Six-Day Build Turns Timber into Social Infrastructure in A Coruña
Un Obradoiro emerges from a hands-on design-build workshop conducted with first-year architecture students at CESUGA (Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios de Galicia) in A Coruña, Spain. Led by Sebastián Erazo and Stefano Pugliese (Erazo Pugliese), together with professors Javier Caride and Tomás Valente, the workshop was co-financed by XERA (Agencia Gallega de la Industria Forestal) and structured as an introductory exercise in architectural production, connecting design development with full-scale construction.
The process began with a short phase of site analysis and proposal development carried out in studio over two days. Student observations were then consolidated into a shared design synthesis by the tutors, forming the basis for a 1:1 timber structure constructed on site over six days. The selected plot, located adjacent to the university cafeteria and parking area, was defined by its underused condition and its potential to support informal gathering spaces for students and staff. The elevated terrain also introduced broad views toward A Coruña’s rural, natural, and urban landscape, while requiring the definition of spatial boundaries, orientation, and programmatic use without existing infrastructure.
The final design takes the form of a diagonal timber wall that incorporates seating elements and a table within its thickness. At its upper edge, integrated fabric panels provide varying degrees of shade depending on solar conditions throughout the day. The structure operates as a hybrid between architectural installation and furniture, organizing activity while framing views across the surrounding site.
all images by Erazo Pugliese
Erazo Pugliese and CESUGA collaborate on a Timber activity Wall
The workshop marks the fourth collaboration between studio Erazo Pugliese and CESUGA School of Architecture, continuing a pedagogical methodology centered on rapid translation from design intention to built outcome. With twenty first-year students involved, the construction process combined prefabrication and on-site assembly, structured through rotating work teams that coordinated different stages of the build.
Un Obradoiro functions as a landscape-oriented intervention that supports informal use while remaining open to observation over time. The structure also operates as a pedagogical device, allowing assessment of material behavior, weathering, and patterns of occupation as part of its ongoing performance within the campus environment.
project info:
name: Un Obradoiro
architects: Erazo Pugliese | @erazopugliese, CESUGA School of Architecture | @cesuga_estudios_universitarios
location: A Coruña, Spain
photographer: Erazo Pugliese
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom