Javier Barba was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1948. The son and grandson of architects, Javier grew up immersed in the world of Architecture. After graduating from secondary school, Barba did not doubt his choice of careers and enrolled in the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1967.

In 1972 he joined his father´s firm, where he gained experience but yearned for a different type of architecture, breaking off from the rationalist of Le Corbusier and feeling more inspired by Frank Llloyd Wright. His development as an architect came from his work; each building was in itself an experiment and an evolution, leading to the next so that one can see progression of forms, with his master being the natural enviroment itself. In 1980 he formed his own practice, Estudio BC. In a time of mass production of impersonal buildings, Barba has been faithful to the idea of ¨ haute couture¨ Instead of ¨pret a porter¨ architecture, fitting each site with a building appropiate to its characteristics.
Recognized as one of the leaders of the Green Movement of Integrated Architecture, Barba has lectured at home at the University of Barcelona and the University of Seville, and abroad at the Ben Gurion University in Israel, at the Congress on Sustainable Architecture in Crete, at the International Congress on Sustainability and at the University of Monterrey Mexico.

In 1989 the Comission of the European Community chose the Llavaneras semi- buried house to feature in Project Monitor as an example of one of the best bioclimatic constructions in Europe.
In 1993 Barba contributed an article on Integrated Bioclimatic Architecture to the George Wright Forum and has been invited to participate in international competitions amongst which was the Cathedral of St. Vibiana in Los Angeles.
Barba´s work has been published in many international magazines and has been features on the covers of several.

Estudio BC Architects

 

President	Javier Barba
Project Director	Susana Zanón
Collaborators	Cynthia Fittipaldi Joan Sistach Soler Carlos Gassol Valldosera    Ruben Fondevila Oriol Casamitjana Gabriel Barba Pedro De Salvador Morell Sergio Martinez Escriche Marc Estrugo Eduardo Reguant Guido Fiszson Marta Alonso Margarida Moiteiro Antonio Aller Jordi Barba

 

Estudio BC Architects is composed of a group of professionals from different countries who share a work philosophy and whose talent and sensitivity contribute to the elaboration of the different phases of a project.

 

Estudio BC Architects

Work Methodology

At the beginning of a commission, there are two essential elements that stimulate creativity and concepts:
-It is essential to get to know the client and his necessities. Through a series of meetings our objective is to clarify our understanding of his requirements, his lifestyle , his expectations, and dreams. As a result, a true collaboration , participation and mutual involvement is established from the beginning of the project, which is solidified during the development of the project, the successive presentations and throughout the construction process.
- Secondly,the land itself is the key to a good design solution so it is essential to how to interpret its topography, vegetation,climate, solar orientation,views, colours, textures and local materials, which are essential elements and often may be the leit motiv of a design proposition.

A project is developed in four phases: Preliminary drawings, Schematic drawings, Design development and Working drawings. Each of these steps, from the sketches of the first ideas to the construction details make up a series of design notebooks.
In addition, scale models both of the land and the beginning design are made in order to understand the peculiarities of the site as well as to visualize the building on the site and study its volumnes and mass in relation to the land.
Finally, the site supervision is fundamental in materializing the project. Giving the finishing touches in situ lends to the uniqueness of the project and its essential identity.