About the foundation

FOUNDATIONS ARE NOT JUST INSTITUTIONS FOR THE COMMON GOOD, BUT ALSO AN EXPRESSION OF THE FREE SOCIETY IN WHICH WE WANT TO LIVE. WALTER SCHELL

The Arquia Foundation stands out for its ongoing work and interest in promoting architectural culture with the aim of improving the image of the architect and his work in society.

Our values are based on 4 key points: transparency in response to an increasingly demanding society, being crystal clear when showing not only how we manage the resources that we receive, but also showing the selection and award process of the various tenders held by the Foundation, whose common criterion is the annual renewal of each jury or panel.

Communication as a vehicle for reaching all stakeholders of the sector. Due to the intrinsic extraterritorial nature of the Foundation, the website is referenced as a dissemination and meeting point, bringing the reality of professionals to society in a global way, both on a national and international level.

Participation and good government, meaning the ability to optimise resources to the maximum.

The geographical scope of the Arquia Foundation extends throughout the European Union and Latin America, with it carrying out its activities mainly in Spain. Listed in the Register of Foundations of the Ministry of Culture, under no. 167, in its Order of 27 June 1990.

Company name:

Arquia Foundation - Tax identification number: G59417279 Listed in the Register of Foundations of the Ministry of Culture, with no. 167, in its Order of 27 June 1990

IF FOUNDATIONS DID NOT EXIST, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO INVENT THEM SO THAT THEY COULD CARRY OUT WHAT IS TO ME, THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTION: TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF SOCIETY, THE SOCIAL FOREFRONT. JOSÉ LUIS SAMPEDRO

Board of trustees and management

Señalados con (*) los miembros de la Comisión Delegada

Arquia Foundation organisation chart

Below, you can download the pdf of the organisation chart of the Arquia Foundation.

 Transparency and accountability represent the identity of the Arquia Foundation. As evidenced by our vision, we are committed to being an increasingly effective, efficient, well-managed, results-oriented, transparent organisation, accountable to both the profession and ultimately to society.

 Transparency and accountability are two key aspects for maintaining the trust and credibility of the profession and of society in the Arquia Foundation.

 The Arquia Foundation audits its accounts on an annual basis, which are registered in the appropriate public records. Via this page, we publish and continually update all the information linked to our activities.

Below are the different agreements that the Arquia Foundation signs with the different stakeholders involved in carrying out our activities

GRANT agreement - AF intern

Agreement resulting from the arquia/grants programme in which the Arquia Foundation and the intern agree the conditions of the non-working internships.

GRANTS - AF_Studio agreement

Agreement resulting from the arquia/grants programme and signed between the Arquia Foundation and the studio welcoming the intern, in which the conditions in which the intern will be received by the studio are agreed.

GRANT agreement - AF_schools

Agreement resulting from the arquia/grants programme and signed between the Arquia Foundation and the ETS of Architecture of the intern, the aim of which is to enable the validation of the internship undertaken at the destination studio as academic credits. The attached signed agreements correspond to the following schools of architecture: Valladolid, A Coruña, Camilo José Cela, CESUGA, Francisco de Vitoria, La Salle-Ramón Llull, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Salamanca, San Sebastián, Sevilla, Madrid, Granada, Europea, International University of Catalonia, Alfonso X el Sabio, Vallés, Barcelona, Valencia, S.E.K.

SPANISH NATIONAL LIBRARY agreement

Agreement resulting from the publications programme of the Arquia Foundation and signed between the Foundation and the National Library of Spain, in which the characteristics and conditions for the co-editing of the publication 'Architecture and Ornamentation drawings from the National Library. 19th century.' are agreed. (2 volumes)

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS 2014 agreement

Agreement between the Arquia Foundation and the Department of Architecture Housing and Land of the Ministry of Public Works, which establishes the cooperation requirements between the two entities for the undertaking of the promotional website and the dissemination of Spanish architecture, whereby both entities will contribute and share content.

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS 2015 agreement

Agreement between the Arquia Foundation and the Department of Architecture Housing and Land of the Ministry of Public Works, which establishes the cooperation requirements between the two entities for the undertaking of the promotional website and the dissemination of Spanish architecture, whereby both entities will contribute and share content.
With the same purpose, in the framework of the annual grant programme of the Arquia Foundation, they have created 3 internships in the Department of Architecture, Housing and Land of the Ministry of Public Works, aimed at generating part of the content of the web platform.

Convenio MINISTERIO de FOMENTO 2016

Convenio entre Fundación Arquia y la Dirección General de Arquitectura Vivienda y Suelo del Ministerio de Fomento que establece las bases de cooperación entre ambas entidades para la realización de la web de promoción y difusión de la arquitectura española en la que ambas entidades aportan y comparten contenidos.
Con la misma finalidad, en el marco del programa anual de becas de la Fundación Arquia se han convocado 3 becas de prácticas en la Dirección General de Arquitectura, Vivienda y Suelo del Ministerio de Fomento, orientadas a la generación de una parte del contenido de la plataforma web.

2017 MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS Agreement

Agreement between the Arquia Foundation and the Department of Architecture, Housing and Land of the Ministry of Public Works, which establishes the cooperation requirements between the two entities for the undertaking of the promotional website and the dissemination of Spanish architecture, whereby both entities will contribute and share content.
With the same purpose, in the framework of the annual grant programme of the Arquia Foundation, they have created 3 grants for internships in the Department of Architecture, Housing and Land of the Ministry of Public Works, aimed at generating part of the content of the web platform.

ESADE Agreement

With the aim of contributing to the training of the architect and regarding professional growth, the Arquia Foundation, in collaboration with the ESADE business school, presents the Master's in Business Management and Administration, the arquia banca Corporate MBA, which provides the architect or professional linked to the architectural field with personal resources and leadership and entrepreneurship skills that enable new business visions or the creation of companies characterised by innovation, creativity, offering distinctive and competitive quality services to society, adapted to the current context.

BCN Activa Agreement - Entrepreneurship Grant

The Arquia Foundation, in collaboration with Barcelona Activa, offers one Social Entrepreneurship Grant aimed at developing a sustainable business project with a strong social component, in order to encourage and support the creation of business initiatives that aim to achieve a positive impact in society by solving current population problems, from a social or environmental aspect.

SOLÀ-MORALES AWARD Agreement

The Arquia Foundation and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, through the Urbanism Laboratory of Barcelona (LUB), linked to the Department of Urban Planning and Land Management (DUOT) of the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB), wish to reach an agreement to publish the doctoral thesis that received the biennial doctoral thesis prize for urban planning, 'Manuel de Solà-Morales European Prize', in the arquia/thesis collection of the Arquia Foundation.

Thyssen Bornemisza Foundation Agreement

Collaboration to hold a cycle of talks and debates that addresses the trajectory of the architect Rafael Moneo

Protocol between Ordem dos Arquitectos, Arquia Banca and the Arquia Foundation

Its purpose is to maintain the cooperation requirements between Ordem dos Arquitectos of Portugal and Caja de Arquitectos S. Coop. de Crédito and the Arquia Foundation, with the aim of Caja de Arquitectos S. Coop. de Crédito establishing 2 agencies in Portugal (Lisbon and Porto).

Cáritas Agreement

Its purpose is to actively collaborate in the fight against energy poverty and support the right of people to decent housing. Housing adaptation programme for people at risk of social exclusion or with special needs.

Cáritas Agreement - AF

Agreement whose purpose is to contribute to improving the housing conditions of vulnerable families who turn to Cáritas.

Spanish Red Cross Agreement

Its purpose is to regulate the collaboration between the parties in relation to the projects developed both by the employment plan of the Spanish Red Cross and by the Professional Reactivation Programme, with the aim of including people from the architecture sector affected by the economic crisis in such projects.

COA-Granada Agreement

Specific and personalised programme of support, guidance and socio-occupational advice for architecture professionals with individualised actions aimed at improving their employability.

COAVN - AF Agreement

Its purpose is the total or partial incorporation of the COAVN Awards Directory, as well as the information sheets, for their incorporation into the AF Directory, carrying out a process of (total or partial) adaptation of these sheets, so they can be accessed, viewed and used.

Coderch - AF Agreement

Agreement for the cataloguing and digitalisation of the Coderch Archive, between Ana Coderch, representing the heirs of the legacy of the architect José Antonio Coderch de Sentmenat (1913-1984) and the Director of the Arquia Foundation, Gerardo García-Ventosa. The Coderch Archive comprises around 9,800 documents, classified into 875 folders and including plans, sketches, technical and work documentation, invoices, receipts, photographs and other types of document. It was archived at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Vallès from 1997 to 2014, and during this time, it was open to researchers.

Royal Academy of Arts - AF Agreement

Its purpose is the stay at the RA of an architecture student or a recently graduated architect selected by the AF to carry out a professional internship.

Fundació Miró Agreement

Its purpose is the collaboration of both institutions for carrying out joint cultural activities.

2019 Barcelona Activa Agreement

Its purpose is to regulate the collaboration between the two entities in the Barcelona Activa Social Entrepreneurship programme.

Amigos del Museo del Prado Agreement

Its purpose is the support of the work of the Fundación Amigos del Prado by the Arquia Foundation.

2018 Spanish Red Cross - AF - Q Agreement

Its purpose is to regulate the collaboration between the parties in relation to the projects developed both by the employment plan of the Spanish Red Cross and by the Professional Reactivation Programme, with the aim of including people from the architecture sector affected by the economic crisis in such projects.

2018 COA-Seville - AF Agreement

Its purpose is to regulate the collaboration between the Seville COA and the Arquia Foundation in relation to the proceedings of the Professional Reactivation Programme.

2019 Spanish Red Cross - AF - Q Agreement

Its purpose is to regulate the collaboration of the Arquia Foundation with the Spanish Red Cross Employment Plan by including university graduates from the architecture sector affected by the economic crisis into this plan in order to improve their employability through socio-occupational insertion itineraries that improve their skills and their training to access sectors with greater demand.

2019 Mies van der Rohe Foundation - Film Archive Agreement

Its purpose is to establish the terms and conditions regarding the total or partial incorporation of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation Audiovisual Fund into the Arquia Foundation Film Archive, (totally or partially) digitalising the audiovisual works it contains

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Agreement - 2019

Agreement that regulates the conditions for collaboration between the Arquia Foundation and the MNCARS for selecting the elements and documents to be digitalised from the total documentation included in the Coderch Archive, as well as for the edition of a monograph on the work of the architect José Antonio Coderch de Sentmenat, in order to promote and disseminate the work of this architect.

Framework Agreement  Spanish Foreign Office - 

Its purpose is to promote the restoration of the Palacio de Santa Cruz-Palacio de Viana complex, the traditional headquarters of the Department in Madrid, as well as to carry out, within the Government's External Action Strategy, an Action Plan for Improving the Representations of Spain, aimed at maintaining, enhancing and publicising this heritage, whilst at the same time contributing to the promotion, whenever possible, of the presence of our best architects in actions to be carried out as part of these Representations, as an example of culture and the values of our country. 

The transfer of resources to the Fund for Education and Promotion from the Caja de Arquitectos to the Arquia Foundation is its main source of income, which is complemented by its heritage products and the return on investment for some activities.

A set of general rules of behaviour required of any person who is linked to our organisation, consistent with our identity, image and objectives. It typifies a series of non-conforming behaviours, some of which require further development (e.g. fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest or workplace and sexual harassment), which is why they are complemented by specific documentation that is mentioned below.

Docomomo Ibérico Foundation

Founding member of the Foundation, which aims to promote the study, protection and dissemination of architecture and urban planning of the twentieth century, and especially of the modern movement. DoCoMoMo is the acronym for "Documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the modern movement". The Iberian section includes the Spain and Portugal (www.docomomoiberico.com).

Spanish Biennial of Architecture

The Foundation has been present in the 6th, 7th and 8th editions of the Spanish Biennial of Architecture held in 2001, 2003 and 2005 respectively. Later, the Foundation was a member of the organising committee of the Spanish Biennial of Architecture, together with the Ministry of Housing, and the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain in the 10th BEAU, 11th BEAU and 13th BEAU, held respectively in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Alejandro de la Sota foundation

Collaboration agreement for the digitalization of documentary collections of the Foundation (www.alejandrodelasota.org).

Ibero-American Architecture and Urban Planning Biennial

The Foundation has participated as a partner in the organisation of the Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urban Planning (BIAU), together with the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain in the 7th BIAU, held in Medellin in 2010, and the 8th BIAU, held in Cádiz in 2012.

Venice Biennial

The Foundation participates as a partner of the Ministry of Public Works in publishing the catalogue of the "Spanish Pavilion. 13th International Architecture Exhibition. Venice Biennial, 2012."

Absent Architectures Exhibition

In 2004, the Foundation participated as a partner of the Ministry of Housing in the organisation of the roaming exhibition, Absent Architectures of the 20th Century, which brought together twenty-four examples of architecture of the 20th century that were not built, demolished or altered.

The Arquia Foundation presented a scale reproduction of the project Restaurant in Hannover, by the architect Arne Jacobsen. The research was led by the architect Félix Solaguren-Beascoa.