City University of Hong Kong
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Seminar

Date:              Thursday, September 28th
Time:             3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Venue:            Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chi Academic Building, 1301              
                       ZOOM: https://cityu.zoom.us/j/91568951156
Language:      English
Enquiry:         Dr Gianni Talamini (Tel: 3442 7618; email: gianntal@cityu.edu.hk)

******* ALL ACE STAFF & STUDENTS ARE WELCOME *******
 

Landscape, Materiality, Systems & Light

by

PhD Architect Borja FERRATER

Founding Partner Architect of OAB (Office of Architecture in Barcelona) and ELIA (Enterprise for Large International Architecture)

ABOUT THE TALK
In 2005 Carlos, Borja and Lucía Ferrater, together with Xavier Martí, decided to set up a new collective platform, Office of Architecture in Barcelona (OAB), based on what had been learnt in previous years. OAB picks up on the trajectory of the earlier CF Studio, whilst incorporating new ways of understanding architecture on the part of the members of the team in a richer, more varied, and more flexible way of approaching project design. A group of young architects, decided to turn the work of the studio into a collective experience. The renewal and creation of this new platform attempts to confront the challenges that the architecture of this century has posed in the intellectual and social, technological, and environmental fields.

Due to the success of OAB, the demand started to grow. In 2022 the partners decided to create a new company: ELIA. Both companies work together to give the best solution to our clients’ needs, providing a comprehensive service covering all stages of design, construction, and real estate, with a 360-degree approach. It has all the advantages of OAB’s experience, but also incorporates new strength and infrastructure to deliver large and complex projects. ELIA’s mission is to help our clients build their vision through a seamless design process, contributing to the sustainability and heritage of the world. It is primarily focused on delivering the best services, especially in the Middle East. Currently ELIA together with OAB has 10 ongoing projects in Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey and KSA.

The lecture will go around 4 main concepts in architecture: Systems (understood as the social organization of buildings), Landscape, Light and Materiality. The lecture will develop those concepts through several examples and works by OAB & ELIA in the last 15 years that confront the circumstances of working in many different scenarios, not only physical ones, but most importantly, intellectual new challenges. All these experiences will be connected by the exploration of geometry as a research tool that helps the architect in the search of innovative new forms in architecture.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Borja is a licensed architect, from the International University of Catalonia (UIC), 2005. He obtained his doctorate in April 2017. Between 2008 and 2011 Borja was Vice-Dean of Culture Publications and International Relations at the School of Architecture of UIC. He was Visiting Assistant Professor in 2011 in Pratt Institute, New York. Borja was also invited within the “Richard W. Trott Distinguished Visiting Professor” program at Ohio State University in 2017. Founding Partner Architect of OAB (Office of Architecture in Barcelona) together with Xavier Marti, Carlos & Lucia Ferrater in January 2006. Also Founding Partner and CEO of ELIA (Enterprise for Large International Architecture). He has received several awards for his designs as well as given lectures, participated in round tables and jury of prizes in more than 20 countries around the world. He has also had articles published about many of his works in multiple magazines, catalogues, and other publications.