Interview with Ione Ruete, director of Barcelona Building Construmat

A. I graduated as an architect from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and then did a Master’s in Technology of Architecture, specialising in building restoration and renovation, also at the UPC, and an MBA at the ESADE Business & Law School. 

I have worked as an architect and headed up projects at various architectural practices; I was a project consultant at the Smart City Expo World Congress in 2014, and finally I joined the Barcelona Building Construmat team in 2015: I’ve been the director of the event since October 2015 with the goal of supporting the revolution that the construction sector is undergoing.
    

The response from exhibitors, technology centres and start-ups has been excellent and has exceeded our expectations. As of today, there is very little space left and very generally I can tell you that more than 90% of the exhibition space has already been contracted. Indeed, given the volume of exhibitors, we’re expecting to grow by around 20% compared to the previous edition in 2015.
 

A. Because visitors will find a unique exhibition space of over 32,000 square metres housing representatives of the entire value chain of the construction process. Everyone who attends this edition of BBConstrumat will be able to learn about and experience the full range of products, materials, processes, services and software that the leading companies in the sector are currently offering their clients and the general public. In addition, there will be a special area dedicated to innovation and technological developments that is set to be the hub of the event, not just because of its strategic location in the venue but also because of the variety of topics addressed within it. The event will also have areas for considering and discussing the present and future of the sector and we will also have dedicated areas for networking and generating new business opportunities.
 

A. The Future Arena is precisely the area I was just talking about. There will be a section of over 2,000 square metres at the centre of BBConstrumat through which every attendee will have to pass. Here they can experience the future of the construction industry and explore subjects as varied as virtual reality, robotics and the automation of production processes, 3D printing, and the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) in terms of personalisation and interaction in the home.

We will also have the collaboration of technology development centres and pioneering start-ups in the industry who will be showcasing the latest products for use in any of the six phases of the construction lifecycle, from planning through to the renovation of a building or an engineering project, and the use of BIM in the construction process.
 

A. The growing awareness about the need to protect the environment and generate energy sustainably will also have an important role in this edition of BBConstrumat. This is directly related to the obsolescence of the linear business model we have traditionally followed, which consists of producing, consuming and eliminating. This model has been superseded by a circular economy model that translates into reducing the amount of materials in the first place, reusing them and recycling waste.

At the trade show people will be able to learn about materials and tools that offer sustainable alternatives in the construction sector. Graphene, for example, allows better storage and conduction of electricity; 3D printers reduce construction times and the waste generated; and BIM, as a tool in the construction process, facilitates a better estimate of the amount of raw materials to be used in a project. All of these will be on show at the forthcoming edition of BBConstrumat.
 

A. We feel optimistic about the future. Although the construction sector was one of the most heavily hit by the economic crisis, in the last few years we have been experiencing significant growth and improvements. For example, by the end of 2014 the construction industry had a value of15,300 million euros. We had not recorded a figure this high since2011. 

When it comes to challenges, the main one entails resolving current problems without getting stuck in a traditional viewpoint. The circular economy model, in terms of the construction industry, and the use of new materials and production processes make it essential to tackle the industry’s problems with a different mentality.
 

A. BBConstrumat will not only be dedicated to the business of the construction sector but also to learning about and disseminating architecture. In this respect, we are organising a series of architectural routes during the event, each of which will showcase one of the following themes: Social Housing, the Circular Economy, and Engineering.

Once again, BBConstrumat is set to be the landmark trade show for the construction industry. Innovation and the circular economy will be the key cornerstones of the twentieth edition of the event, not forgetting the range of products, materials and services available today.