Four Spanish artisans will receive 54,000 euros from US Foundation in recognition of their careers

The Richard H. Driehaus Building Arts Awards recognize the value of these master artisans and recover construction arts on the verge of disappearing

The Construction Arts Awards is one of the generous initiatives undertaken by US financier and philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus in Spain since 2012. These four awards are endowed with 54,000 euros and recognize the work of Spanish artisans in several construction trades that are essential for the preservation of our heritage. From metalwork and carpentry to glasswork, these are trades directly related to the preservation of our architectural heritage. Complementing these awards, the jury will grant the Donald Gray scholarship to an apprentice to enable study for a year with one of the building arts masters.

These awards seek to recover and enhance the value of building crafts on the verge of extinction due to the abandonment of old trades in favor of standardized production. Additionally, they contribute to protect the environment, since they use nonpolluting materials.

The awards are divided into four categories:

Category 1

Works with arches and vaults, vaulted stairways, stone carving and other brick and masonry projects

Category 2

Wooden roofs, ceilings and structures, furnishings, muqarnas, woodturning, woodcarving, doors and windows carpentry, and other wood works

Category 3

Tiles, mosaics, plasterwork, stucco, sgraffito, decorative flooring and other finishes

Category 4

Forgework, ironwork, stained glass windows and other traditional metal and glass works

The winner in each discipline will receive a cash prize of 10,000€.  The deadline for the submission of entries from candidates via the website is February 16th 2021.

Additionally, the jury will select one of the four winners, who will receive an additional endowment of 14,000€ for the training of an apprentice during one year.