional architecture, urbanism and building arts, it has promoted the study, maintenance and restoration of traditional buildings and urban ensembles along with the creation of new spaces and places which, taking existing ones as a reference, contribute to a better quality of life in our towns and cities.
The idea was thus that theory and practice should go hand in hand and architecture and building be seen as a collective task in which equal importance is attached to clients and developers, practitioners and designers, or to the craft builders who carry out their projects.
The contents disseminated through these exhibitions, courses and publications were intended to inspire and to serve as a starting point for future craftspeople, architects and urbanists. Particular attention was given to presenting the contents accessibly and graphically for general interest in such a way as to arouse the curiosity of non-specialists interested in sustainable building, local traditions and the future of our towns and cities.
Our Timeless Architecture initiative in 2021 was launched with the opening in the Palace of Cibeles (headquarters of the Madrid City Council, in the heart of the city) of a major exhibition of the same name. This, with free admission, was a chance to show the general public a sample of the work of a series of traditional master builders as well as that of architects and urbanists who have been working for decades with natural materials and building techniques deeply rooted in our culture, normally without being known and with scarcely any recognition for their endeavours from public or private bodies or any opportunity to exhibit and share their valuable output.
Moreover, the organisation of free courses in the context of the exhibition on the various trades featured in it (joinery, ironwork, painting, stuccowork, etc.) along with further courses held in various Spanish cities at the congresses that followed the exhibition (in Madrid, Toledo or Segovia) allowed a broad segment of the public to get to know and appreciate and even to explore the practice of these crafts.
We should note that all the activities organised within the Timeless Architecture initiative (exhibitions, courses, workshops, craft demonstrations, congresses) were open to the public, free of charge. They also involved stakeholders from all segments of the population, with partners such as small associations and city councils, regional and national institutions (public and private), and international networks of craftspeople, architects and urbanists.
Among those taking part in the activities held as part of the initiative there have been many young craftspeople, architects and urbanists who were consequently able to ascertain that another form of building and of making architecture is possible – in which natural materials, more sustainable techniques and age-old trades can be used to create towns and cities that are handsomer, healthier and more liveable.
In many cases the exhibitions, courses, publications and congresses organised within the initiative allowed students and professionals to become acquainted for the first time with another way of conceiving of and working on the built environment, in which local natural materials and more sustainable and seasoned building techniques are used to build our houses, neighbourhoods and cities.
These activities also gave a large number of little-known craftspeople and builders a forum in which to share their crafts, know-how and output. For the first time master builders and artisans saw their work displayed in one of Madrid’s most prestigious exhibition halls – the Palace of Cibeles – and were able to open and show their workshops to a wide range of people interested in the work they do. Many of them, also for the first time, saw their work published, in a catalogue impeccably designed by Ediciones Asimétricas, one of the foremost publishers of books on architecture in Spain.
At each event the number of people taking an interest and getting involved in the activities held as part of the initiative increased. This public spread the word about the contents and thereby encouraged policymakers and civil society bodies to use greater care in developing our built environment, and to recognise the work of all these craftspeople and master builders, as it is they who can really make possible a paradigm shift in the way we build our townscapes.
From the outset the various activities organised within the Timeless Architecture initiative involved stakeholders at all levels:
- Local and regional: city councils and other smaller institutions (the City Halls of Segovia and Madrid, the Toledo Heritage Consortium, the Madrid Polytechnic University Traditional Architecture Research Centre, etc.), students, small local associations and firms, master craftspeople, architects, urbanists, etc., who were able to exhibit their work and to give courses, workshops and talks on their trades and output.
- National: exhibition venues such as CentroCentro or universities such as the Madrid Polytechnic University – prestigious, widely recognised institutions that got involved by offering spaces for holding exhibitions, courses and congresses, and by publicising these activities via their outreach channels.
Also major companies such as Kalam, one of Spain’s most prestigious restoration firms, or publishers such as Ediciones Asimétricas, allowing the results of the initiative to be disseminated through a copiously illustrated catalogue presenting much of the exhibition contents.
- International: through networks such as the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU), whose presence in over 40 countries worldwide allowed the results of the initiative to be publicised internationally, and which contributed contents and speakers from various regions for the various exhibitions and talks organised.
The combined work of institutions, companies and individuals at all levels made the contents and results of all these exhibitions, courses, publications and congresses accessible to a great range of people, from laypeople to specialists.
In devising and implementing the various activities within the Timeless Architecture project we worked with an interdisciplinary team including architects, master craftspeople (blacksmiths, joiners, glaziers, painters, etc.), urbanists, designers, experts in heritage refurbishment and restoration, archaeologists, geographers, publishers and art historians, inter alia. Journalists, photographers, video producers and broadcasters were also vital to the activities’ dissemination.
The interaction between professionals from such diverse fields allowed the outputs of all these activities to be shared through multiple channels: holding of exhibitions and craft demonstrations, with the conception, design and preparation of suitable settings; delivery of courses and hands-on workshops, accessible to specialists and laypeople; organisation of guided technical tours in various cities (Madrid, Segovia, Toledo) and visits to the workshops of the master craftspeople who keep these trades alive; preparation of meticulous publications in conjunction with prestigious publishers (Ediciones Asimétricas); and organisation of congresses and lectures in collaboration with various universities, notably including the Madrid Polytechnic University, through its School of Architecture.
The variety of activities organised, and of bodies and individuals taking part in them, allowed the contents of the initiative to be disseminated very widely.
The initiative achieved its aims, first of all, through a strategy that is very simple and yet nearly always overlooked by those seeking to disseminate similar contents: that of giving a voice and a venue, without intermediaries, to the master craftspeople who have been working with local natural materials for decades or centuries so as to make much more sustainable buildings, neighbourhoods and towns, admired by all for their beauty and habitability.
In turn, the multichannel strategy described in the previous point – combining the holding of exhibitions, the preparation of publications and the organisation of courses, workshops, tours and congresses, along with the extensive dissemination of results through the press, television, radio and digital media and networks – allowed us to have a much greater impact on society than would have been achieved by the separate deployment of each of these measures.
Without forgetting or undervaluing the digital tools that allow knowledge to be shared today – and of which this initiative made extensive use – we used a strategy in which direct contact with natural materials, with master craftspeople and with the work they build (through the aforesaid tours, visits, courses and exhibitions), allowed us to bring such work closer to the public at large, showing that another more sustainable way of building and of conceiving of the built environment is not just desirable but feasible.
It is often thought that we cannot today make buildings, towns or places as beautiful, lasting and sustainable as those created by past generations. The Timeless Architecture initiative has sought to highlight those who continue designing and building with the craftsmanship that gave rise to the heritage that we most appreciate, and to help a growing number of professionals to be able to continue this legacy.
The initiative’s ultimate aim has been that the examples exhibited, representing building cultures from all over the world albeit chiefly from Europe, might be taken as references by those responsible for developing our built environment. Accordingly the fact that in each exhibition we spotlighted different trades and that the workshops organised in the context of the initiative were held in different parts of Spain each year (focusing on the trades, crafts and natural materials of each region) shows that this is a live project, replicable in other contexts, tailored to the specific features of each location – those that make it unique.
The methodology employed in the research conducted in developing this initiative was based on the work done in recent years by INTBAU España and the Spanish Network of Traditional Master Builders, which has involved using and verifying countless information sources: previous work by the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute within the National Plan for Traditional Architecture; craft networks; craftspeople of recognised standing; researchers in the field; various national, regional and local government bodies; the specialist bibliography; coverage of the field in various media; websites and social network platforms, etc.
Once we had identified the materials, techniques, trades, master craftspeople and architects, builders and urbanists, along with the local, regional, national and international bodies and networks forming the material and living legacy of each location’s building tradition, we sought the best strategies for disseminating this knowledge and these practices so as to make them available to the public at large, both professionals and laypeople. This multichannel strategy, as described in the previous point, facilitated the considerable impact of our activities within the Timeless Architecture project, and its growth from one year to the next.
Over the centuries the traditional building arts have accumulated the wisdom of countless generations as to the sustainable use of local resources and the basic principles for employing them to make beautiful and comfortable places and environments.
It is these traditional arts that gave rise to the tangible heritage that we admire today, and without them this heritage could not be conserved. They are a fruit of our culture and landscape, a hallmark that makes the buildings of each region unique, representing an irreplaceable repository of knowledge about our habitat and how to live in it while respecting it and benefiting from it. Yet today these arts are on the verge of extinction, and with them, a vital part of our culture and heritage.
The contemporary practice of restoration and traditional architecture is the main source of work available to the practitioners who keep this knowledge alive today. The overarching goals of all these exhibitions, publications, workshops and lectures organized within the Timeless Architecture initiative have been the study, promotion and dissemination of good practice in these fields and the tutoring of new generations in their value for the future of our civilisation and environment.
As part of the Timeless Architecture Initiative, a major exhibition was organized in 2021 at CentroCentro, Madrid, as well as a series of workshops and courses at the same venue. Later in the year an International Congress was also organized in the same city. In 2022 these activities were continued with a second exhibition at CentroCentro, the publication of an extensive catalog with Ediciones Asimétricas and the organization of a second International Congress which also included a series of visits to master craftsmen's workshops in the cities of Madrid, Segovia and Toledo.
Although CentroCentro does not count visits specifically to each exhibition held simultaneously in its venue, as a rough estimate we may infer an average of 500 daily visits to the Timeless Architecture exhibition in particular over its four months of duration, amounting to 60,000 visits in total.
For the workshops and courses organized in the context of the exhibition, held at the same place in collaboration with CentroCentro, there were more than 300 applications. Due to the pandemic restrictions, the number of participants was a little over 120.
The Timeless Architecture International Congress was attended by more than 350 people in 2021, including those who followed it online and live. More than 100 people participated in the 2022 edition, which included restricted places due to the planned visits to the workshops of the master craftsmen.
Several hundred copies of the catalog published by Ediciones Asimétricas have been distributed for free to architecture libraries and to masters and other experts in traditional building and natural materials.
In 2023 the initiative will be continued through the organization of a third exhibition, another series of courses and a new edition of the International Congress, which will be held in Úbeda, Andalusia, where, in addition to the organization of lectures, a series of visits to the workshops of local master craftspeople will take place.
We should not forget that one of the initiative’s main goals – with the use of local natural materials and traditional building techniques – has been to share the tools and knowledge allowing towns to be built and heritage to be restored without contributing significantly to pollution and to carbon emissions. This is a perfectly reasonable and achievable goal if we can manage to change the way in which architecture and building processes are perceived by a large part of society, and especially by specialists.
All the actions carried out within the Timeless Architecture initiative have been intended to show that it is still possible for buildings to be designed and built with respect for context and landscape, for local materials, climate, tradition and building culture. Buildings can still be made to last, not to squander resources or energy, and to be meaningful for the community. In such construction it is understood that creating and conserving a handsome and harmonious setting in which to live still meets one of the most basic human needs, seeking to rise above what is merely utilitarian and disposable, to lend dignity to our existence and thereby to last, to be able to be forever, and so to be truly sustainable. Such construction relies on the craftsmanship of the master builders who keep traditional building culture alive, and who in doing so generate more and better-qualified work, are part of a truly circular economy and help preserve the distinctive identity and cultural wealth of each region and each community.
