Josep Antoni Coderch

José Antonio Coderch y de Sentmenat (Barcelona, 26 November 1913 in Barcelona, 6 November 1984) was a Spanish architect recognized as one of the most important post-World War II architects.

Early life and career In 1932 Coderch started studying architecture at the Barcelona School of Architecture, which he graduated in 1940. He started his office with Manual Valls in 1942. After graduating he worked in Madrid with Pedro Muguruza and Secundino Zuazo. Years later, he was appointed city architect of Sitges, where he designed the Civil Guard garrison. After joining the CIAM, he became a member of Team 10 in 1960.

Career Around the year 1951, Josep Antoni Coderch participated in a design for the Triennale di Milano. The Milan Triennale is a museum for art and design located in Milan, Italy. During this time, Coderch introduced the Ugalde house and changed the entire view of Spanish and Mediterranean architecture. The Ugalde house was one of the first projects of Josep Antoni Coderch to have Mediterranean elements while also being "modern". At the same time, the house wasn't just a return to the roots, it showed a clear move towards modern architecture while moving away from his traditional style seen in his earlier projects. After the Ugalde house, Coderch kept refining that Mediterranean and modern approach, he mostly designed for residential and small-scaled works and became more established in Spain.

Use of Materiality and Environmental Elements The material palette that Coderch used for the Ugalde house was drawn from the surrounding buildings, including white masonry walls, terracotta roof tiles and timber elements while still expressing a modern sensibility. Coderch also used thick walls to help regulate the interior temperature, keeping the summers cool and winters warm. In addition, deep-set windows were also used to block the harsh sunlight while still framing views and working with passive environmental strategies, making the climate an integral part of the design.

Influence Coderch's work was influenced by traditional Mediterranean architecture, especially with local materials and climate responsive designs. He also engaged with modern architecture and used it to reflect regional context and human scale. Coderch's approach balanced modernism with a focus in place, and that led to a certain style that is contemporary and locally grounded. 1957 Ballvè House, Camprodón, Girona 1957 Olano House, Comillas, Cantabria 1961 Biosca House, Igualada, Barcelona 1962 Hotel del Mar, Palma, Majorca 1964 Luque House, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona 1965 Gili House, Sitges 1966 Entrecanales House, La Moraleja, Madrid 1967 Rovira House, Canet de Mar, Barcelona 1969-71 Soler-Badia House, Igualada, Barcelona 1970-72 Zóbel House, Sotogrande, Cádiz 1971 Güell House, Barcelona