CORA named finalist in the ArchDaily 2026 Building of the Year Awards

We’re proud to share that CORA – Cathedral of Robotic Artisans is now among the five finalists in the Small Scale & Installations category of the ArchDaily 2026 Building of the Year Awards.

After advancing from the nomination stage to the shortlist of 15, the project now enters the final voting round, standing alongside four other projects worldwide.

Vote for CORA here:
https://boty.archdaily.com/us/2026/candidates/180177/cora-installation-slash-iaac

Voting is open until February 18th at 18:00 EST.

A project born in the forest

Set within the forested landscape of Valldaura Campus, in the heart of Barcelona’s Collserola Natural Park, CORA is a vaulted timber prototype that explores the intersection of robotics, digital fabrication, and material ecology.

Developed entirely by students, the structure operates as an architectural hypothesis: how can craftsmanship evolve through digital tools? How can local, irregular timber be shaped robotically without erasing its character?

Each element of the vault was milled from 100% site-sourced Aleppo Pine, using a KUKA KR-210 robotic arm. Not to standardize, but to vary—each piece is computationally designed to fit a unique geometry, following both material constraints and architectural intent.

More than a prototype

Spanning 12 metres and rising 4 metres high, CORA is the largest structure ever built at Valldaura Campus. It reflects IAAC’s design-by-research and hands-on approach, where students move from concept to full-scale construction.

The project was developed by the 2023/24 cohort of the Master in Ecological Architecture and Advanced Construction, under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team of architects, researchers and makers.

Support the project

Reaching the final stage of the ArchDaily 2026 Building of the Year Awards is a significant milestone for our students and faculty.

If you would like to support CORA in the final round, you can cast your vote on ArchDaily before February 18th at 18:00 EST.

Vote now on ArchDaily

Project Credits

Direction: Vicente Guallart, Daniel Ibañez and Michael Salka
Valldaura Executive Director: Laia Pifarré
Developed by: The students of the Master in Ecological Architecture and Advanced Construction, 2023/24 class: Alexander Tamazov, Toni Javor, Emma Rodriguez Berghmans, Neeshi Doshi, Lamprini Makarona, Diana Ruzanska, Alfred Ziad Aramouni, Anushreya Kondapi, Juan Sebastián Batallas Cueva, Marianna Santos Fujii, Varun Sreenath, André Arruda Navarro, Mustafa Teksoy, Oliver Needham, Alireza Shayan, Alkiviaids Avarkiotis, Maya Shoavi, Sharvari Sharath, Sveta Sathyanadhan, Vanessa Marie Alvarado Barrios, Helen Girma, Karla Velarde Sandoval, Kristina Schüssler.
Project Management: Esin Aydemi
Expert Staff: Bruno Ganem, Marielena Papandreou, Lorenzo Salinas, Viorel Cazacu
Staff: Pilar Fontanals, Laura Sanchez
Advised by: Miquel Rodriguez, Elena Orte, Guillermo Sevillano, Ignasi Caus, David Valldeoriola, Silvia Burés, Toni Arola, Ionut Cosenco, Carles Enrich, Firas Safieddine, Arturo de la Maza
Sponsors: Tallfusta, Alberch, Montpart
With the support of: Parc de Collserola, Ajuntament de Cerdanyola del Vallès
Photography: Adrià Goula
Communication: Pati Nuñez Agency