Luis Ybarra: “Construction has to move towards an ever more industrial, efficient and sustainable process”
Architect and EDDEA founding partner Luis Ybarra reflects, in an interview for the digital platform ‘Porcelanosa in’, on how the studio has evolved since its beginnings and on some of its most significant projects, while also discussing wider questions in architecture, with particular emphasis on challenges such as energy efficiency and industrialisation in building.
On the latter, he says that “we have a great deal of unfinished business, because architecture has been done in practically the same way for a century and a half”. He adds that “we have to move towards an ever more industrial process, because it brings savings in cost and in the green life of the building; the Passivhaus concept is fundamental, as are sustainability in construction and ratings… It is something that is valued more and more.”
Ybarra notes that EDDEA does a good deal of coastal residential work, “with many foreign clients, who value everything related to energy efficiency far more than local buyers do”. And this is not confined to the luxury market: “An average client, a retiree from central Europe, demands that their product be sustainable from construction through to demolition. Developers are doing well in this respect and are committing to it, even if it costs somewhat more,” he says.
In the architect’s view, industrialisation is forcing the sector to work differently because of the “continuous evolution” it is undergoing. It is, he asserts, a process that “keeps moving forward and cannot be stopped. It has to come, one way or another.”
Luis Ybarra also reflects on the key to the success of any architectural project, which in his opinion lies in working together. “You have to work with the client from the very beginning, bringing in all the stakeholders, even the contractor if possible. Between the moment the client buys a plot and the moment the building goes on sale there are many filters, barriers where information and control are lost,” he stresses.
EDDEA’s origins
Turning to the origins of EDDEA, founded in Seville in 1992, he explains that “it started from scratch, from the partnership of three classmates from the School of Architecture with no family tradition, in a small studio where we did everything. We were lucky enough to ‘land’ projects and grow, and to attract talent.” He also underlines the importance of internationalisation, a process begun in 2004 that remains one of the cornerstones of the practice: “We are still very strong beyond our borders, in Russia, Morocco, Taiwan and elsewhere.”
The studio, with a multidisciplinary team of around 60 people, works in architecture, urban planning and a discipline that brings the two together, the strategic planning of territories, projects and ideas, which calls for collaboration across many different fields.
Significant projects
Among the practice’s most significant current projects, Luis Ybarra highlights the planning and design of Seville’s new Port Urban District (Distrito Urbano Portuario). “It is very emblematic for us, especially because it is taking shape in our own city. We are a Seville firm and we like to say so: we work for the rest of the world, but from Seville.”
In his view, much of the project’s importance lies in the strategic nature of the site for the city. Today it is “a stretch of the river that is very neglected and has spectacular potential. I don’t believe in artificial solutions: if we don’t connect properly with the city and make it attractive, if you don’t bring people there, you are left with a desert. We want it to be 100% city.”
Another project of great significance for EDDEA is the Kaohsiung Pop Music Centre in Taiwan. “We have been fortunate that the world association of property developers, of real estate, has just given us the world award for Cultural Project. We are delighted, although the pandemic made it impossible for us to attend the opening,” he says.
Teamwork
Finally, the interview turns to what Luis Ybarra considers essential for the profession’s future practitioners: “We have always believed in teamwork. The architect who can do everything does not exist, and that is not what the market asks for today. We need people who know how to work in a team, who recognise their limitations and are able to recognise the strengths of the person beside them.”
“Alongside this, knowledge of techniques is fundamental. There is new software and you have to be completely up to date. And, of course, languages, an area where unfortunately we are finding many shortcomings,” he emphasises.
“Lastly, there is another point I consider very important: we really like talent to learn about the business, in the sense of understanding that the client is our goal. The person who has to be satisfied is not only the one who hired us, but also the end user of whatever we deliver, be it a museum, a hospital or a home. We must always put the client at the centre,” the EDDEA partner concludes.