The session featured José Zabala (Alumni 2004), member of the architecture studio Addenda Architects, and Jordi Ayala (Alumni 2009), co-founder of Arquitectura-G, who shared their professional experiences and reflected on how collaboration, in its various manifestations, permeates the entire architectural process, from conception to execution.
Collaborating to create opportunities
First, José Zabala presented several of the projects in which he has been involved, highlighting how collaboration has been key in times of both opportunity and crisis. One of the examples put forward was a housing and public space project in Barcelona, developed following an urban accident 20 years ago that made it possible to rethink the district and introduce new social dynamics.
Zabala explained how, from the outset of his career, working together with other studios has been key to gaining access to competitive bids and developing more complex proposals; an approach he has maintained throughout his career, including on international projects such as the competition for the Bauhaus Foundation Museum in Dessau, which involved more than 800 teams, and in which his proposal was developed together with various stakeholders to meet the demands of a large-scale and complex commission.
“An architectural project is not only a formal response, but also a way of generating new dynamics within urban, social and cultural contexts,” Zabala noted, while also stressing the importance of adapting to economic, technical and political constraints.
He also shared his foray into the publishing industry during the 2008 crisis, discussing how architecture can expand into other forms of cultural production, likewise grounded in collaborative dynamics.
The project as a conversation
For his part, Jordi Ayala focused on the working process at Arquitectura-G, particularly collaboration as a tool both inside and outside the studio. As he explained, most of their projects do not begin with a drawing but with a conversation.
“Design is not about being right; it’s about creating a process in which decisions can take shape,” Ayala stated.
Through different projects, ranging from collective housing to international commissions and collaborations with brands, he has shown how teamwork may be fostered through models, testing and continuous discussion. This process, far from being linear, is the result of successive decisions, adjustments and, at times, disagreements.
Ayala noted that collaboration does not necessarily mean agreeing but rather being able to reach agreements. In this regard, he pointed out that, when working with other architects, clients and specialists, each decision requires justification, which ultimately generates more precise projects.
He also went on to explain how the nature of collaboration changes depending on the context: from learning in the early stages to taking on greater responsibility and autonomy in large-scale projects.
Coordinating, negotiating, learning
The session concluded with a debate that addressed key issues such as managing tensions within teams, decision-making in complex processes and the role of competitive bidding as a means of accessing projects.
Both speakers agreed that collaboration involves managing relationships, aligning diverse interests and recognising that full control over a project is, in many cases, impossible. In this regard, they stressed the importance of communication, clear objectives and adaptability.
There was also reflection on the risks associated with architectural competitions, particularly for young studios, underscoring the need to carefully assess the resources invested and to seek collaborative strategies that enable them to tackle larger-scale projects.
The session drew attention to the overtly collective nature of contemporary architecture, in which value lies not only in individual authorship but also in the ability to work with others.
Architect Borja Ferrater, co-director of the 2026 Foros series, closed the event by highlighting the relevance of the topic discussed: “Collaboration is not an option, but an inherent condition of contemporary architecture. Learning to work with others is probably one of the most important skills you can develop as future architects.”
Upcoming sessions
29 April: Local architecture
- BxD Arquitectura: Francesc Buixeda (Alumni 2006)
- Agora Arquitectura: Joan Casals (Alumni 2005) and Jose Luis Cisneros (Alumni 2005)
This session explores the consolidation of architecture studios in Spain through public competitions, collective housing and architecture rooted in the local territory.
