FIMMA + Maderalia brings together leading architects to address the challenge of industrialised construction

Belén Moneo and Jeff Brock, Xavier Vilalta, Juan Trias de Bes and Pau Bajet are among the professionals taking part in the Forum of the new Industrialised Construction Show, which will debut a programme of conferences and round tables focused on housing, new construction systems and the challenges facing the sector.

FIMMA + Maderalia, which will take place from 10 to 13 November at Feria Valencia, has finalised the conference programme for the new Industrialised Construction Show, one of the major highlights of this edition. The space will bring together architects with national and international experience, specialist companies and professionals involved in construction innovation to analyse the opportunities and challenges of a model that is transforming the sector.

Notable participants include Belén Moneo and Jeff Brock, founders of the international Moneo Brock studio; Xavier Vilalta, founder of Vilalta Studio; Juan Trias de Bes, head of TdB Arquitectura; and Pau Bajet, co-founder of Bajet Giramé. Their professional backgrounds span international architecture and institutional projects, as well as architectural research, material innovation and new approaches to design and construction.

 

Leading architects

Belén Moneo and Jeff Brock, architects and founders of Moneo Brock, established their studio in New York in 1993. Based primarily in Madrid, they develop international architecture, urban planning and design projects. Their notable works include the Tiberius Thermal Baths at the Panticosa Spa and Columbia University’s NW Corner Building in New York, completed in collaboration with Rafael Moneo.

Xavier Vilalta, founder of Vilalta Studio, develops international architecture and urban regeneration projects that combine innovation, sustainability and adaptation to their surroundings. His work spans Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. In 2011, he was selected as a TED Fellow, a distinction that helped raise the international profile of his career.

Juan Trias de Bes, founder of TdB Arquitectura in 1992, has more than three decades of experience in institutional, corporate, residential and hotel projects. His works include the Grifols headquarters, the ESADE campus in Sant Cugat del Vallès and the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Barcelona. He combines his professional practice with research and university teaching.

Pau Bajet, co-founder of Bajet Giramé alongside Maria Giramé, represents a new generation of architects combining professional practice, research and teaching. After working at David Chipperfield Architects in London, he founded his studio in 2017. His awards include the 2024 ARQUIN-FAD Award in the City and Landscape category for the Camping Alfacs project.

 

The Architecture and Construction Forum, the centrepiece of the programme

The programme will revolve around the Architecture and Construction Forum, which will host a series of presentations and round tables on 11 and 12 November addressing the application of industrialised systems across different fields, from affordable housing and hotel accommodation to tourism projects, housing cooperatives and coliving. The agenda will also address strategic issues such as production capacity, the legislative framework, collaboration between stakeholders, and the potential to scale up solutions and processes.

On Wednesday, 11 November, the forum will open with a session dedicated to industrialisation projects in the residential, affordable housing, rental and hotel sectors. Alongside Belén Moneo and Jeff Brock, speakers will include Santiago Sanjuán (Qilak), Fernando Oiza (Woodville), Nacho Marín (Superestudio) and Fernando Olba (Olba A+U).

This will be followed by a round table examining the short- and medium-term challenges of industrialisation, with particular attention to legislative issues and production capacity. Participants will include Diego Cuadrado (Terraneum), Cristóbal Ruiz (TM Grupo Inmobiliario), Guerola Anrobox and Vicente García Nebot (Lekman Urbanistas).

The day’s programme will continue from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm with the session Industrialised Construction in Practice, organised by the Official College of Technical Architecture of València.

On Thursday, 12 November, the forum will focus on the challenge of industrialising projects related to tourism, housing cooperatives and coliving, as well as the application of 3D and 2D construction systems. The session will feature Marina Sanahuja (Voltes), Pau Bajet (Bajet Giramé), Carlos Pueyo (Adoras), Juan Trias de Bes (TdB Arquitectura) and Xavier Vilalta (Vilalta Studio).

The programme will continue with a round table on the sector’s growth potential and the limitations and opportunities of industrialisation, with particular attention to the systems and methods required to scale up processes. Speakers will include Tatiana Moya (Lignum Tech), José Luis Mateo (Quatrotablas), Daniel Guzmán (Ecohub) and Ángel Alfocea (Wes).

 

IVE to explore the path towards sustainable, high-quality architecture

As a prelude to the Architecture and Construction Forum, the conference Industrialised Construction: The Path Towards Sustainable, High-Quality Architecture, organised by the Valencian Institute of Building (IVE), will take place on Tuesday, 10 November.

The session will begin at 10:00 am with an address by Sebastián Fernández Miralles, Regional Secretary for Housing of the Valencian Government. At 10:15 am, Estefanía Martínez Martínez, Director General of EVHA, the Valencian Housing and Land Agency, will discuss the legal framework and innovative experiences in the development of industrialised publicly subsidised housing, including public tenders and factory, project and construction certifications.

The technical session, scheduled for 10:45 am, will bring together various experiences and practical case studies. Carlos Llopis Verdú, Head of the EVHA Promotion and Conservation Service, will present residential building projects in Albal, Utiel and Torrent. Meanwhile, César Jiménez Alcañiz, Deputy Director General of Healthcare Infrastructure at the Regional Ministry of Health, will explain how industrialisation is being applied to the design and construction of healthcare facilities. IVE architect Mar Alonso Monterde will complete this session with a presentation on BES certification and housing circularity.

The conference will also address the role of the sector’s ecosystem in developing this model, with a session dedicated to the Valencian Community Construction Innovation Cluster, delivered by Juan Antonio Pérez Sala, Director General of Housing Planning and Policy of the Valencian Government. The event is scheduled to conclude at 12:15 pm.

Attendance requires prior registration through the following form: https://forms.gle/XTEveMiDskTAN2Kt9

 

Innovation, collaboration and sustainability

The Industrialised Construction Show programme will be rounded off on Thursday, 12 November, with two additional conferences.

From 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm, Santiago de Taranco, CEO of Alberta Norweg and President of INNOCONSTRUC, an association affiliated with FEVEC, will address innovation, industrialisation and collaboration as tools for transforming the sector.

In the afternoon, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, Lorena Guerra, from FSC’s Brand and Market Development Unit, will deliver the conference Measuring to Lead: FSC as a Tool for Investing in Nature, focusing on the role of measurement and responsible management in nature-related investment decisions.

With this programme, FIMMA + Maderalia is strengthening the new Industrialised Construction Show as a meeting point for architects, companies and professionals interested in exploring real-world experiences, sharing knowledge and analysing the opportunities offered by the transformation of construction processes.