Luis Urculo

Luis Urculo Cámara (b 1978, Madrid, Spain) works and lives in Madrid. After studying architecture in ETSAM, he left to Chicago to develop his creative knowledge and experiments in the Institute of Design.

He establishes his own studio in 2006. His work is characterised by the unusual way to portray architecture, using it as a means, more than an end. Here the process, scale and creativity are his tools. He creates compositions on different scales proportionating unexpected points of view. The output can be illustrations, animations, installations, or interiors.

Urculo has been exhibiting his work all over the world and has worked with well-known creatives.

He also works as a teacher with Jaime Hayón for Master of European Design Labs in Instituto Europeo di Design, Madrid.

BOLBO- How did you start?

LUIS URCULO – Before setting my own office I started as a collective (Estudio Motocross) where we made all sort of experimental projects while we were studying at ETSAM in Madrid. We explored the limit of commercial and professional roles related with architecture but as no ‘official’ architects-we were still students…and this really created on me the base to my future professional office. To question the rules.

I graduated at 2006 and it was the right moment to leave the collective and start a new adventure as my own office.

BOLBO-How did you realize you didn’t want to be connected to architecture in a conventional way? What were your needs to explore it with a different format?

LU- When I finished studying I was already quite critical with the professional landscape of options/possibilities/tools I was expected to use as an architect.

For me, my degree on architecture was just a big toolbox to invest on many different ways, based on my interests at that moment: graphic and space.

I decided to start, trying to leave behind the shadow of expectations of ‘what an architect is supposed to do’.

BOLBO- Was it well received by the public?

LU- So far, so good.

I think it has been quite natural. I never expect to be treaded as a classic architect. I think my office is a creative workshop rather than an architecture office.

BOLBO- Do you try to express political values/issues in your work?

LU- It is not a key role in my work but is present on some projects, like the Bienal of Architecture, where I created 35 actions, one for each project. It was created on 2009 just before the big crash, I felt we had to change the path of communication on architecture, therefore we set the exhibition as a live action, around/on the city

BOLBO- How do you start a project? Is it through the materials? Or is it by the space the client offers? Or…

LU- First research, then the concept, and lots lots of drawings.

BOLBO- What would you like to experiment that you didn’t have the opportunity yet?

LU- Textile….and…..an opera!!!!

BOLBO- You are going to give a workshop in Boisbuchet in Augustus. What are you expectations for the theme of Boisbuchet as a canvas – Beyond the paper?

LU- The workshop is about the control of scale to develop a graphic installation based on personal codes and notations of reality.

I hope results will be rich of personal views, a construction through their identities. A map of perceptions.

BOLBO- What are your plans /ambitions for the future?

LU- We will open our new office space in Madrid in a few months….hope it does not take too long

I like unexpected projects, so let´s see what the futures brings.