Below you can find a selection of news related to traditional building, architecture and urban planning:
– News –
Traditional Architecture Drawing Competition
La Table Ronde de l’Architecture and INTBAU Belgium have launched a new drawing competition aimed at highlighting traditional architecture from regions around the world. Submissions must be sent by May 19, 2025, and should depict an existing house or residential complex. Only hand-drawing techniques are accepted.
Selected works will be exhibited in Bruges and other venues (to be confirmed), as well as in an online exhibition. Prizes will be awarded for the most popular drawing on Instagram (May 24–31), the selection by La Table Ronde, and the winner chosen by Ben Pentreath Ltd. The prize will consist of a set of books.
Call for Entries: 2025 Hispania Nostra Awards for Best Practices in Cultural and Natural Heritage
These awards aim to recognise and promote exemplary projects carried out in Spain in the field of cultural and natural heritage. They are granted to completed works distinguished by their quality and exemplary nature.
The awards are presented in three categories:
– Intervention in the territory or landscape
– Heritage conservation as a factor for economic and social development
– Signage and dissemination of cultural and natural heritage
ICAA Announces the Winners of the 2025 Arthur Ross Awards
The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) has announced the winners of the 2025 Arthur Ross Awards, which celebrate excellence in the classical tradition across a range of disciplines. The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, May 12, in New York City, where the following recipients will be honored:
– Architecture: Hugh Petter (United Kingdom)
– Interior Design: Brockschmidt & Coleman (United States)
– Craftsmanship: Hank Silver (France)
– Landscape Design: Craig Bergmann (United States)
– Historic Preservation: New York Landmarks Conservancy (United States)
In addition, the Board of Directors has recognized writer and editor Clive Aslet for his outstanding contribution.
Morón de la Frontera Celebrates the 2025 European Days of Crafts
As part of the 2025 European Days of Crafts, the Museo de la Cal in Morón de la Frontera will host a special event on April 5, running from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The program will include lectures, panel discussions, and a guided tour of the museum, creating a space for dialogue and exchange on the value of traditional craftsmanship and its role in the preservation of cultural heritage.
– Education –
Registration now open for the upcoming edition of Oasis Campus
The workshop, organized by Terrachidia, will take place in the Inzerki Oasis, Morocco, from April 26 to May 3, 2025. Places are limited.
In Inzerki participants will have the opportunity to study local architecture in depth and through hands-on experience, focusing on traditional building techniques such as dry stone, rammed earth, and adobe. They will also work on the construction of roofs using juniper wood and the application of earth-based plasters and tadelakt, all under the guidance of master craftsmen.
Registration Open for the 2025 Bunești School
The Bunești School in Romania has announced a series of hands-on workshops focused on vernacular architecture and natural building techniques. This immersive program, led by architect Ana Maria Goilav together with local and international experts, offers participants both theoretical and practical training.
The week-long workshops will take place between April and August. Each session will include morning lectures on vernacular architecture and hands-on activities led by master artisans.
Traditional Stone Paving Courses by Amara Carvajal
Amara Carvajal, a member of the Spanish Network of Traditional Building Masters, will offer a series of specialized courses this year on the technique of traditional stone paving. The scheduled courses are as follows:
– Ibort (Huesca) – May 16–18, organized by Elena Parra (information: elenaparra0@gmail.com)
– Torrijo de la Cañada (Zaragoza) – June 13–15, organized by @ladevanadera.rurales
– Used (Zaragoza) – July 18–20, organized by @asociacionfuset
– Mansilla de las Mulas (León) – August 18–22, organized by @homofabercursos
For more information on registration and course details, please contact the organizers directly.
Upcoming Workshops on Traditional Building Techniques Organized by the Museo de la Cal de Morón
Throughout March and April, several hands-on workshops will be held focusing on the use of traditional materials and techniques in construction and heritage restoration.
– March 22–23: The Museo de la Cal de Morón will host a hands on Workshop on the application of Tadelakt, led by José Calvente.
– March 29: At Estudio Bagua, Plaza Cervantes 21, 1-1, Alcalá de Henares, an Intensive introductory workshop on artistic sgraffito technique will be held, taught by Ingrid G. Cruz.
– April 23–25: The Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (Seville) will host a hands-on workshop on lime and its uses in the restoration of historic heritage and old buildings, led by Luis Prieto.
Introductory workshop on dry stone construction: Terraces
The Museo Cal de Morón is organizing a hands-on introductory workshop on dry stone construction, focused on the building of terraces. The activity will take place on April 26 and 27, 2025, in Braojos de la Sierra (Madrid), and will be led by Luis García Valera. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about this traditional technique.
Call for Applications: International Master’s in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions
Applications are open until May 20, 2025, for the Advanced Master in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions (SAHC). The program is organized by a consortium of European universities, including the University of Minho (Portugal), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), the Czech Technical University in Prague, the University of Padua (Italy), and the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The master’s program combines advanced research with practical application.
– Conferences, seminars and lectures –
INTBAU World Congress 2025
The fifth INTBAU World Congress will take place in London from 22 to 24 October 2025, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the organization.
The program will include site visits, lectures, and a dedicated day focused on the future of traditional architecture. The event will be held at Chelsea Old Town Hall, with an additional visit to Nansledan on 25 October. Full event details will be announced soon.
INTBAU Qatar Congress at the Earthna Summit
The INTBAU Qatar Congress will take place on 22 and 23 April as part of the Earthna Summit, held at Bin Jelmood House in Msheireb, Doha. The event will bring together experts and professionals from around the world to discuss traditional and sustainable architecture. Further details, including registration information, will be announced soon.
La Milarca presents a lecture series with architect Enrique Nuere
The cultural center La Milarca, located in San Pedro Garza García, Mexico, is hosting a lecture series by architect Enrique Nuere Matouco, a renowned specialist in traditional Mudejar carpentry.
On Monday, March 31, he will give a talk titled “The Ceilings of La Milarca”, followed by “The Ceilings of the Alhambra” on Tuesday, April 1. Both sessions will take place at 7:00 PM in Parque Rufino Tamayo. Admission is free until full capacity is reached.
Baltanás to Host the 5th International Forum Congress on Historic Winery Districts
The City Council of Baltanás (Palencia) has announced the 5th edition of the International Forum Congress on Historic Winery Districts, to be held on April 3 and 4, 2025, at the Centro Cultural Polivalente de Baltanás. Under the theme “Tradition, Protection, and Conservation”, the event will bring together experts, researchers, and professionals to discuss the preservation of these unique architectural ensembles linked to viticultural culture.
The winery district of Baltanás, declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest), is a landmark of ethnographic and architectural heritage in the Cerrato Palentino region. Comprising 374 cellars excavated into a hillside and arranged across six levels, it is one of the most remarkable examples of underground winery architecture in the Iberian Peninsula.
Baltanás was also one of the selected sites in the most recent edition of the Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition, organized by the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation in collaboration with INTBAU Spain.
Lecture: “Arquitectura vernácula. Los Putucos de Puno, Perú”
The UNESCO Chair “Earthen architecture, building cultures and sustainable development” has organized a new lecture titled “Arquitectura vernácula. Los Putucos de Puno, Perú”, delivered by Daniela Paredes Malma (Universidad Católica San Pablo and Universitat Rovira i Virgili).
