Barcelona Institute of Architecture

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture (BIArch) is an international architectural postgraduate institute based in the city of Barcelona. BIArch seeks to further interaction between academic research, specialized practice and the cultural dissemination of contemporary architecture. The Institute defines itself as an open laboratory for professionals and researchers that aims to promote new ways of designing and thinking about architecture.

The Institute

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture is backed by a public-private foundation made up of financial, professional, academic and political institutions with the objective of continuing and extending the action-based discourse that has characterized architecture and urban planning practice in contemporary Barcelona. The Barcelona Institute of Architecture Foundation is presided by Narcís Serra, President of Caixa Catalunya.

The Casa Milà, also known as “La Pedrera” is the official head office of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture. The building, designed by Antoni Gaudí and completed in 1910, has belonged to the Caixa Catalunya and the headquarters of its Social Work since 1986. It also houses a major cultural center that is one of the city’s key reference points due to the various activities and exhibitions it organizes.

La Pedrera will house the Institute’s public activities, including Open Lectures and Dialogues. It will host the Critical Seminars, as well as the annual BIArch Advisory Council meeting.

Board of Directors

The Barcelona Institute of Architecture's Board of Directors is presided by Josep Lluis Mateo. The Board of Directors is in charge of defining the academic structure and contents for the MBIArch program, as well as appointing faculty and overseeing the advancement of the Institute’s broader objectives. Other Board members include Iñaki Ábalos and Josep Acebillo.

The Director of the Barcelona Insistitute of Architecture Foundation is Jorge García de la Cámara.

Advisory Council

The BIArch Advisory Council establishes a local and international framework for the Institute, through an extended academic and professional collaboration network. Members of the Advisory Council include David Adjaye, Stan Allen, Manuel Castells, Yung Ho Chang, Riken Yamamoto, Irina Korobina (head of the Center of Contemporary Architecture, Moscow), Edward Soja, and Ramon Prat (director of architectural publishing house Actar), among others.

Board of Trustees

Members of the Institute's Board of Trustees include Caixa Catalunya’s Social Work, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the Architects’ Institute of Catalonia, the Barcelona City Council and the Zona Franca Consortium. Collaborators include the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Diputaciò de Barcelona.

MBIArch Post-Professional Master's Degree Program

The MBIArch Post-Professional Master's Degree Program is the academic core of the Barcelona Institute of Architecture. The MBIArch is centered on the professional training of architects who have an interest in developing a high level of specialization in theoretical research and the practical application of new technologies and techniques of design.

The MBIArch curriculum is composed of five areas: Architectural Design; Territorial & Urban Studies; Digital Media; Theory, History & Criticism; Energy & Building Technologies. The first edition of the MBIArch program starts in September 2010.

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