Fundación RIA
‘The challenges we face concern us all. To address them we must seek out collaboration and rethink the conventional boundaries of regions, disciplines, departments, and reflect on the role of our own professions.’
David Chipperfield
Having developed a strong personal connection to the Spanish region of Galicia over 30 years, David Chipperfield established the independent non-profit think tank and agency Fundación RIA in 2017. The team focuses on inter-disciplinary studies, pilot projects and strategic territorial planning, connecting global challenges to a specific context. It is rooted in close collaboration Galicia’s communities, government, industry and academic institutions, and draws together international and local expertise.
The ambition of Fundación RIA is to develop a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute towards quality of life beyond conventional economic assessments such as GDP. Establishing links between public and private agents is central to repairing the relationship between the built and natural environments. In this regard, Galicia can set a European benchmark for sustainable development. Taking the quality of the built environment as the focal point, the foundation seeks to consider the wider context of forces which impact the shape of the built environment as well as those impacted by the built environment.
Galicia serves as an ideal laboratory for understanding how the physical environment, nature, productive landscape and the built environment can, through careful planning governance, be both protected and developed in alignment with economic, social and cultural priorities.
Taking the quality of the built environment as the focal point, and rooted in a close understanding of issues at a community level,the foundation seeks to consider the wider context of forces which impact the shape of the built environment as well as those impacted by the built environment. The work of Fundación RIA is focused on three key areas:
Planning, architecture and design culture
Establishing planning and project design processes that promote a ‘baukunst’ based on criteria of sustainability, proximity and efficiency. This work promotes exemplary procurement and design processes that are rooted in sustainable principles and can serve as an example for public and private institutions.
Territorial planning and local identity
Exploring the deep connection between living environments and the natural environment, and its profound impact on quality of life for local communities, as well as on the preservation of identity through cultural and environmental values of place. This work focuses on addressing the quality of public space, the impact of industry, car usage and mobility infrastructure on the de-humanisation of the built environment.
Portos de Galicia commissioned a new public waterfront in Palmeira as part of a larger strategy to reconnect the industrially inactive ports with their population centers. Fundación RIA team served as advisors to the construction management, monitoring the work and ensuring that the fundamental values of the original strategic project are respected.
Sustainable land management
Collaborative action research programmes based on the historic forms of territorial structure, community governance and management of the Galician productive landscape. Providing technical and financial support to local initiatives for the sustainable production and management of natural resources, driven by communities themselves.
For further information, please visit fundacionria.org
