Presentation of the Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters

The Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters is a national directory of good practices in the fields of traditional construction and its restoration. The aim of this directory has been to bring together people and businesses which carry out a work of remarkable value in different traditional crafts linked to constructions. Those which, in each region, stand out in the preservation and the continuation of these crafts.

These traditional arts have gathered for centuries the knowledge of uncountable generations on the sustainable use of the resources of a place and the essential rules for the creation of beautiful and comfortable environments. It is these arts the ones which have allowed to create the material heritage we admire today, and without which the conservation of this heritage in the long-run is condemned to absolute failure. They are the result of our culture and our territory, a hallmark which makes unique the construction carried out in each region, and in sum, an irreplaceable amount of knowledge which has been collected relating to the environment and how to live in it respectfully and profitably in the long term.

Today, however, they are on the verge of extinction, and with them, a key part of our culture and our heritage. Decades of lack of interest have led to an irreversible loss. Fashions from elsewhere, standardized products and vulgar substitutes have replaced the traditional architecture of our landscapes. Only a small sample of these traditions are still alive, and we must preserve them, promote them and cultivate them as the precious legacy they truly are.

In this situation, both in the field of new traditional architecture and in the one of the restoration of historic buildings, it is generally now a problem to identify the right artisans to carry out the different works in the different regions where these are to be developed. Frequently, apart from the great lack of knowledge on these crafts, we have to add the lack of efforts in order to promote these small businesses which are able to carry out these kinds of works. This finally leads to choosing industrial products and standardized techniques which are completely foreign to the local culture and local economy.

This project aims to contribute to changing this situation by giving these masters greater visibility at a national and international level. Its development has enabled to connect many people, apart from stimulating the recognition and respect towards these crafts by the different institutions in charge of preserving heritage. These institutions will also now be able to use and recommend this tool for the development of their own activities.

The Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters was recognized with the 2019 Hispania Nostra Award in the category of “Heritage conservation as a component of economic and social development” and also received a Special Mention of the Jury of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards in the same year.

Richard H. Driehaus

The Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters has been created thanks to the support of American philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus, who, from Chicago, during decades, has promoted and honoured the activity of all those who worldwide work to build a more beautiful and sustainable world.

A lover of Spanish and Portuguese heritage, thanks to his support and generosity in these last years those who practice the architecture, the urbanism and the arts and crafts of the diverse Iberian regions have been able in the last years to regain hope their knowledge and good practice can also be enjoyed by generations to come.

Team in charge of developing the project

Director of the project:
Alejandro García Hermida (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 2016 – Today)

Coordinators of the work teams:
Alejandro García Hermida (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 2016 – Today)
Rebeca Gómez-Gordo Villa (2016 – Today)
Camilla Mileto (Universitat Politècnica de València, 2017 – 2018)
Fernando Vegas López- Manzanares (Universitat Politècnica de València, 2017 – 2018)

Team:
Carolina Cabra Ankersmit (2019 – 2020)
Ángela Calvo García (2017)
Soledad García Sáez (2017 – 2018)
Guillermo Gil Fernández (2019 – Today)
Ana María Gil Valera (2017)
Ruth López Calzada (2016 – 2017)
Susana Lozano Rojo (2016 – 2017)
Carmen Moreno Adán (Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, 2016 – 2017)
Raquel Peña López (2016 – 2017)
Alba Ramírez Arteaga (2017 – 2019)
Santiago Rodríguez Pérez (2017 – 2018)
Paula San Nicolás Palanca (2017)
Paloma Sánchez Broch (2017 – 2018)
Raquel Soler Porras (2016 – 2017)
Salvador Tomás Márquez (2017 – 2018)
Lander Unzilla Cortaberria (Universidad del País Vasco, 2017 – 2018)

Website developers:
Lucho Dávila López (2016-2018)
Carmen García Hermida (2017-2018)
Jorge Mendoza (2016)

Expansion and update of the website:
Carmen García Hermida (2017 – 2019)
Guillermo Gil Fernández (2019 – Today)

Acknowledgments

Methodology

The methodology which has been used in the necessary investigation for the development of this directory has implied going to several sources of information and contrasting them. These sources include: the work previously carried out by the Institute of Spanish Cultural Heritage (IPCE) within the National Plan of Traditional Architecture, professional associations and schools, training centres of traditional crafts, networks of artisans, prestigious artisans, researchers on the subject, different departments within national, regional and local administrations, specialized bibliography, documentaries which have been present in different media, websites and platforms in social networks, etc.

This initial exploration allowed to, afterwards, deepen into the subject by carrying out many interviews to different professionals, teaching staff and researchers as well as, also, when it has been possible, to visit the actual artisans and their workshops to get to know them first hand and document their work methodologies.

The magnitude of the subject of study however, implies that the database which has been elaborated is likely to be incomplete, and that, on occasions, it will be rather unbalanced in terms of its development regarding the different regions and crafts. Plus, it is a field in constant evolution, therefore, periodic updates will be required.

Therefore we hope to be able to complete and enrich this work in future research campaigns and data collection.

National Plan of Traditional Architecture

The National Plan of Traditional Architecture developed by the Institute of Spanish Cultural Heritage (IPCE), belonging to the Ministry of Culture and Sports is a tool of information for the dissemination and promotion of Traditional Architecture.

It parts from the premise that it is a vulnerable Heritage which must be documented, researched on and protected, and it does so via different means in order to achieve its final aim.

The Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters has taken as a starting point the prior works of identification carried out within this plan which was coordinated by the professors Camilla Mileto and Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares.

More information on the National Plan for Traditional Architecture:

National Plan of Traditional Architecture

Presentation of the Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters

Richard H. Driehaus

Organizing institutions

Team in charge of developing the project

Methodology

National Plan of Traditional Architecture