UIA 2026 Barcelona: Future-Proof Architecture Through Adaptability and Reuse

The UIA World Congress of Architects in Barcelona, held in June 2026, challenged architects to design inclusive buildings adaptable to climate change and evolving needs. Key speakers Andrés Jaque, Lacaton & Vassal, Petra Blaisse, and TAKK presented strategies for mutable architecture. TAKK's Mireia Luzárraga showcased the Seasonal House in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a 400 m² workshop-home with seasonal rooms instead of full climate control. Andrés Jaque proposed facades as habitats using cork and biological substrates to support biodiversity. Petra Blaisse urged attention to the living soil ecosystem beneath buildings. Jean-Philippe Vassal defended transformation over demolition, citing the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais project that converted a shipyard into an art center with a transparent addition. The congress emphasized that the most sustainable building is often the one that already exists. The central exhibition at Les 3 Xemeneies in Sant Adrià is open to the public until July 19.