Technical conferences 2026

Wednesday, October 28

9:30. REFURBISHMENT OF THE CONVENT OF SAN JOSÉ DE LAS CARMELITAS DESCALZAS IN ZUMAIA (GIPUZKOA)

Speakers:

• Ainara Iroz (Head of the Heritage Service at the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa)
• Josu Maroto (Architect of the Heritage Service at the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa)
• Aitor Zubia (Architect at ZETABI Arkitektura Bulegoa)
• Uzuri Larrañana (Architect at ZETABI Arkitektura Bulegoa)
• Josu Benito (Head of the Strategic Wood Division at TECNALIA).

During this session, we will explore the refurbishment of the Convent of San José from a range of perspectives, looking at the work carried out and how the various trades overlapped.

15:00. EVOLUTIONARY PRE-INDUSTRIALISATION AND ADAPTABILITY

Speakers:

• Matxalen Acasuso Atutxa
• Paz Martín Rodríguez

Matxalen Acasuso Atutxa is an architect who graduated from the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Navarre (ETSAUN) and is a founding partner of HABITA+, an architectural practice and consultancy specialising in creating and refurbishing living spaces designed for healthy longevity. She is a member of mYmO, a consultancy specialising in intergenerational innovation, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Sustainability and Architecture Association, whose members are mainly architects who share an interest in promoting sustainability within architecture.

Paz Martín Rodríguez also holds a degree in architecture from the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Navarre (ETSAUN) and a Master’s degree in Architecture from the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam. Since 2003, she has co-directed, alongside Cesar García, the architecture practice FÜNDC, which originated in Rotterdam and is now based in Madrid. In 2015, she was awarded the BBVA Foundation’s Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators for the project: “DESIGN FOR ALL: Architecture and the Elderly”, which proposes a revaluation, modernisation and to provide greater architectural and urban visibility to the space used by older adults. She is the director of the architectural innovation project ‘envejezANDO’ (rural and urban).

Together with other professionals, they are co-authors of habitaTU, a guide to pushing the boundaries of regulations, addressing the challenge of habitability within the legislative framework governing the design of homes, care homes and hotels in the Basque Country, and which seeks to generate proposals for a new approach to housing.

Thursday, October 29

9:30. UNIQUE BUILDING ENVELOPES AND THE PRE-INDUSTRIALISATION OF WOODEN FAÇADES

Speakers:

• Félix Flüshöh
• Narcís Poza Belmonte
• Aurelio Gamiz Urrutia

Félix Flüshöh is a forestry engineer specialising in forest and environmental sciences. He studied at the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg in Germany between 1996 and 2002. He subsequently expanded his training in the business sector, completing a Master’s degree in International Trade Management at the Álava Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services. Since 2004, he has been working at Grupo Gámiz in Santa Cruz de Campezo, where he holds the post of Director of Operations. Over the years, he has played a particularly significant role in the development and certification of structural hardwood products, particularly oak. Among other projects, he led the German certification process for structural glued laminated oak timber, completed in 2012, and subsequently headed the project to secure its CE certification, concluded in 2013 with the award of the European Technical Assessment (ETA) and the corresponding CE marking. Félix has also been directly involved in European standardisation work, forming part of the working group tasked with developing the harmonised European standard relating to glued laminated timber structures made from hardwoods.

Narcís Poza Belmonte, Managing Director of Talleres Inox S.A., a leading firm specialising in unique façade envelopes with over half a century’s experience in the market — represents the second generation at the helm of this family-run business. His leadership is marked by a thorough, hands-on understanding of the business: he joined the company at just 24 and has risen through the ranks, moving through the assembly, manufacturing, technical and sales departments, before taking on the role of Managing Director. This 360° view of the industry, combined with his experience delivering technically complex façade projects, makes him a leading voice in building construction and façade engineering.

Aurelio Gamiz is Sales Manager at Grupo Gámiz and is responsible in Spain for the strategy and specification of high-performance treated timber technologies such as Accoya. Aurelio holds a degree in Economics from the University of the Basque Country and an MBA from ESEUNE Business School. He has an outstanding track record in B2B market development, commercial management and advising architectural and engineering firms on the integration of sustainable building materials. Alongside his executive role, he also teaches as an adjunct lecturer on the Master’s degree in Timber Construction at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

At this technical session, we turn to a key area for the future of building construction: unique building envelopes and the industrialisation of timber façades. To see how this technology and material translate into cutting-edge architecture, we will look at two landmark projects:

The first is the façade of the Faustino Winery in Oión (Araba), an impressive building notable for its elliptical curtain wall in oak, complemented by sunshades in the same material. The second case study is the KNEM Building, in Barcelona’s El Poble Nou district, where we will examine the combination of a Radiata pine timber curtain wall integrated with walkways and a double-skin aluminium cladding. Two exemplary projects that demonstrate the versatility, technical precision and aesthetic value of timber in today’s industrialised façades.

15:00. FIRE ENGINEERING IN SOLID TIMBER BUILDINGS

Speakers:

• Christian Maluk

With over 15 years’ professional, academic and research experience, Dr Cristian Maluk has built a career that combines cutting-edge research with the practice of fire safety engineering. His PhD from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and his academic career at the University of Queensland (Australia) gave him a solid technical foundation, along with experience in multidisciplinary collaboration and leadership within fire safety. He is currently Technical Director at DAMA Engineering Consultants, where he oversees technical solutions for projects of varying nature and complexity.

This technical session addresses the challenges of fire engineering in solid timber buildings. It covers analysis and design methods, alongside mitigation strategies that reduce the risks inherent in this type of construction: the material’s contribution to the fire load, charring, delamination, smouldering and the difficulty in extinguishing the fire.

During the presentation, we will examine how solid timber alters fundamental principles of fire safety design — compartmentalisation, structural stability and fire behaviour — and what this implies for the design of safe buildings.

The session also presents regulatory approaches and performance-based design, together with specific provisions for solid timber, before reviewing case studies and recent research advances that support the safe and efficient design of these structures.