The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the University of Alicante (UA) came together to run a workshop titled “Sustainable ceramic architecture” on 2 and 3 November, with Sorigué joining to offer its expertise and know-how in the Valencian Community.  

This positions the group as an academic leader in the region as it continues to consolidate its business footprint.  

The Spanish Association of Fired Clay Brick and Roof Tile Manufacturers (Hispalyt) also presented their expert view at this workshop, which was attended by 65 architecture and fine arts students.  

Over the course of the two-day workshop, students explored what ceramics are able to bring on an expressive and technical level when designing the components of a building from the perspective of sustainability for both manufacturing and construction.  

CaixaForum Valencia Up Close  

This is why the tour around CaixaForum Valencia was instrumental. The project was led by the architect Enric Ruiz-Geli with support from Javier Peña and Salvador Segura as construction managers and built by Sorigué in a 6,500 m2 area.  

This project imbued the iconic Agora of the City of Arts and Sciences with substance, transforming it into a social and cultural centre. Thanks to the structures being carefully adapted, citizens now have two exhibition halls, a 296-person auditorium, a book shop, offices,  

a restaurant, multi-purpose halls and the cloud, a family and educational space, on top of a spacious inner courtyard carrying on the initial idea of an agora as a multi-purpose building.  

During a tour run by Sorigué the students taking part in the “Sustainable ceramic architecture” workshop were able to find out more about the facilities and how they were built thanks to the help of the centre’s director, Álvaro Borrás, the planning manager, Isabel Puig, and Sorigué Valencia’s construction manager, Juan Manuel Iruela.  

In addition, students designed a technology/ construction arrangement with ceramic pieces of face brick in a maximum area of 10 m2.  

This is where the company coordinated, monitored, and provided the staff and materials for constructing the works selected inside the UMH Altea Campus, coordinated by the following site crew: Diego Sánchez, Fernando Perales, Sandra Cabañero and Yolanda Martos. These facilities are currently being expanded by Sorigué.  

This is the business group’s way of reasserting its commitment to helping advance the Valencian Community, where it opened an office in 2020. The Valencian branch is one of the nine offices and production centres that the Sorigué group boasts across Spain, on top of its three head offices in Lleida, Barcelona and Madrid.