MINERAL. ARCHITECTURES OF URBAN MINING

In 2026, Barcelona will be the World Capital of Architecture, a major international event featuring activities across all districts, with a forward-looking vision and the active involvement of organisations and city residents. That summer, the city will also host the International Union of Architects (UIA) Congress, three decades after Barcelona last welcomed its nineteenth edition in 1996.

As part of this landmark year, in 2025 we are launching the ‘MINERAL. Architectures of urban mining’ urban innovation challenge, a collaboration between Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Municipal Infrastructures (BIMSA), the BIT Habitat Foundation, the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, the Barcelona Provincial Council and the UIA.

The challenge is built around a research-driven approach to urban mining and industrialisation that aims to develop a new product designed primarily for public spaces, although its applications could also extend to buildings.

The results of the research and innovation process will be showcased during the International Architecture Congress. In addition, pilot tests will be carried out as part of public space redevelopment projects across the city throughout 2026. These pilots will be monitored for one year to assess their effectiveness in achieving the expected outcomes.

BECOMING EMBODIED/BECOMING CIRCULAR

The UIA 2026 Congress is titled ‘Becoming: Architectures for a planet in transition’ and focuses on the role of time, transformation and change in spatial practice. The ‘MINERAL. Architectures of urban mining’ challenge aligns with two of the UIA Congress’s key research areas.

First, ‘Becoming Embodied’ explores materials’ agency by incorporating (embodying) the political, social, economic, ecological and poetic relationships that shape contemporary spatial practice. The way we extract, process, transport, transform, formalise and reuse flows and exchanges of materials must follow principles of social equity, the gender perspective, decolonisation, decarbonisation and the energy transition. At the same time, these material flows can inspire new ways of building – everyday expressions of a beautiful and unexpected constructive poetics.

Second, ‘Becoming Circular’ aims to explore new dynamics of producing and regenerating spaces within a post-extractivist framework. Since cities are often built on top of themselves, their infrastructures, buildings and materials should be seen as mines of resources. By re-purposing obsolete materials, we can create resources full of new opportunities while lowering the need for further extraction, a key driver of carbon emissions. Finding alternatives means rethinking how we manage spatial, material and energy flows, prioritising responsible material use through care, maintenance, repair and reuse over constant renovation. In this way, circularity unlocks new possibilities for design and architecture that respond to the complexities and demands of a future rooted in ecological and social justice.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are seeking innovative solutions/processes to reuse leftover materials from urban redevelopment projects and thereby create a new material (or find new uses for this construction waste) with architectural applications and value, thereby contributing to material circularity and urban decarbonisation. The solution should be primarily implemented in public spaces, though building-related proposals will also be considered.

All ideas must align with the following principles:

  • Innovation
  • Decarbonisation
  • Embodied
  • Circularity
  • Feasibility
  • Scalability and replicability 

Solutions that are not yet available on the market.

Minimising the solution’s carbon footprint throughout its entire life cycle.

Creating a new material (or a new use for waste/resources) with architectural applications and value.

Reusing construction waste from public works to lower the extraction of resources from the lithosphere and minimise the associated environmental and landscape impact.

Pilots must be ready for real-world testing in a test belt environment, with results that are attainable and verifiable.

The solution should have the potential to be replicated and scaled in different urban contexts.

Projects will be assessed based on the following criteria, among others:

  • Relevance of the project’s objectives and outcomes. Contribution to the urban challenge announced, with a focus on building innovation, architectural quality and future industrialisation of the solution.
  • Alignment with the proposed conceptual framework.
  • Quality and significance of future scenarios for a broader urban transformation and the long-term scalability of the proposal.
  • Credibility of the proposed methodology and of the required pilots/demonstrations.
  • Maturity and feasibility of the solution. Endorsement by representative organisations confirming its legitimacy.
  • Innovative and distinctive aspects that distinguish the solution from existing alternatives.

WHY TAKE PART? WHAT DO WE OFFER?

  • CO-FINANCING
  • PRIZE
  • PRESTIGE AND VISIBILITY
  • PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKING
  • KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND TRANSFER

A €150,000 grant will be awarded to the two winning projects (covering up to 80% of their cost).

A €6,000 prize will be awarded to shortlisted proposals from the first phase of submissions. Winning teams will be required to advance to Phase 2.

Winning projects will be showcased and promoted at the UIA Congress and Barcelona 2026. World Capital of Architecture.

Connection with the innovation ecosystem and other urban stakeholders.

Expert advice and support throughout the entire process. Participation and attendance in result-sharing sessions.

WHO IS TARGETED AT?

The following groups are invited to participate, either individually or as part of a consortium:

  • International architecture studios
  • Engineering firms
  • Local industry players
  • Universities and R&D centres
  • Foundations
  • Associations

 

Preference will be given to:

  • Organisations working with a cross-cutting, holistic approach
  • Organisations or groups of organisations adopting a multi-stakeholder approach

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

KEY DATES

03/03/2025 – 13.30h CET

Technical meeting and presentation of the challenge

27/03/2025

Launch of the call for proposals

25/04/2025 – 15 CET

Call closure

03/06/2025

Phase 1 decision

11/07/25 – 15 h CET

Call closure Phase 2

September 2025

Phase 2 decision

September 2025–May 2026

Research and prototyping phase

June–July 2026

Exhibition and participation in the UIA Congress

Summer 2026

Pilot project implementation in the urban environment

October 2026–September 2027 (12 months)

Monitoring in the public space

September–December 2027

Results reporting and knowledge transfer

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Bithabitat EN Dani Alsina

Director of Strategy and Innovation at Barcelona d’Infraestructures Municipals, S.A. (BIMSA)

He graduated in architecture from ETSAV School of Architecture (UPC) and has managed public spaces and building projects since 2009: innovative and award-winning projects such as those of Passeig de Sant Joan, Lleialtat Santsenca Civic Centre, Baró de Viver Civic Centre, Mar Bella Skatepark and the school environments of the “Protegim les Escoles” programme are worth particular mention.

He was the coordinator of the Barcelona Superilla Technical Office (2020-2023), in the phase in which the green axes and new squares at Consell de Cent, Girona, Rocafort and Comte Borrell were developed.  Promoter of the “Panel of the 21st century” innovative challenge. He previously worked as a project manager in an architectural studio.

Bithabitat EN Pau Bajet

Barcelona 2026 UIA Congress curator

Architect who graduated from ETSAB-UPC in 2013. Earned a PhD in 2023 from The School of Art, Architecture and Design at London Metropolitan University with a La Caixa Fellowship for Postgraduate Studies. He has been an Associate Professor of Architectural Design at ETSAB-UPC since 2017, and a Professor of Social Logics at MIAD, ETSALS-URL since 2020.

After four years at David Chipperfield Architects in London, he co-founded Bajet Giramé in 2017 with Maria Giramé. The practice was awarded the ARQUIN-FAD Award 2024 in the “City and Landscape” category for the Camping Alfacs project and was shortlisted for the 2024 AR Emerging Awards (UK), which recognise the 15 most relevant young architectural practices of the year.

Bithabitat EN Maria Buhigas

Chief Architect at the Barcelona City Council

Degree in Architecture from ETSAB (UPC) and Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University (New York). Previously, she worked professionally from her studio (2014–2023) and was part of the Barcelona Regional team (1999–2013), where she headed the Urban Strategy Department (2006–2013). She has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European agency ESPON (2017–19) and a councillor of the Barcelona City Council (2019–20).

Bithabitat EN Michael Donaldson

Managing Director of the BIT Habitat Foundation

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Barcelona and a master’s degree in Public Management from ESADE-UAB-UPF. He has served as Commissioner for Digital Innovation, Electronic Administration and Good Governance at Barcelona City Council (2019-2023) and Commissioner for Urban Innovation (2023). He has been Managing Director of the BIT Habitat Foundation, Barcelona’s Urban Innovation Centre, since the end of 2023.

Previously, he served as Director of Strategic Planning and Central Services at Gavà City Council (2015-2019), Director of the President’s Office and Institutional Action at Rubí Town Council (2008-2015), Manager of the Fundació Privada Catalunya Segle XXI (2002-2008) and Coordinator of Agenda 21 at Barcelona City Council (2001-2002).

Bithabitat EN Eloi Juvillà

Director of Building and Logistics Services at Barcelona Provincial Council

Architect specialising in sustainability and urban greening. From 2012 to 2017, he coordinated the provincial urban greening strategy and developed tools that facilitate renaturalisation, such as the urban greening master plans and the publication “Renaturalisation of the city” (2019). He has been a member of the “Urban environment and health” group (2010-20), a think tank to incorporate health into urban policies. He currently coordinates the urban renovation project at the “La Industrial+” Industrial School Campus and the Provincial Council Climate Plan. He was coordinator of the UPC+UVIC “Urbanism and health” postgraduate programme (2021–22). Author of the book “Terra cremada” (2023) and member of the Board of the Catalan Territorial Planning Society.

Bithabitat EN Anna Ramos

Manager of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation

Holds a degree in architecture from the ETSAB (UPC) with an academic exchange scholarship at TU Delft / Faculteit Bouwkunde. Graduated in Advanced Studies from the doctoral programme in Construction, Restoration and Architectural Rehabilitation at the UPC.

She is an associate professor at the Department of Architecture Technology at ETSAB, has taught at European and North American architecture schools, and has presented papers at research conferences. She is a member of several international committees and councils.

Until 2016, she managed her professional studio in Barcelona, ​​specialising in rehabilitation and sustainability projects. From 2014 to 2016, she was deputy director in the International Relations area at ETSAB. From 2005 to 2008, she was chairwoman of the Young Architects Group of COAC. Since 2016, she was manager of the Mies Van der Rohe Foundation at Barcelona City Council.

 

Bithabitat EN Carmen Torres

Member of the scientific committee for the UIA Congress Barcelona 2026

Carmen is an architect who graduated from ETSAB-UPC in 2011. She has been an Associate Professor of Architectural Projects at ETSAV-UPC since 2019, where her research studio was shortlisted for a teaching award at the XIII BIAU. Between 2015 and 2018, she combined her professional practice with teaching in the International Design and Architecture (INDA) programme at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
In 2019, she founded Sarquella Torres in Banyoles, together with Pau Sarquella. The practice has received several awards, including the ARQUIN-FAD International Award 2019, with a panel recognition and an international recognition for the Bang Nong Saeng Kindergarten project.

Bithabitat EN Josep Ricart

Architect and co-founder of the HARQUITECTES studio

HARQUITECTES is an architecture studio founded in 2000 and based in Sabadell (Barcelona), led by four associate architects: David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros, and Roger Tudó. All four graduated as architects from the Vallès School of Architecture (ETSA Vallès), where Josep Ricart and Roger Tudó currently teach. Xavier Ros is a professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSA Barcelona). They have also been invited to teach at various European and American universities.

Their work has received numerous awards, both for built projects and design competitions, and has been widely published in various media. They have been selected for multiple exhibitions and invited as speakers at both national and international events.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION

Here you will find all the documentation related to the urban challenge, which will be periodically updated.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Here you will find additional information. If you do not find the answer you need after reading the general guidelines and the call for proposals, you can send us an email at: inn_urb@bithabitat.barcelona with the subject line “Mineral challenge – Questions and answers.” We will respond as soon as possible and, if deemed appropriate, we will add your question to this list.

Eligible Recipients
  • Who can apply for the grant?

    Any legal entity can apply. Examples include architectural firms, foundations, companies and businesses, universities, research centres, and technological centres.

  • What conditions must legal entities meet to apply?

    This information will be provided in the call for applications, which can be found on this website under the “Announcements and Documentation” section.

  • Can groups of legal entities apply for the grant?

    Yes, groups of legal entities, both public and private, are also eligible. A multidisciplinary and cross-cutting approach to proposals is desirable.

    “Industry involvement from the beginning is not required, but will be seen as an asset to ensure the industrialisation and scalability of the solution.”

  • Can international companies participate?

    Yes, this challenge is international. Foreign companies applying must meet the equivalent requirements in their country of origin. The required documentation, or alternatively, an equivalent document in accordance with the applicable legislation of their country of origin, must be translated into English, Spanish, or Catalan for the submission.

  • Can a company participate in multiple proposals?

    No, legal entities may only submit one project per challenge, whether on their own or as a group. Likewise, legal entities cannot submit more than one proposal through different groups.

Projects Eligible for the Grant
  • What are the eligibility requirements?

    Among other requirements, the projects selected in this call must be implemented within 28 months from the date the grant amount is received, with a margin of flexibility.

    The projects must have a monitoring period of twelve months (following the installation of the pilot).

    Projects must have a minimum implementation budget of €140,000, with no upper limit. Selected projects will receive a grant for up to 80% of eligible costs, with a maximum grant of €150,000.

Application
  • Where can I find the application documents?

    On the call for applications website https://bithabitat.barcelona/en/projects/mineral/

  • Where and how should applications be submitted?

    Applicants must use the participation form available on the BIT Habitat website, attaching the required documents through the Electronic Registry of the BIT Habitat Foundation.

Eligible Expenses
  • What amount will I receive?

    Selected projects will receive a maximum grant of 80% of eligible costs. The maximum grant per project is €150,000.

    The projects selected in Phase 1 will be awarded €6,000 per project.

  • Which expenses are eligible and which are not?

    For expenses to be eligible, they must:

    • Be directly related to the implementation of the project.
    • Be described in the submitted budget.
    • Respect the principles of good financial management: profitability and efficiency.
    • Have been incurred between the start and end date of the project (a maximum of twenty-eight consecutive months.
    • Indirect taxes that can be refunded or compensated, income taxes, and expenses incurred before the start or after the completion of the project are never considered eligible expenses.
  • When justifying the expenses, do I need to account for the total project amount or just the portion covered by the grant?

    When justifying the project’s expenses, the total amount of the project must be taken into account, not just the portion covered by the grant.

  • How and when will the grant be paid?

    The awarded grant will be paid in three instalments:

    • 65% payment upon publication of the definitive approval for the work covered in the grant
    • 25% upon receipt of the prototype phase deliverable
    • 10% at the end of the project
  • How and when will the award be paid?

    The €6,000 award will be paid upon delivery of the proposal submitted in Phase 2.

EVENTS AND SESSIONS

Bithabitat EN TECHNICAL MEETING

3 March, from 1:30 to 3 pm (CET), online, english.

AS PART OF

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