Drawing on their career paths and several of their completed projects, both architects reflected on an approach to architecture closely linked to place, economic and social realities and the specific material conditions of each intervention.

Appropriation, memory and transformation of the ordinary

First, Casals  (Alumni 2005) began the session with a reflection on the meaning of local, describing it as a “way of appropriating what’s around us: customs, memory and everyday spaces.” Based on theoretical references and projects developed by Ágora Arquitectura, he advocated for an architectural approach grounded in minimal intervention on existing structures, making use of available resources and generating new forms of inhabitation.

Throughout his presentation, he explained how small interventions in courtyards, homes or pre-existing structures can improve environmental conditions, introduce new community dynamics and enhance the relationship between the interior and exterior. Casals also highlighted the value of working with low-cost systems, prefabricated elements and reused materials, always informed by a careful reading of the context. “It’s about observing our surroundings and understanding how, with the resources available to us, we can create new opportunities,” he noted during his talk.

Of the projects presented, notable examples include interventions in small-scale housing, refurbishment projects and facilities based on adaptation and reuse strategies, as well as proposals which integrate passive solutions and industrialised construction systems to efficiently address each site's climatic and economic conditions.

Architecture as learning and life experience

For his part, Francesc Buixeda (Alumni 2006) used his presentation to discuss his career, explaining how his engineering background has shaped his approach to architecture. This technical training has helped him view buildings as integrated systems, in which structure, construction and services follow a shared design logic.

Buixeda revisited his professional journey through different stages marked by learning, the economic crisis and entrepreneurship. During the session, he stressed the importance of turning constraints into design tools. “When you turn the client’s problem into a design driver, you can go further,” he said.

The 2008 crisis played an important role in his story, explaining that it led him to develop a practice based on small-scale, cost-efficient projects driven by efficiency and resource optimisation. “I am an architect by trade and an entrepreneur out of necessity,” he noted, highlighting adaptability as an essential condition for practising the profession.

Through single-family homes, housing estates and educational facilities, Buixeda presented a form of architecture in which structure, materiality and spatial strategy go hand in hand. He also pointed to the role of industrialisation and prefabrication in reducing construction time and costs, particularly in public and educational projects,

The debate: building from adversity

The session concluded with a debate that reflected on how economic difficulties, site conditions and programmatic conflicts can become drivers of architectural design.

The participants agreed that many of the most interesting architectural works emerge from complex contexts and the need to work with limited resources. In this regard, they advocated for a more resilient form of architecture; one capable of offering tailored responses to specific situations.

During the conversation, the participants pointed out that architectural projects often stem from an initial conflict. The debate concluded with the observation that, “when a problem arises and you transform it, that’s when architecture evolves.”

With this final session, Foros 2026 draws the curtain on a series of gatherings that, over four thematic sessions dedicated to international architecture, digital entrepreneurship, collaborative methods and local architecture, has introduced students to different contemporary ways of practising architecture through professional experiences linked to practice, innovation, research and local engagement.