Below you can find a selection of news related to traditional building, architecture and urban planning:
– Traditional Building Cultures Foundation –
Open call for professional collaborations
The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation has opened a call to incorporate several professional profiles to collaborate on projects currently in development. At this stage, the Foundation is seeking collaborators for three distinct lines of work related to the documentation, research, and transmission of traditional building knowledge, both in Spain and in international contexts.
The open positions include: the update and expansion of the Network of Traditional Building Masters in Spain and Portugal; the digitisation and organisation of the professional archive of a significant architectural practice, with on-site work in Seville; and Arabic–Spanish and Spanish-Arabic translation and interpretation for a stone construction training programme to be developed in Saudi Arabia during the second half of 2026. Applications must be submitted through the designated form.
The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation Participates in the Qatar Winter School
The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation took part in the Qatar Winter School, held from 21 December 2025 to 3 January 2026 at Heenat Salma Farm. The programme, organised by INTBAU Qatar and Caravane Earth under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Development & Family of Qatar, brought together students and professionals to develop an urban and architectural project based on traditional references from the region.
The school concluded with the exhibition Neighborhoods For Belonging. Harmony Through Tradition, which presented the outcomes of two weeks of work focused on designing an urban model for Doha inspired by the region’s historical precedents. The proposal explores neighbourhoods that are more walkable, better adapted to climatic conditions, and more socially inclusive, while ensuring continuity with local architectural culture. The Foundation contributed to the design process alongside an international faculty, within a framework of exchange shaped by the cultural and geographical diversity of the participants.
– News –
Master esparto artisan Pedro Antonio Blanco Ubalde wins the 2025 National Craft Award
The Ministry of Industry and Tourism of Spain hosted the award ceremony for the 18th edition of the National Craft Awards, which recognise individuals, workshops, and organisations that make an exemplary contribution to the preservation, renewal, and contemporary projection of craft trades in Spain.
Pedro Antonio Blanco Ubalde was awarded the Building Arts Award in 2017, organised by the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation in collaboration with INTBAU Spain.
Open call for the Hispania Nostra Awards for Good Practices in Cultural and Natural Heritage 2026
Hispania Nostra has opened the call for the 2026 Awards for Good Practices in Cultural and Natural Heritage, aimed at recognising exemplary initiatives carried out in Spain that contribute to the preservation, management, and dissemination of heritage.
The awards are granted in three categories—intervention in territory or landscape; heritage preservation as a factor for economic and social development; and heritage signage and dissemination—and consist of an honorary distinction accredited with a bronze plaque.
The deadline for submitting applications is 10 April 2026.
New European Master’s Programme TERRA in Architecture and Earth Construction
TERRA is a European Master’s programme in Architecture and Earth Construction, delivered as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master and funded by the European Union. The programme is jointly organised by the University of Minho, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État, and the University of Florence.
The call for applications for the first edition is open until 15 February 2026 and includes scholarships for candidates of any nationality.
– Education –
La Table Ronde de l’Architecture Summer Schools
In 2026, La Table Ronde de l’Architecture is organising two summer schools focused on traditional architecture and building trades, in collaboration with INTBAU Belgium and other institutions.
The first, “Alsace Summer School: Architecture & Crafts”, will take place in Alsace in July 2026 and will run for two to four weeks. The application deadline is 27 March 2026.
The second, “Conques Summer School: Vernacular Architecture”, will be held in Conques from 26 August to 7 September 2026. The application deadline is also 27 March 2026.
“Vernacular Architecture in the 21st Century: A Case Study of Nepal”
The UNESCO Chair in Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures and Sustainable Development has made a new lecture available to the public, now accessible on its YouTube channel.
The lecture, titled “Vernacular Architecture in the 21st Century: A Case Study of Nepal”, was delivered on 14 November 2025 by Nripal Adhikary and Pranathi (Kathmandu University, Founder at ABARI and Architect at ABARI).
