A new web platform on architecture and design is launched impulsed by Roca

A committee of experts decided the editorial direction of the website atthe first annual meeting. Committee members included Jane Duncan (ex president of the Royal Institute of British Architects); Jonathan Bell (writer and editor at Wallpaper*); and Raya Ani (ex president of the American Institute of Architects, Middle East chapter). Thirty international contributors, such as Benjamin Prosky (American Institute of Architects-New York); Lucy Bullivant (director of Urbanista.org); Cecilia Tham (founder of Makers of Barcelona; MOB) will contribute essays on a regular basis.

The 23^rd July was launched una nueva plataforma, which aims to be a meeting point between architecture and design professionals. Twelve people and over 30 international writers are involved in the project and have already started to generate updated weekly content. The web is published in two languages:English and Spanish. 
 
Each month it will focus on a different theme. The first title launched on the web was ‘Urban versus Rural’ followed by “Connection in a Material World”. This October the main topic is “The Afterlife of Architecture”:
   
The themes in the coming months are: One Ocean, Want more, use less, The Future of Retail, On the Move.
   
For the second and third issues, authors of the exclusive content include Pedro Gadanho, director of the new Museum of Art, Architecture and TechnologyinLisbon (MAAT), Gonzalo Herrero, architect and curator of the Architecture Programme at the Royal Academy of Arts in London orEthel Baraona, critic, writer, curator and co-founder of the independent research studio and publishing house dpr-barcelona. The content is divided into four categories: views on architecture, eye on design, the future and sustainable world.
  SHARE, LIKE, LOVE: WHY DESIGNING FOR THE SHARING ECONOMY IS DIFFERENT Cecilia Tham
Technology has allowed many aspects of the sharing economy to flourish.
 
FUTURE PERFECT? TECHNOLOGY INTERRUPTS THE ARCHITECT’S OFFICEEthel Baraona
Ethel Baraona Pohl discusses how new communicative ecosystems are changing the way architects work and create.
 
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT’S NEW FRONTIERJulia Fairley
Neuroarchitecture reveals how and why we connect physiologically to space and place.
 
FRONTEIRA LIVRE: PRACTICING URBAN PLACEMAKING IN SÃO PAULO Lucy Bullivant
When architects participate on urban placemaking projects with local people, giving them a genuine voice, and the results are put on show in public spaces, the result can be extraordinarily illuminating.

Updated inspiration is a section that publishes recommendations and news items that are connected to the theme of the month and invite the user to go deeper into the subject, be it an event, or book or film.

The monthly themes have been decided upon by an editorial committe of experts during a meeting that took place in Roca Gallery London (a work of ZahaHadid Architects) in January 2018. The seven members of the committee are Raya Ani and Jane Duncan (both architects); the writer Jonathan Bell; the architect and urbanist John Palmesino; the journalist and consultant Pati Nuñez; along with the head of Roca brand communication Núria Vall-llovera and the director of communication at Roca, Xavier Torras.  
RAYA ANI Architect, Dubai and Nueva York.
Ex president of the American Institute of Architects, Middle East Chapter (AIA Middle East). 2017 and director of RAW Architects.
 
JONATHAN BELL Writer, London.
Contributing Editor of the magazineWallpaper* and editor of the official Aston Martin magazine.
 
JANE DUNCAN Architect, London.
Ex president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA, 2015-2017) and founder of Jane Duncan Architects + Interiors.
 
PATI NUÑEZ Journalist, Madrid and Barcelona.
Director of the Pati Núñez Agency, strategy and communication consultantspecialized in architecture.
 
JOHN PALMESINO Architect and urbanist, London and Switzerland.
Founder of the Territorial Agency and professor at the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture.
 
XAVIER TORRAS Communication Director, Barcelona.
Director of Communication and Corporate Branding at Roca and director of the We Are Water Foundation.
 
NURIA VALL-LLOVERA Communication Executive, Barcelona.
Head of communication for the Roca brand and director of the jumpthegap® International Design Contest.
   
MARTÍN AZÚA Designer, Barcelona.
Founder of Numbered Store and winner of thePremio Delta de Plata 2011.
 
ETHEL BARAONA Architect and architecture critic, Barcelona.
Founder ofdpr-barcelona.
 
STEFAN BAUMANN Photographer, Vienna.
Has visited hundreds of abandoned spaces in 14 countries.
 
JONATHAN BELL Writer, London.
Contributing Editor of the magazine Wallpaper* and editor of the official Aston Martin magazine.
 
LUCY BULLIVANT Curator and author, London.
PhD Hon. FRIBA and director of Urbanista.org.
 
KAREN BURSHTEIN Photographer, translator, and journalist, Winnipeg (Canada).
Collaborator in various leading publications including Dwell, Conde Nast Traveller and The Guardian.
 
GIOVANNA DUNMALL Writer and editor, London.
Writes for leading publications including The Guardian and Frame.
 
PATRICIA ESPINOSA Design journalist, Madrid
Writes for numerous publications including El Dominical, XL Semanal, Mujer Hoy, Estilo and ABC.

PEDRO GADANHO Architect, curator and writer, Lisbon.
Director the new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT).

BEN MORGAN Architecture and design journalist, Melbourne.
Co-founder of  Bower Bird, a digital platform that connects architects and designers with writers and the specialised press.
 
BENJAMIN PROSKY Architect, New York.
Executive director of the American Institute of Architects-New York (AIANY).
 
GONZALO HERRERO Architect, curator and writer, London.
Curator of the Architecture Programme at the Royal Academy of Arts.
 
SAKET SETHI Architect, Mumbai and Barcelona.
Founder of the Archilogics Studio.
 
CECILIA THAM Entrepreneur, Barcelona.
Founder of the creative community Makers of Barcelona (MOB).

The new Roca Gallery web - www.rocagallery.com - under the motto “Sharing Knowledge on Architecture and Design” aspires, above all, to become a reference point within the sector.