TELEPHONE:
ADDRESS:
Carretera de Figueras a Portbou km 27,9 17493 Pedret y Marzá
ACTIVITY
Max Rutgers took up his trade professionally in 1994. Since then he has made a great range of wooden structures applying know-how from various construction traditions, both European and from further afield.
He has taken part in many building projects and refurbishments of wooden structures using… traditional techniques. Since 2007 he has been based in the Alt Empordà district, where he founded Max Madera.
As well as complete timber structures, he makes wooden architectural features such as stairs and pergolas, along with wood carvings and assemblies.
He has undertaken various restoration projects on monumental and historic buildings outstanding for their unique character.
TRAINING
Max Rutgers started his training as a woodworker in 1994 with Compagnons du Devoir. Their training system involves an international journey, with work experience in various companies in the sector supplemented by theoretical instruction. All this gives trainees a broad grasp of the woodworker’s trade.
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TEACHING
Max Rutgers also spends some of his time teaching and training students through various seminars and workshops. He works with Fundació Universitat de Girona in its MA in bioconstruction, with the Catalan Institute of Architects in its MA, and with the traditional architecture association GRETA,… among others.
Further to these courses, his firm receives national and international students from schools, programmes and institutions such as Compagons du Devoir (France), CEFA Montélimar (France), Techcollege Aalborg (Denmark), MA in Bioconstruction (Girona), the Josep Brugulat School (Banyoles) and the “Construcción Conectada” training scheme (Girona town council).
SELECTED WORK
Notable examples of his many projects are:
Work at Casa Burés, a landmark Art Nouveau building in the Eixample district of Barcelona. It was designed by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, a close associate of Antoni Gaudí, and built in 1900-05 for the textile industrialist Francesc Burés.… Max Madera’s team was selected to restore the 450m2 of the wooden roof structure. In particular they renewed 86 carved beam ends, each one unique. They consolidated those that could be salvaged and the ones with severe damage were carved anew in pinewood.
Rebuilding of “Claustre dels Gats” cloister in the Monastery of Pedralbes. Founded in 1327 by Queen Elisenda de Montcada, this convent is a distinctive historical and cultural testament to the Poor Claire community that has lived here continuously up to the present. The cloister’s state of disrepair required a full reconstruction of its beams and joists, using only traditional timber assembly techniques.
Restoration of the Church of Sant Andreu de Serinyà, dated to the 12th century. Here the Max Madera team was called upon when the refurbishment was already underway. The first issue was that the bell tower had been dismantled and so the former structure could not be taken as a reference. Here they opted for a 3D approach with traditional jointing and a triangulation system. This method allowed the old beams to be reused as well as the timber already ordered from the sawmill.
Renovation of roofs and beam structures at Mas El Giol in the Moianés district of Barcelona province. This typical Catalan farmhouse by the Church of Santa Coloma Sasserra was built using materials from a former fortified house on a nearby hill in the mid-16th century, forming a large, three-part farmstead.
