A group of 27 Filipino architecture students recently took part in the 14th La Salle-URL Architecture Workshops in Barcelona, gaining hands-on experience in both historical and contemporary design.
The workshop, themed Barcelona: Between the Traditional and Modern, brought together students from La Salle Barcelona-Universitat Ramon Llull and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Environment and Design. The Benilde delegation was accompanied by faculty Ar. MC Tubera and Ar. Jerry Chun.
Participants attended masterclasses, student presentations, and practical sessions with studios and local companies, allowing them to refine skills, explore specialized areas of architecture, and apply sustainability principles. Guided tours of the city’s architectural landmarks gave students a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s urban evolution.
Workshops included Urban Plan: Urban Growth and Landscape Integration, led by Ar. Pedro Garcia and Ar. Lorenzo Kárász, which examined the city’s balance between structured planning and organic development, highlighting the role of parks and public spaces. In Reinterpreting Parc Güell: Architectural and Landscape Explorations, students studied formal, structural, and material aspects of Antoni Gaudí’s UNESCO World Heritage site under Ar. Adrià Llorens and Ar. Mikel Lopez.
Another session, Materiality of Historical Architecture, focused on historical stone and stucco techniques, including hands-on workshops led by Ar. Pedro Ayesta Borràs and conservator-restorer Ferran Màuriz. Students also conducted a “photographic safari” to document Barcelona’s architectural materials.
The program concluded with a Mass at Spain’s iconic Sagrada Família, now recognized as the world’s tallest church.
