Alba Balmaseda Domínguez was a guest lecturer for the Design 3 course Sud: materia, maestranze e magia, where she led the workshop VINCOLI / ENTANGLEMENTS.
A Spanish architect, she works across research, pedagogy, and architectural practice. She graduated from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM) and holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Università degli Studi Roma Tre. Approaching architecture as an embodied, relational, and situated discipline, her work explores body–environment relations, spatial commons, and collective practices through design, performative methodologies, and 1:1 construction. She has taught at ETSAM, UCJC Madrid, University of Stuttgart, and TH Nürnberg, and has conducted research at institutions including Vastu Shilpa Foundation, Tokyo Wonder Site, and Istituto Svizzero. In 2014, she founded an independent architectural practice, developing award-winning projects and participating in international competitions. Her project La Mejicana was nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2022. She has collaborated with studios and practices such as Irisarri+Piñera Arquitectos, VIC Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas, and Anupama Kundoo Architects, engaging in material research, climate-responsive design strategies, participatory urban practices, and full-scale architectural experimentation. She is co-founder of Performing Space Association, an international platform exploring space as a performative and experiential field, and of OFFSEASON, a female collective investigating bathing culture.
