Below you can find a selection of news related to traditional building, architecture and urbanism:
– Traditional Building Cultures Foundation –
Living Legacy: Grants for Fostering and Spreading the Traditional Building Cultures
The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation has launched Living Legacy: Grants for Fostering and Spreading the Traditional Building Cultures, a new international programme aimed at supporting initiatives that contribute to the study, practice, documentation, preservation, transmission and dissemination of traditional architecture and building cultures.
This new programme is made possible by the support of the Friends of the Foundation, whose contributions provide new resources for projects promoted by researchers, professionals, craftspeople, institutions and other individuals and organizations committed to this field.
In its first call, corresponding to 2027, three grants of up to €3,000 each will be awarded. Applications are open to individuals as well as associations, foundations, universities, research centres, cultural institutions and other organizations whose work is aligned with the programme’s objectives.
The call will remain open from September 22 to December 1, 2026. The results will be announced on February 1, 2027, and the selected projects must be completed by December 31, 2027.
First Progress of the Stonemasonry Training Programme in Saudi Arabia
On August 9, the stonemasonry training programme delivered by the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (WRTH), as part of the Traditional Stone Building Techniques Apprenticeship Programme, began in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia.
After just over a month of training, the students have already completed the first four modules of the programme. During these first five weeks, the course has progressed from an introduction to the traditional architecture of Asir, its materials and construction systems, to direct work with stone and the construction of walls and arches.
This first phase has combined theoretical content, drawing, technical visits, demonstrations and an increasing amount of practical work. The sequence of modules allows the knowledge and skills acquired at each stage to provide the basis for the next, progressively introducing students to the different aspects involved in the craft of traditional stone construction.
The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation Takes Part in the Organization of the “Craft, Architecture and Territory”
Conference The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation is collaborating in the organization of the Craft, Architecture and Territory conference, which will take place on September 26 and 27, 2026, in Os Casares, San Cristovo de Mouricios (Chantada, Lugo).
Organized by the Fundación Artesanía de Galicia – Xunta de Galicia and curated by Alejandro García Hermida, the conference will explore the relationships between architecture, building crafts and local building cultures, with particular attention to their role in shaping, preserving and transforming territory and landscape. The programme includes a series of lectures and round-table discussions focused on collaboration between architects and master craftspeople, the relationship between crafts and local identity, the transmission of this knowledge, and its connection to the territory.
The initiative is also supported by Espacio Vilaseco.
– News –
Seminar Series on Vernacular Architecture and Sustainability
INTBAU and The King’s Foundation are organizing “Sustainable Places: Vernacular Architecture Seminar Series 2026–27”, a series dedicated to exploring the relationship between environmental and sociocultural sustainability through vernacular architecture.
Eight sessions will take place between October 2026 and September 2027, both in person and online, with researchers and practitioners from different disciplines.
The first session, “Forming Community”, will take place online on October 6, 2026, from 12:00 to 13:30 (BST), and will feature Rosie Paul, Nadia Everard and Kasia Howard.
Call for Entries Open for the Philippe Rotthier European Prize for Architecture
The Fondation Philippe Rotthier pour l’Architecture has launched the call for entries for the 15th edition of the Philippe Rotthier European Prize for Architecture, which will be held in Brussels in 2027.
Awarded every three years, the prize recognizes architectural and urban projects completed within the past five years that have collective and cultural value, engage with the history of their city, are rooted in their context, or stand out for their use of natural and sustainable materials.
International Competition “The Myth of Alexanderplatz”
The Architekten- und Ingenieurverein zu Berlin-Brandenburg has launched the international competition “The Myth of Alexanderplatz”, seeking proposals for Alexanderplatz and its surroundings, one of Berlin’s most emblematic urban spaces.
The competition is open to professionals in urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture and related disciplines. The registration deadline is January 25, 2027, and proposals may be submitted until February 8, 2027.
Presentation of Disfuncional funcionalismo, by David Rivera
On September 15, the book “Disfuncional funcionalismo. Ideología, arquitectura y crisis 1945-1980”, by David Rivera and published by Ediciones Asimétricas, was presented at La Central del Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
The book examines the transformations and contradictions of functionalism and the debates that shaped architectural culture between 1945 and 1980. The presentation featured the author, José Ignacio Linazasoro and Eduardo Prieto.
New Book on Traditional Japanese Woodworking
On September 28, 2026, Traditional Japanese Woodworking: Mastering the Timeless Art of Joinery, by Japanese master carpenter Takami Kawai, will be published.
The book presents the fundamental principles, tools and techniques of traditional Japanese woodworking, characterized by its complex timber joints made without nails, metal fittings or adhesives. Through more than 150 photographs, the publication explains how to prepare and use the tools and provides step-by-step instructions for ten types of traditional joints used in structures and furniture.
– Education –
Course on Making Paints with Natural Colours
On October 24 and 25, 2026, the course “Los colores naturales” will take place in Madrid, taught by master painter and scagliola artist Luis Prieto and organized by La Montaña Habitada.
The course will focus on making paints from natural materials and pigments and will take place at Luis Prieto’s stucco workshop, located at C/ Don Pedro, 7, in the La Latina neighbourhood. The course fee is €200 per person.
Information and bookings: lamontanahabitada@gmail.com
Course on Decorative Clay Finishes
From October 23 to 25, 2026, the Escuela Taller Cobijo Natural, in Alberite (La Rioja), is organizing a course on decorative clay finishes taught by Rocío Merlos López.
The workshop will explore mortar formulation techniques, additives and their functions, the creation of textures, clay sgraffito, pigmentation, and smooth stucco finishes with or without glazes. It is aimed particularly at people with previous experience in applying mortars.
Workshop on Heritage and Landscape in the Goulmima Oasis
Taller&Patrimoine, in collaboration with INTBAU Morocco, Associazione Culturale NOSTOI and the Association Ghris pour la Culture, le Sport et les Activités Sociales (AGCSAS), is organizing the “Technology of the Desert” workshop, which will take place from October 22 to 28, 2026, in Goulmima, Morocco.
Over the course of a week, participants will study the oasis landscape, shaped over centuries through the collective management of water and land. The programme will combine fieldwork, analysis and design proposals with lectures, visits and meetings with the local community.
Applications are open until September 20, 2026.
More information: tallerpatrimoine.contact@gmail.com
Fresco Painting Course in Florence
The Accademia Fiorentina di Affresco is organizing Module I of its buon fresco training programme in Florence, dedicated to the traditional technique of fresco painting with lime and mineral pigments.
The course will be taught by master painter Massimo Callossi, a student of Pietro Annigoni who collaborated for decades with Romano Stefanelli on various fresco projects, including work at Montecassino and in Assisi.
This first edition will take place from November 16 to 28, 2026, in Florence, and the programme will be offered again in 2027.
International Conference “Living Vernaculars: Heritage, Resilience and Innovation” in Kathmandu
Kathmandu University and the International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements (ISVS) are organizing the International Conference “Living Vernaculars: Heritage, Resilience and Innovation”, dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of vernacular heritage and its relationship with contemporary urban challenges.
The conference will address topics such as vernacular systems as living heritage, the transmission of traditional knowledge and crafts, adaptation to climate change, the conservation and transformation of heritage, and innovation applied to vernacular environments.
The call for proposals is open until September 30, 2026. Registration will open on October 10.
5th International Hispano-Arabic Gardening Meeting in Málaga
On October 22 and 23, 2026, the 5th International Hispano-Arabic Gardening Meeting will take place in Málaga, organized by the Asociación Española de Parques y Jardines Públicos (AEPJP) and the Ayuntamiento de Málaga. The event will be held at the Colección del Museo Ruso, in the Antigua Tabacalera.
The programme will bring together specialists in garden history, preservation and culture to explore the legacy of Hispano-Arabic gardening, from the landscapes inherited from al-Andalus and the earliest gardens of the Alhambra to the current challenges of their conservation. The event will include lectures, round-table discussions and a visit to the Alcazaba of Málaga.
Terra World Congress
From April 19 to 22, 2027, the 14th edition of the Terra World Congress will take place in Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), an international event dedicated to the study and conservation of earthen architecture and cultural landscapes, as well as contemporary architecture built with earth.
Organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, under the auspices of ICOMOS-ISCEAH, the congress will focus on the theme “Managing Change in Earthen Cultural Landscapes”. The programme will include lectures, case studies and activities focused on the research, conservation and management of earthen built heritage.
International Conference “Cuando la piedra habla. Narrativas del patrimonio construido”
The call for papers is now open for the International Conference “Cuando la piedra habla. Narrativas del patrimonio construido”, which will take place in Salamanca from March 9 to 12, 2027.
The registration fee includes participation in the Conference and the publication of selected contributions by Tirant Lo Blanch.
Gaudí International Congress 2026
Registration is now open for the Gaudí International Congress 2026, which will take place from October 22 to 25, 2026, at La Pedrera in Barcelona.
The Congress will bring together researchers, practitioners and educators to explore the work of Antoni Gaudí, with a programme of lectures, paper presentations and activities focused on architecture, heritage, research and technology.
Early-bird tickets will be available until September 30.
International Conference “Reimaginar la ciudad histórica: Personas, Patrimonio y Futuro”
To mark its 25th anniversary, the Consorcio de la Ciudad de Toledo is organizing the International Conference “Reimaginar la ciudad histórica: Personas, Patrimonio y Futuro” on December 1, 2 and 3, 2026.
The Conference will address, from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, some of the main challenges facing historic cities, including heritage conservation, urban transformation, tourism pressure, access to housing, social change and sustainability.
The call for papers is now open. Deadlines, participation requirements and further information are available on the Conference website.
3rd International Conference on Architecture (CArch 2027)
NED University of Engineering and Technology will hold the third edition of the International Conference on Architecture (CArch 2027) on January 22 and 23, 2027, in Karachi, Pakistan, under the title “Contested Architectural Identities: Memory, Architectural Conservation, and the Built Environment”.
The Conference will address topics related to memory and cultural identity, heritage conservation and adaptive reuse, vernacular architecture, historic urban landscapes, building traditions, and the challenges posed by climate change and contemporary transformations of the built environment.
The call for papers is open until September 10, 2026. Selected papers must be submitted in full by November 2, 2026.
