Josep Ferrando is a Barcelona-based architect, educator, and cultural manager known for his multifaceted approach to architecture, which integrates craftsmanship, academia, and cultural leadership. Spain’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the national body responsible for policy on housing, urban planning, land use, and architecture, invited Ferrando to curate an exhibition highlighting how collective projects involving architects, organizations, and communities can meet basic needs such as housing and essential services—particularly for vulnerable populations.

The exhibition, Architecture is Cooperation, closes at the end of this month. It celebrates cooperation in architecture as both an act of generosity and a vital tool for addressing urgent social challenges.

In curating the show, Ferrando selected projects for their measurable social impact, active community participation, and effectiveness as models of collaboration between architects and local residents. The exhibition was conceived as a physical manifesto to embody principles of conscious, respectful, and adaptive building. The central aim was to demonstrate through materials and design how building together can foster dignity, solidarity, and global transformation.

ARTICLE: "Architecture Is Cooperation": Collective Projects that Build with Communities and Professionals

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