IE University launched the new Master in Architecture for global architects committed to sustainability

Opening of the Master in Architecture IE School of Architecture and Design on September 5, 2023 in Madrid

The program, which will be taught in Madrid and Amsterdam, will qualify students for the architectural profession in Spain and the European Union, while strengthening their business and entrepreneurial vision, deepening their understanding of the use of sustainable strategies in architecture and design.

IE University today presented the new Master in Architecture, a program designed for architects with an international profile committed to sustainability and social impact. Internationally renowned architects Ben van Berkel and Fuensanta Nieto, took part in the presentation of the program, sharing their vision on circularity in architecture and urbanism in conversation with Isabela de Alcázar, Global Director of Sustainability at IE University.

Ben van Berkel, Founder of UN Studio and MArch Thesis Chair

Ben van Berkel, Founding Director of UNStudio, is currently working together with b720 and Esteyco on the transformation and urban integration of the Chamartin Railway Station in Madrid, one of Europe's largest urban planning projects. Fuensanta Nieto is co-founder of Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, a recipient of the Spanish Culture Ministry’s Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, and responsible for numerous international award-winning public program architecture projects.

The ten-month, face-to-face Professional Licensure in Architecture will be taught in English, starting in September 2023 at IE Tower, IE University's campus in Madrid, and at UNStudio's headquarters in Amsterdam. The program combines strategic thinking and technological advances for a sustainable future with preparation for professional practice and management of an international architecture and design firm.

Students will explore strategic aspects of design (passive design principles that maximize natural lighting and ventilation, the use of renewable energy sources, etc.) and use technology with the potential to transform the way we design and build sustainable spaces (virtual reality, artificial intelligence, Building Information Modeling, sustainable materials, etc.).

From left to right: Isabela del Alcázar, Global Head of Sustainability at IE University; Fuensanta Nieto, Founder of Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos and March Advanced Design Studio Professor; Ben van Berkel, Founder of UN Studio and MArch Thesis Chair; David Goodman, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design; Marcela Aragüez Escobar, Director of the Master in Architecture IE School of Architecture and Design; Cristina Mateo, Associated Dean IE School of Architecture and Design.

IE University's Master of Architecture (MArch) combines the training required for a professional licensure in Spain and the European Union with an international focus, oriented towards entrepreneurship and sustainability. It combines three elements: Final Thesis Project, directed by Ben van Berkel; Architectural Design, Urbanism and Construction Studio, a learning-by-doing process oriented to architectural technologies and strategies for sustainability, directed by Fuensanta Nieto; Design Management, which takes advantage of IE University's strong track record in business and entrepreneurship training, applied to the fields of architecture, urbanism and design.  Students work in teams, use digital fabrication tools in IE University's MIT-certified FabLab, and have access to the institution's international network of architects, entrepreneurs, alumni and stakeholders to enrich their training and accelerate their careers.

“Architects and entrepreneurs working on building projects operate within an open network, at different scales and in different cultural contexts. We look at the world through different prisms, working with strategists, politicians, economists, managers, philosophers, humanists, etc. The complexity involved in working together in this field converges in the creation of an integrated design process, which reveals the limitations of design and encourages a critical and analytical approach,” says Ben van Berkel, Director of UNStudio and Thesis Chair of the Master of Architecture program.

David Goodman, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design

“We architects have a key role to play in building a sustainable future. That's why we need to join forces to have the greatest impact. And the aim of the new Architecture Professional Licensure is to work in that direction: to train young architects and designers with an international profile who will create a more sustainable, beautiful and just world for all”, says David Goodman, Dean of IE University School of Architecture & Design and Director of the Master of Architecture.

Ben van Berkel is an architect and entrepreneur, founder of UNStudio, known for his cutting-edge designs that embrace cutting-edge technology. IE School of Architecture and Design works with UNStudio to create an innovative academic framework for the Master in Architecture (MArch). With projects on several continents, UNStudio has built an extensive portfolio of projects of varying scales, focused on improving lives and adapting to future changes. Its track record is linked to works such as the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the Doha Metro network, the Raffles City Hangzhou complex or the recently completed Booking.com headquarters and the restoration of the historic Bank of the Netherlands headquarters.

In Madrid, UNStudio together with b720 and Esteyco is currently working on the comprehensive refurbishment of the Chamartín Clara Campoamor Station and its urban integration after winning the international competition for "the largest urban regeneration project in Europe" with a proposal chosen for its comprehensive program of efficiency, sustainability and inclusion.

Fuensanta Nieto, Founder of Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos and March Advanced Design Studio Professor

 Fuensanta Nieto is an architect and co-founder of Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, an international studio with offices in Madrid and Berlin, which has been awarded the Spanish Ministry of Culture’s Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts. Among her most outstanding works are the Madinat al-Zahra Museum, the Contemporary Art Center of Cordoba or the Arvo Pärt Center in Estonia, as well as ongoing projects such as the extension of Munich’s Archaeological Museum, the Archive of the Avant-Garde in Dresden and the Cité du Théâtre in Paris.