The scent of pine and the crisp mountain air of La Cerdanya cling to the very essence of CO Arquitectura’s designs. It’s an architecture born not just of blueprints and calculations, but of a deep understanding of the landscape and a commitment to innovation in the face of a changing industry. Founded by friends Diana Piera and Carlota Laucirica in 2016, this Barcelona-based studio, now a team of ten women architects, has quietly become a significant force in luxury residential development, boasting over 30 real estate promotions and 100 homes in less than a decade.
From Friendship to Architectural Vision: The Birth of CO Arquitectura
Diana Piera and Carlota Laucirica’s journey began not in an architectural studio, but in the shared hallways of their high school, where a friendship blossomed at the age of 15. Both drawn to the intricate world of architecture, their paths converged again at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). After initial forays into the professional world, a pivotal moment arrived when Carlota’s relative, Jorge Laucirica, a real estate developer specializing in luxury second homes in La Cerdanya, suggested she establish her own architecture firm to oversee more projects. Carlota, without hesitation, called Diana, who had always maintained she would never be ‘convinced to set up a studio.’
Piera, reflecting on that decision, admits it was “a very good opportunity.” She explains, “I was working in another office and it was clear that professional growth had a ceiling, as in most architecture studios. With Carlota, however, the option arose to work for a large client and create architecture integrated into nature, which is how we understand this profession. If she had called me to build a block of flats, I probably would have said no.” This shared vision for a more harmonious and nature-centric architecture led to the founding of CO Arquitectura in 2016, a studio that now proudly employs a team of ten talented women architects.
Crafting Mountain Dreams: La Pleta and El Hórreo
In its nascent decade, CO Arquitectura has amassed an impressive portfolio, including over 30 real estate developments and more than 100 single-family and multi-family homes. Among their most emblematic projects are La Pleta in Ger and El Hórreo in Puigcerdà, both nestled in the picturesque La Cerdanya region. These developments are a testament to their philosophy, seamlessly blending traditional mountain architecture with contemporary design. They meticulously incorporate “local stone, harmonious volumes, and natural light to blend into the landscape.” Laucirica notes, “Once they saw our work, more commissions came in, and we grew organically. We were able to make the leap to l’Empordà, where we currently manage 10 projects, something very important for us because their type of client and our landscape style fit perfectly.”
While the studio has naturally gravitated towards specializing in “medium-to-high-end single-family and multi-family homes,” CO Arquitectura is far from one-dimensional. Their expertise extends to rehabilitation projects, exemplified by El Mas Sallent in Bolvir, where they meticulously restored a traditional farmhouse, preserving its original elements while integrating modern constructive solutions. Their diverse portfolio also includes ventures in retail, hospitality, and office spaces, such as Despacho Jacinto, Aleyolé Flagship Store, and Casa Barcelona, bringing their total project count to over 150. Their latest challenge takes them beyond the borders of Catalonia, with their first project in Cantabria – “four houses in a natural park environment, which forces us to adapt to the new architectural language of the area.”
Navigating the Storm: Innovation in a Volatile Market
However, the true test, according to Laucirica and Piera, lies in adapting to the escalating costs that have plagued the sector since their inception. “These are not our costs, but the cost of the work itself, but we started at 1,600 €/m² for new high-end construction and, with the same qualities, we are now at 3,600 €/m²… And rising! These figures are alarming,” they assert. In response to this challenging environment, the studio is actively exploring innovative procedures to confront this new reality.
Industrialized Systems: A Solution to Rising Costs
That initial client, instrumental in their takeoff, is now aiding them in developing an industrialized construction system. “We industrialize processes so as not to depend solely on the talent of trades – the good bricklayer, the carpenter, the painter – who are wonderful, but who command exorbitant prices and are increasingly difficult to find.” To address this, they have created a prefabricated catalog of components used in construction to automate a portion of the process. This system is already being implemented in five homes currently under construction in La Cerdanya, with another soon to follow in Sant Cugat. They emphasize that this system “does not limit the creative aspect, allows for great energy efficiency, and generates significant cost and time control.”
Despite this focus on efficiency, they firmly state that they dislike “copy-pasting; each project bears our stamp, with a common thread in terms of materials that we always respect.” They define this unique stamp as the ability to be “responsible and transversal in our work, with an architectural essence of timeless minimalism, using noble organic materials that speak of the legacy of time, and with more modern lines, in keeping with our age and the times we live in.”
Beyond the Blueprints: The Future of CO Arquitectura
CO Arquitectura’s business volume has consistently hovered between 600,000 and 800,000 euros, with a maximum staff of around 12 people. Their aspiration is to reach a million euros, “but not much more because we know that up to that billing we can control quality; it is our challenge and our ceiling.” Their future dreams include ambitious projects such as constructing a hotel from scratch or designing a school. Most importantly, Piera concludes, is “to be proud of the footprint we leave.”
Source: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/economia/20260306/joven-estudio-arquitectas-barcelona-lleva-126334157
